KORCULA,
an island in the central Dalmatian archipelago; area 279.03 sq km (length
46.8 km, width 5.3-7.8 km); population 17,038; the coast is rather
indented. 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 (in
the town of Korcula) and in July 26.9 °C; the average annual
rainfall is 1,100 mm; the annual insolation reaches 2,671 hours (Vela
Luka). The island is largely covered with the Mediterranean flora;
at some places are pine forests. Economy is based on farming,
viticulture, fruit growing, fishing and fish processing,
shipbuilding, processing of synthetic materials and tourism. Summer
tourism has a long tradition on the island; nautical tourism has
been recently developed. Major places on the coast are Korcula,
Lumbarda, Vela Luka, Raciste, and in the interior Blato, Zrnovo,
Smokvica, Cara and Pupnat. The regional road connects major places
on the island. Ferry lines connect the island of Korcula with the
mainland.
The
island was inhabited as early as the Neolithic (cave Vela Spilja
near Vela Luka, cave Jakasova Spilja above the cove of Rasohatica,
Zrnovo) and the Bronze Age. A Greek colony existed here in the 6th
and the 5th centuries BC; at that time the island was called Korkyra
Melaina (remains of Greek habitations in Lumbarda, in the vicinity
of Blato and in Potirna). From 35 BC the island was part of the
Roman Empire; traces of Roman settlements have been discovered in
the vicinity of Lumbarda, Vela Luka (locality Beneficij), Blago and
on Pelegrin. On the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the island
became part of the Ostrogoth state (AD 493) and then came under the
Byzantine rule (AD 555). In the 9th century it was taken by the
Nerentani/Narentini, and in AD 1000 by Venice. In 1180 the island
came under the Hungarian-Croatian king (in 1214 the statute of the
town and the island were passed). From 1221, during two centuries,
the island had several rulers - rulers from Zahumlje, Venice (in
1298 the Genoese fleet defeated the Venetian fleet near Korcula),
King Lodovic I (1358), Bosnian rulers (1390) and the Dubrovnik
Republic (1413-1417).
In
the period 1420-1797 the island was under Venice but it retained its
autonomy. Due to frequent attacks of the Turkish fleet and pirate
ships (all until the beginning of the 18th c.) several important
points on the island were fortified (especially the town of
Korcula). - After the fall of Venice there was another period of
various rulers (1797-1805 Austria, 1805-1813 France, 1813-1815 Great
Britain, 1815-1918 Austria). Korcula was under the Italian
occupation in the period 1918-1921, and after that was annexed to
Croatia. The centre of the island, the town of Korcula, with its
cultural and historical heritage, its town ramparts (similar to
those of Dubrovnik) ranks among the favourite tourist destinations
in southern Croatia. - As for the local economy, shipbuilding (town
of Korcula, Vela Luka) and stone cutting (extraction of white marble
from a quarry on the eastern coast of the island) have been
important branches for centuries.
KORCULA,
an island in the central Dalmatian archipelago; area 279.03 sq km (length
46.8 km, width 5.3-7.8 km); population 17,038; the coast is rather
indented. 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 (in
the town of Korcula) and in July 26.9 °C; the average annual
rainfall is 1,100 mm; the annual insolation reaches 2,671 hours (Vela
Luka). The island is largely covered with the Mediterranean flora;
at some places are pine forests. Economy is based on farming,
viticulture, fruit growing, fishing and fish processing,
shipbuilding, processing of synthetic materials and tourism. Summer
tourism has a long tradition on the island; nautical tourism has
been recently developed. Major places on the coast are Korcula,
Lumbarda, Vela Luka, Raciste, and in the interior Blato, Zrnovo,
Smokvica, Cara and Pupnat. The regional road connects major places
on the island. Ferry lines connect the island of Korcula with the
mainland. 
The
island was inhabited as early as the Neolithic (cave Vela Spilja
near Vela Luka, cave Jakasova Spilja above the cove of Rasohatica,
Zrnovo) and the Bronze Age. A Greek colony existed here in the 6th
and the 5th centuries BC; at that time the island was called Korkyra
Melaina (remains of Greek habitations in Lumbarda, in the vicinity
of Blato and in Potirna). From 35 BC the island was part of the
Roman Empire; traces of Roman settlements have been discovered in
the vicinity of Lumbarda, Vela Luka (locality Beneficij), Blago and
on Pelegrin. On the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the island
became part of the Ostrogoth state (AD 493) and then came under the
Byzantine rule (AD 555). In the 9th century it was taken by the
Nerentani/Narentini, and in AD 1000 by Venice. In 1180 the island
came under the Hungarian-Croatian king (in 1214 the statute of the
town and the island were passed). From 1221, during two centuries,
the island had several rulers - rulers from Zahumlje, Venice (in
1298 the Genoese fleet defeated the Venetian fleet near Korcula),
King Lodovic I (1358), Bosnian rulers (1390) and the Dubrovnik
Republic (1413-1417).
In
the period 1420-1797 the island was under Venice but it retained its
autonomy. Due to frequent attacks of the Turkish fleet and pirate
ships (all until the beginning of the 18th c.) several important
points on the island were fortified (especially the town of
Korcula). - After the fall of Venice there was another period of
various rulers (1797-1805 Austria, 1805-1813 France, 1813-1815 Great
Britain, 1815-1918 Austria). Korcula was under the Italian
occupation in the period 1918-1921, and after that was annexed to
Croatia. The centre of the island, the town of Korcula, with its
cultural and historical heritage, its town ramparts (similar to
those of Dubrovnik) ranks among the favourite tourist destinations
in southern Croatia. - As for the local economy, shipbuilding (town
of Korcula, Vela Luka) and stone cutting (extraction of white marble
from a quarry on the eastern coast of the island) have been
important branches for centuries. 
