| Official Name: | Mala Bukovica |
| Pushpin Map: | Slovenia |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Traditional region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Inner Carniola |
| Subdivision Type2: | Statistical region |
| Subdivision Name2: | Littoral–Inner Carniola |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Ilirska Bistrica |
| Area Total Km2: | 3.72 |
| Population As Of: | 2002 |
| Population Total: | 161 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
| Coordinates: | 45.5336°N 14.2426°W |
| Elevation M: | 436.3 |
| Footnotes: | [1] |
Mala Bukovica (in Slovenian pronounced as /ˈmaːla ˈbuːkɔʋitsa/; German: Kleinbukowitz,[2] Italian: Bucovizza Piccola) is a village south of Ilirska Bistrica in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia.[3]
Mala Bukovica is a compact village along a rail line on a low rise between Dolenje Creek (Slovenian: Dolenjski potok), Molja Creek, and Kukurjevec Creek (a tributary of Molja Creek). It is connected by an older road to Koseze and by a newer road that branches off the main road from Ilirska Bistrica to Rupa, Croatia. Smaller roads lead from the village to Studena Gora and Veliko Brdo. There are fields in the Dednik area east of the village and in the area known as Boben south of that. Most of the meadows are in lower-lying areas. There are woods south of the village.[4]
Mala Bukovica literally means 'little Bukovica', distinguishing the settlement from neighboring Velika Bukovica (literally, 'big Bukovica'). Bukovica is a common toponym and oronym in Slovenia. It is derived from the adjective bukov 'beech' (from bukev 'beech tree') and originally referred to the local vegetation.[5] The Italian name of the settlement was Bucovizza Piccola.
During the Second World War, the Partisans attacked and killed Italian troops at the village. In response, Italian forces hanged two men from the village on June 4, 1942.[4]
Mala Bukovica is the site of an unmarked grave from the end of the Second World War. The Zparte Grave (Slovenian: Grob Zparte) lies in a meadow and orchard about 500m (1,600feet) southwest of Mala Bukovica. It contains the remains of a German soldier from the 97th Corps that fell at the beginning of May 1945.[6]
The local church, built just outside the main settlement, is dedicated to Saint Roch and belongs to the Parish of Ilirska Bistrica.[7]