Pakoštane is a village and a municipality in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

in the

Zadar County Zadar County ( hr, Zadarska županija ) is a county in Croatia, it encompasses northern Dalmatia and southeastern Lika. Its seat is the city of Zadar. Geography Among the largest towns in the county of Zadar are: Zadar, Benkovac, Bibinje, Bi ...

. It is a tourist town with many gravel beaches and pine woods.

Geography

According to the 2011 census, there are 4,123 inhabitants, in the following settlements: * Drage, population 893 * Pakoštane, population 2,191 * Vrana, population 790 *

Vrgada Vrgada () is an island off the coast of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea. It is located halfway between Zadar and Šibenik, in the archipelago northwest of Murter and south of Biograd na moru, from the mainland. It has area of . and population of 249. ...

, population 249 97% of the population are

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...

. To the north of the town is the Lake Vrana Nature Park, a favorite picnicking site, abundant in fresh water

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

. Further north of the lake, 6 km from Pakoštane, is the historic settlement of Vrana. Pakoštane - Church of St

Materine užance

Materine užance (Mothers' customs) is an ethno-gastronomic event which takes place during the summer tourist season in Pakoštane. The event is organised by the Pakoštane Tourist Board and the Pakoštane Municipality. Materine užance has been taking place in the centre of Pakoštane every year since 2008. There are numerous stands in the centre of Pakoštane where authentic local food (boiled

octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...

pršut ''Prosciutto crudo'', in English often shortened to prosciutto ( , ), is Italian uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. ''Prosciutto crudo'' is usually served thinly sliced. Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crudo ...

(smoked ham),

cheeses Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

, čućke,

gnocchi Gnocchi ( , , ; singular ''gnocco'') are a varied family of dumpling in Italian cuisine. They are made of small lumps of dough most traditionally composed of a simple combination of wheat flour, egg, salt, and potato. Variations of the dish supp ...

, sweet desserts like mimice, fritule, kroštule,

almonds The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of th ...

in sugar, etc.) is prepared in front of visitors and can be tasted and purchased.

Notable residents

Croatian general

Ante Gotovina Ante Gotovina (born 12 October 1955) is a Croatian retired lieutenant general and former French senior corporal who served in the Croatian War for Independence. He is noted for his primary role in the 1995 Operation Storm. In 2001, the Intern ...

grew up in Pakoštane.

References

Municipalities of Croatia Populated coastal places in Croatia Populated places in Zadar County {{Zadar-geo-stub