Dragonja
The Dragonja is a long river in the northern part of the Istrian peninsula. It is a meandering river with a very branched basin and a small quantity of water. It has a pluvial regime and often dries up in summer. It features very diverse living environments and is home to a number of animal and plant species. The Dragonja has been a matter of a territorial dispute between Croatia and Slovenia, with its lowest portion de facto the border of the two countries.
Course
The river is the third-longest river in Istria, after the Raša and Mirna rivers. It is the largest river of the Slovenian coast that flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is also the only Slovenian river that does not flow through settlements and that flows in its entirety over the flysch terrain.The Dragonja originates from several sources in the Šavrin Hills and flows west to the Gulf of Piran, part of the northern Adriatic Sea. It is joined by two larger tributaries from the right side and one larger tributary from the left side.
The Sečovlje Salina Landscape Park with the Sečovlje Saltworks is located at its mouth. The lowest part of the Dragonja in the Municipality of Piran has been protected since 1990 as a natural monument.
Name
The Dragonja River was first attested in written sources as Argao, and in later sources as Argaone, per Argaonem, Dragugne, and super flumine Dragone. The modern Slovene and Italian names are derived from Slavic *Dorgon’a, from Romance d- + Argaon-. Ultimately, the name is of pre-Romance origin, presumably based on the Proto-Indo-European root *h2arg’- 'shining'.Non-linguistic accounts explain the name as based on the meandering course of the river, resembling a dragon.