Ugljan () is an

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

in northern

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, and the first in the

Zadar Archipelago The Zadar Archipelago (, ) is a archipelago, group of islands in the Adriatic Sea, near the Croatian city of Zadar. Important Bird Area The northern part of the Zadar Archipelago, including the islands of Premuda, Silba, Olib, Škarda, Iž and Mo ...

. It is located northwest of the island of

Pašman Pašman () is an Adriatic island off the coast of northern Dalmatia in Croatia with an area of 60.11 km2, located to the south of Zadar, surrounded by the islands of Ugljan to the northwest, Iž to the west, and Dugi Otok and Žut to th ...

and southeast of the islands of Rivanj and Sestrunj. Separated from the mainland by the

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

Channel, it is connected with the island of

by the

Ždrelac Bridge The Ždrelac Bridge () is a through arch bridge carrying the D110 (Croatia), D110 state road connecting islands of Ugljan and Pašman in Croatia. The original bridge was completed in 1972, however 2009 reconstruction increased the main span (rep ...

spanning over the Ždrelac Strait. Area , population 6,049 (2011), length , width up to .

Description

The island was first mentioned under its present name in 1325. The continuity of population dates back to the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

. Densely populated during the Roman period, in particular its north-western parts, where ample ruins of ancient buildings have been found. There is also evidence of Roman centuriation which can still be found on the island. The present settlements date back to the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. It is also home to Califfi Castle. In 16th and 17th centuries the island saw multiple waves of refugees from

Ravni Kotari Ravni Kotari (; ) is a geographical region in Croatia. It lies in northern Dalmatia, around Zadar and east of it. It is bordered by Bukovica to the northeast, lower Krka to the southeast, and the Adriatic Sea. The largest settlement in the region ...

, who settled the island fleeing from the Ottomans. The

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

part of the island is covered predominantly with macchia, while the dolomite area is occupied by farmland. Larger coves are Muline in the northwest, Lamjana Vela and Lamjana Mala in the southeast. The eastern coast descends mildly to the sea, characterized by many indents. Ugljan is one of the most densely populated

n islands. All settlements ( Preko,

Ugljan Ugljan () is an List of inhabited islands of Croatia, island in northern Dalmatia, Croatia, and the first in the Zadar Archipelago. It is located northwest of the island of Pašman and southeast of the islands of Rivanj and Sestrunj. Separated f ...

, Lukoran, Sutomišćica, Poljana,

Kali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...

, Ošljak and

Kukljica Kukljica is a village on the island of Ugljan in Croatia, and the only naselje, settlement in the eponymous municipality. According to the 2011 census, there are 714 inhabitants, 98% which are Croats. The area of Kukljica also includes the Islet, ...

) are situated along the coast of the cultivated eastern side of the island. Major crops include

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

s, figs and

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

s. The olive oil produced on Ugljan is considered the best olive oil in Croatia.Zonn, I. S., Kostianoy, A. G., Semenov, A. V., Joksimović, A., & Đurović, M. (2021). Ugljan Island (Ugljan Otok). In I. S. Zonn, A. G. Kostianoy, A. V. Semenov, A. Joksimović, & M. Đurović (Eds.), The Adriatic Sea Encyclopedia (pp. 349–349). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50032-0_578 Set high above Preko are the ruins of St. Michael Fort. Ugljan has a regional road connected by the bridge with the regional road running along the island of

. Ferry port in Preko; ferry connections with

References

Bibliography

External links

Ugljan Tourist Board The Island of Ugljan Kukljica Preko (Croatian)
{{Authority control Islands of Croatia Islands of the Adriatic Sea Landforms of Zadar County

Description

See also

References

Bibliography

External links