Dunántúl (Transdanubia): a major geographical region in the western half of Hungary lying to the south and west of the Danube, between the eastern reaches of the Alps and the Mura and Dráva rivers. Extraordinarily varied topographically, it is the most densely populated part of Hungary. The ethnic composition of the population reflects the population movements that have been a part of the region's checkered history. Its folk culture mirrors both an open-minded receptivity to the latest and the best, and a strong sense of tradition. Some of Hungary's chief cultural, religious and administrative centers have evolved in the Dunántúl, and are the nuclei of prosperous cities.