Jabuka (, which means ''

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

'' in Croatian) is an uninhabited

volcanic island Geologically, a high island or volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed ...

in the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...

, west of the

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An isla ...

of Vis. It is part of the Dalmatian archipelago. The closest land masses are the small islands of Svetac and Brusnik. Jabuka is the farthest from the nearest land mass out of all Croatian islands.

Flora and fauna

Its

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

is steep and difficult to approach, and landings can be made only when the

weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...

is clear. The easiest access is on the south-west side. On the island, noteworthy

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

such as a Dalmatian Wall Lizard and some plants (''

Centaurea ''Centaurea'' () is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding reg ...

jabukensis'' and ''Centaurea crithmifolia'', both ''

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...

'') are protected

endemics Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

. In 1958 the island was declared a geological monument of nature. The surrounding sea is rich with fish, especially

sea bream The Sparidae are a family of fish in the order Perciformes, commonly called sea breams and porgies. The sheepshead, scup, and red seabream are species in this family. Most sparids are deep-bodied compressed fish with a small mouth separated b ...

. However, due to remoteness, lack of safe harbor, strong currents, and sudden changes of weather, fishermen have traditionally avoided the waters around Jabuka.

Geological features

Jabuka has tall

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s. All sea lanes avoid the island, because its magnetic form confuses

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

es. Due to its iron-rich rock, Jabuka is frequently struck by lightning. The area around the island is prone to earthquakes due to the

Jabuka–Andrija Fault The Jabuka–Andrija Fault is a seismically active thrust fault under the Adriatic Sea in Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša do ...

. In 2003, the island was struck by a long series of earthquakes, the largest of which was 5.5. Another series occurred in 2004–05 with a 5.2 quake. However, due to Jabuka's remoteness, these earthquakes are weakly felt on the Croatian mainland and inhabited islands.

References

Bibliography

* {{coord, 43, 05, N, 15, 27, E, display=title, region:HR_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki Islets of Croatia Islands of the Adriatic Sea Landforms of Split-Dalmatia County Uninhabited islands of Croatia Magnetic anomalies Volcanic islands