Premuda () is a small island in

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 ...

, off the northern Adriatic coast. It belongs to the north

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, stre ...

n islands which are situated north-west from the county center

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...

. Premuda is approximately long, up to wide, and has an area of . It is situated southwest of Silba and northwest of Škarda and is the last island before the Italian coastline. Premuda was first mentioned in historical sources by ''

Tabula Peutingeriana ' (Latin for "The Peutinger Map"), also referred to as Peutinger's Tabula or Peutinger Table, is an illustrated ' (ancient Roman road map) showing the layout of the '' cursus publicus'', the road network of the Roman Empire. The map is a 13th-ce ...

'', as Pamodos. In the 7th century, the island is mentioned as Primodia, derived from Latin ''primus'' ("the first"), indicating its geographical position as the first island in the Zadar Channel seen from the northwest. In 16th and 17th centuries Premuda was targeted by Ottoman corsairs who took the islanders away as slaves. This reduced the island's population to just 26 in 1608. In the 18th century, the island recovered through immigration, mostly from Olib, and by 1760 the population grew to 322. Natural water resources on Premuda are scarce, which has historically been a limiting factor in the island's development. The island's population peaked at 577 inhabitants in 1857, and has steadily declined since, particularly in the second half of the 20th century, when many islanders moved to

and

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Prim ...

, and also to North and South America. Electricity was introduced to Premuda in 1971. The elementary school, opened in 1867, was closed in 1991. The island's telephone network was built in 1998. The only settlement on the island, the town of Premuda, has about 60 inhabitants but the population strongly varies during the summer season. The population of Premuda is cultivating

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

s and breeding

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sh ...

and in the last few years they have become involved in tourism. There are three restaurants on the island. Premuda is a destination for nautical and diving tourists, and has a number of

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), ...

spots. The "Katedrala" is a system of connected

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

s with light rays that fall through the porous ceiling of the caves. Another well-known underwater site is the wreck of the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS ''Szent István'', which is located 8 NM off the coast of Premuda at a depth of .

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Premuda photosDiving information
{{Authority control Islands of Croatia Islands of the Adriatic Sea Landforms of Zadar County