Dragonja

Dragonja
The outflow of the Dragonja into the Gulf of Piran
Country	Slovenia, Croatia
Basin features
Main source	Poletiči (Koper) 315 m (1,033 ft)
River mouth	Adriatic Sea, Sečovlje Saltpans
Basin size	95.6 km2 (36.9 sq mi)
Physical characteristics
Length	30 km (19 mi)

The Dragonja (pronounced [dɾaˈɡoːnja]; Italian: Dragogna) is a 30-kilometre (19 mi) 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 the 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.

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 in several sources in Šavrini Hills and flows west to the Gulf of Piran, part of the northern Adriatic Sea. It gets two larger tributaries from the right side (the Rokava and the Drnica Creeks) and one larger from the left side (the Poganja Creek).

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.