island
of rab

island of rab

Rab is island in the Adriatic Sea forming the northernmost part of Dalmatia in Croatia. Island of Rab is separated from the mainland by Podvelebitski Kanal (the Velebit Channel) with the shortest distance from land of 1.800m. With an area of 91 sq. km, its greatest transverse length of 22km, and its total coastal length of 103.2 km, it reaches a maximum altitude of 408m at Mt. Kamenjak.

The island Rab has a very pleasant Mediterranean Sea climate, with mild winters and pleasant moderate summers. For such climate Rab has to thank to Kamenjak, a mountain chain that protects it from the cold northern wind in winter and early spring. In autumn there is a hot and humid wind from the south normally followed by rain. During the summer the heath is tempered by pleasant breeze. Rab has approximately 91 completely sunny days a year and it is one of the sunniest parts of Europe. During the summer there are only 9 cloudy days. The number of sunny hours are around 2479 a year or 6 hour a day. In July the average is 12 sunny hours a day. The amount of rain is around 1042 mm a year. The sea temperature is relatively high. That helps the development of tourist because it is possible to enjoy it from May till the middle of October. The approximate sea temperature a year is 15,75 C.

The Island of Rab is mentioned for the first time in 360 BC. In that period Illyrians inhibited it. In the 2nd century BC Romans have conquered it under the name of Arba. After division of Roman Empire on the Eastern and Western, Rab island become part of Western Roman Empire. Roman rule exists until the year of 493. After short-lived rule of Eastern Goths (493 - 544), Rab and whole Dalmatia come under the jurisdiction of Byzantine Empire. In the 10th century, Croatian king Zvonimir united Croatia and from that time begins the government of Croatian kings over all towns in Dalmatia (Split, Trogir, Osor, Rab and Krk). In 1409 Venice takes over the island of Rab, and it stays under Venetian rule until the fall of Venice in 1797. After Napoleon's short reign, with the decree of Vienna Congress in 1815 the island of Rab shifts to the jurisdiction of Austrian-Hungarian state. After WW1 Island of Rab become part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. From that perion until today Island of Rab is part of Croatian land.

Other than the small town of Rab, there are 7 idyllic places on the island situated on different parts of the island: Barbat, Banjol, Palit, Kampor, Mundanije, Supetarska Draga and Lopar. The island of Rab has approximately 10000 inhabitants who are mostly occupied in agriculture, fishing and tourism. The tradition of organised tourism on the island is more than 100 years old and it started through the activities of the «Society for promotion of the island and its Surroundings», which has founded in 1889.

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