Slovenes possess an exceptionally strong national identity. This is the result of the historic development since the Middle Ages, and especially during the period of the formation of provinces in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Provincial, or better regional, identity was prevalent until the beginning of the 20th century. It was also because of this strong regional identity that many of the Slovenes living in Carinthia opted for Austria instead of Yugoslavia at the 1920 plebiscite. Regional characteristics also made it difficult for the territory of Prekmurje in northeast Slovenia to integrate culturally into the new state of Yugoslavia. In the period between WWI and WWII Slovenia did not manage to attain political autonomy. Fascist authorities in Italy used the concept of regional organization as part of its systematic denationalizing policy (neither Slovenes nor Croatians held the majority in any of the regions). In Austrian Carinthia, the principle of local organization changed very little during the period between WWI and WWII; since 1860, the tendency was to prevent Slovenes from attaining majority in any of the Carinthian municipalities. The Porabje area, which has a large percentage of Slovene population, has remained in Vasmegye (@elezna ‘upanija in Slovene), and its population was subject to strong Hungarization. During the Second World War the occupational zones authorities also emphasized regional identity in connection to German, Italian and Hungarian, or the so-called »Vendish,« identities. One of the typical features of regionalism after the Second World War was the fact that Slovenia had been broken down into small municipal units that gradually merged into 62 municipalities. Although it is true that Slovenes have become citizens of independent Slovenia in 1991, they have nevertheless remained tied to regions; indeed, judging by the present number of municipal units in Slovenia, and the struggle to organize yet new ones, Slovenes seem to prefer their town or village identities.