Island Korčula

Korčula (Italian Curzola, Latin Corcyra Nigra, Greek Korkyra Melaina, Old-Slavic: Krkar) is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia. The island has an area of 279 km2 — it is 46.8 km long and on average 7.8 km wide. Its 16,138 (2001) inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk. Around 97 per cent of the population are ethnic Croats.

Korčula is also the name of the ancient fortified town on the protected east coast of the island, population 3,232 (2001), geographically located at 42°57'N 17°07'E.

Geography

The island of Korčula belongs to the central Dalmatian archipelago, separated from the Pelješac peninsula by a narrow strait of Pelješac, between 900 and 3,000 meters wide (illustration, right). It is the sixth largest Adriatic island with a rather indented coast. The highest peaks are Klupca (568 m) and Kom (510 m). The climate is mild; an average air temperature in January is 9.8 °C and in July 26.9 °C; the average annual rainfall is 1,100 mm. The island is largely covered with the Mediterranean flora; at some places are pine forests.

A view of the city of Korčula from the southThe island also includes the towns of Vela Luka and Blato and the coastal villages of Lumbarda and Račišce, and in the interior Žrnovo, Pupnat, Smokvica and Čara. The main road runs along the spine of the island connecting all settlements from Lumbarda on the eastern to Vela Luka on the western end, with the exception of Račišce which is served by a separate road running along the northern coast. Ferries connect the city of Korčula with Orebić on the Pelješac peninsula and Drvenik on the mainland (near Makarska). Another line connects Vela Luka with Split and the island of Lastovo. Fast passenger catamarans connect those two ports with Split and the islands of Hvar and Lastovo. The main Adriatic ferry line conects Korčula with Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Rijeka and in summer there are direct ferries to Italian Adriatic ports.

Korčula is the most populous Adriatic island with almost 20,000 inhabitants, although their number has slightly dropped between the censuses of 1991 and 2001. The island is divided by Korčula, Smokvica, Blato and Vela Luka municipality.

Economy

Economy is, besides tourism, based on agriculture, cultivation of grape vines and olives, fruit growing, fishing and fish processing and shipbuilding. Summer tourism has a long tradition on the island; nautical tourism has been recently developed.

Position of island Korčula