Olib (; ) is a
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
n island in northern
Dalmatia, located northwest of
Zadar, southwest of
Pag, southeast of
Lošinj and just east of
Silba
Silba (; it, Selve) is an island in Croatia with an area of 15 km2,
northern Dalmatia, south-east of Lošinj, between the islands of Premuda and Olib. It has a Mediterranean climate with 2570 hours a year of sunshine. Most summer days ...
with an area of 26.14 km
2.
[
]
History
Greek geographer
Strabo mentions a settlement named Aloip, which was inhabited by the
Liburnians. During the Roman rule, Aloip was rebuilt in a different location, in the island's south-west.
Croats colonized the island from mid-7th to late 8th century. Another wave of
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
n inhabitants arrived in the mid to late 15th century, from
Vrlika
Vrlika is a small town in inland Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. The closest large towns are Sinj, Knin, and Drniš. Vrlika was given the status of town in 1997. Vrlika is an underdeveloped municipality which is statistically classified as the ...
in the Cetinska Krajina region in
Split-Dalmatia County, fleeing the
Ottoman invasions. The
Chakavian
Chakavian or Čakavian (, , , sh-Latn, čakavski proper name: or own name: ''čokovski, čakavski, čekavski'') is a South Slavic regiolect or language spoken primarily by Croats along the Adriatic coast, in the historical regions of Dalmat ...
dialect of Croatian is spoken on Olib. Residents call themselves Olibljani.
The island has many historic buildings and ruins. Among these are the Parish Church Assumption of Mary with its collection of
antiquities
Antiquities are objects from antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures. Artifacts from earlier periods such as the Meso ...
including Glagolitic codices dating back to the 17th century (housed in the treasury of the parish rectory), the stone Tower or "Kula" built for protection from pirates, and the ruins of St. Paul's Church and Monastery which was abandoned in the 13th century.
In addition to the parish church of the Assumption of Mary, Olib has three other churches. St. Anastasia is situated inside the village cemetery, St. Nicholas is located on the cove of Porat, and St. Rocco is close to the port of Samotvorac.
Modern-day Olib
The traditional products of Olib include
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
,
olive oil, and
cheese. Most of the food is consumed locally rather than being sold in the market.
There is no water supply network on Olib so all homes on the island are built with
cisterns to capture rainwater. During the summer months, the island receives an additional supply of water carried by ships if needed.
Although the year-round population only hovers around 100, that number is much larger during the summer months when both descendants of the island's native population as well as international tourists come to visit.
Olib is connected to the mainland by
ferry to
Zadar via the islands of
Silba
Silba (; it, Selve) is an island in Croatia with an area of 15 km2,
northern Dalmatia, south-east of Lošinj, between the islands of Premuda and Olib. It has a Mediterranean climate with 2570 hours a year of sunshine. Most summer days ...
and
Premuda
Premuda () is a small island in Croatia, off the northern Adriatic coast. It belongs to the north Dalmatian islands which are situated north-west from the county center Zadar. Premuda is approximately long, up to wide, and has an area of .
It ...
. The journey to the mainland takes approximately two hours on a catamaran and up to three and a half hours by ferry. Cars are forbidden to be used for transport on the island, instead have to be parked in a designated area adjacent to the harbor.
Demographics
According to the first result of the 2021 census, the town of Olib has 113 residents and 64 occupied private households.
[ ]
References
Bibliography
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Islands of Croatia
Islands of the Adriatic Sea
Landforms of Zadar County
{{Zadar-geo-stub