Elaphiti Islands

TheElaphiti Islandsor theElaphites(Croatian:Elafitski otociorElafiti) is a smallarchipelagoconsisting of several islands stretching northwest ofDubrovnik,in theAdriatic Sea.The Elaphites have a total land area of around 30 square kilometres (12 square miles)and a population of 850 inhabitants. The islands are covered with characteristic Mediterranean evergreen vegetation and attract large numbers of tourists during the summer tourist season due to their beaches and pristine scenery.

Elaphiti Islands

Native name: Elafitski otoci
View from Sutvrač Fort inLopud
Geography
Location	Adriatic Sea
Archipelago	Elaphiti Islands
Total islands	13
Major islands	Šipan,Lopud,Koločep
Area	30 km2(12 sq mi)
Administration
Croatia
County	Dubrovnik-Neretva
Largest settlement	Šipan(pop. 419)
Demographics
Population	850

Roman authorPliny the Elderwas the first to mention the islands by the name Elaphiti Islands (Croatian:Jelenski otocior Deer Archipelago) in his workNaturalis Historia,published in the 1st century. The name comes from theAncient Greekword fordeer(Doric:ἔλαφος;élaphos), which, according to Pliny the Elder, used to inhabit the islands in large numbers.There is, however, no evidence of deer ever inhabiting the archipelago.

Islands

Sources differ on the exact number of the Elaphiti Islands. According to a more recent classification, there are 13 islands in the archipelago, among them 8 larger (Olipa, Tajan, Jakljan, Šipan, Ruda, Lopud, Koločep and Daksa) and 5 smaller ones (Sveti Andrija, Mišnjak, Kosmeč, Goleč and Crkvine).

Main islands

Only the three main islands are permanently inhabited, each of which supports a modest tourist industry. They are connected with the mainland via daily ferry lines operated out of Dubrovnik.

• Šipan– the farthest and largest island in terms of area (15.8 km²) and population of 419 inhabitants. It also has two settlements,Šipanska LukaandSuđurađ,both served byJadrolinijaferry lines.
• Lopud– the second by size and, it is located between Šipan and Koločep islands. It's well developed in terms of tourism infrastructure, including theLafodiahotel in the town of Lopud.
• Koločep– the closest island to Dubrovnik, located 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the Dubrovnik harbour atGruž.It used to be an important shipbuilding site in theRepublic of Ragusaperiod. It is one of the most indented and the southernmost permanently inhabited Croatian island with a population of 163 inhabitants. It has seven pre-Romanesque churches dating from the 9th to the 11th century.

Other notable islands

A view of Ruda Island fromLopudisland.

• Crkvina– Uninhabited islet.
• Daksa– Uninhabited islet. It used to be home to a 13th-centuryFranciscanmonastery ofSaint Sabina,which was abandoned at the time of Napoleon's conquest in the early 19th century. Later, it became infamous as the site of theDaksa massacre,in which thepartisanshad executed 48 prominent citizens of Dubrovnik in October 1944.
• Goleč– Uninhabited islet.
• Jakljan– It has children’s rest and a recreation center.
• Kosmeč– Uninhabited islet.
• Mišnjak– Uninhabited islet.
• Olipa– The westernmost of the Elaphiti islands. It has a lighthouse located on its southern part.
• Ruda– Uninhabited islet.
• Sveti Andrija– Uninhabited rocky island with a rich fauna, has the status of abird reserve.The island has alighthouse,which theAustro-Hungariangovernment had built in 1873.
• Tajan– Uninhabited islet.

Greater Dubrovnik island

• Lokrum– sometimes considered part of the Elaphites, although it's not considered a part by the locals of the rest of the Elaphiti Islands.

Bibliography

• Glamuzina, Martin; Glamuzina, Nikola (1999)."Suvremena geografska problematika otoka Lopuda i Koločepa"[Recent Geographical Problematics of the Lopud and Koločep Islands](PDF).Geoadria(in Croatian).4(1): 89–100.doi:10.15291/geoadria.152.Retrieved25 December2019.

External links

• Media related toElaphiti Islandsat Wikimedia Commons
• Map including the Elaphiti Islands