Iž (pronounced
">�ːʒ Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
: ''Eso'',
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
: ''Ese'') is an
island
An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be ...
in the
Zadar Archipelago
The Zadar Archipelago ( hr, Zadarski arhipelag, it, Archipelago zaratino) is a group of islands in the Adriatic Sea, near the Croatian city of Zadar.
Main islands
* Dugi Otok
* Galešnjak
* Iž
* Lavdara
* Ošljak
* Pašman
* Rava
* Rivanj ...
within the
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 ...
n reaches of the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, 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) ...
.
Geography
Geology and topology
The island is situated between
Ugljan
Ugljan () is a Croatian island and the first in the Zadar Archipelago. It is located northwest of the island of Pašman and southeast of the islands of Rivanj and Sestrunj. Separated from the mainland by the Zadar Channel, it is connected wit ...
on the north-east and
Dugi Otok
Dugi Otok (; Croatian for "Long Island", it, Isola Lunga) is the seventh largest island in the Adriatic Sea, part of Croatia. It is located off the Dalmatian coast, west of Zadar. It is the largest and westernmost of the Zadarian Islands, and d ...
on the south-west. From all islands of Zadar Archipelago, the closest one to Iž is the island of
Rava Rava may refer to:
Biographical
* Bishnu Prasad Rabha, multifaceted artist and revolutionary singer of Assam
* Abba ben Joseph bar Ḥama (born 280), a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, always known by the honorific name ''Raba,'' ''Rava, ...
, situated between Iž and Dugi Otok. Iž and Rava are separated by the channel ''Iški kanal'' (average wideness about 2.5 km; 1.5 miles). Iž has length of 12.2 km (7.5 miles) and average wideness of 2.5 km (1.5 miles). It has an area of 17.59 square kilometers (6.8 square miles) and a population of 615 (according to 2011 census), so it is considered as one of the small island of Zadar's island group. Length of the coast is 35.1 km (21.8 miles). Iž, like the other islands of Zadar Archipelago, lies in direction northwest–southeast (NW-SE) meaning it is parallel with the mainland. Its mineralogy is composed mainly of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
and
dolomite Dolomite may refer to:
*Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral
*Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock
*Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community
*Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
. The highest peak of the island is ''Korinjak'' (height: 168 m; 551 ft). Iž is surrounded by more than 10 very small, uninhabited islands, largest of which is ''Knežak''.
The
vegetation
Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic charact ...
of the island is
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...
, as on other islands of Zadar, which means that the forests are composed of
coniferous trees. Due to the relatively high temperatures, Mediterranean plants are
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
. The exploitation of forests created a
macchia that is richer in flora in the southwestern part of the island (on limestone) than in the northeastern part (on the dolomites). About 60% of the island is covered with
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
forest; the first afforestation of the island with aleppo pine begins in the 20th century, more precisely in 1931. The island's oldest and most important cultivated plants are
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
s,
vine
A vine ( Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners thems ...
s and
figs
The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the worl ...
.
The main
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
types are
terra rossa
Terra rossa (Italian language, Italian for "red soil") is a well-drained, reddish, clayey to silty soil with neutral pH conditions and is typical of the Mediterranean region. The reddish color of terra rossa is the result of the preferential forma ...
(Croatian: ''crvenica; crljenica'') associated with limestone (cultivated and rich of hummus in the gardens of settlements) and sandy soils on the dolomites.
Settlements are located exclusively on island's eastern part, facing Ugljan. The main settlement, Veli Iž, is situated in the bay on the north-western shore, while Mali Iž is situated on the south-eastern shore and consists of three hamlets - Muće, Makovac and Porovac - located on three hills, below which are two bays – The bay of ''Knež'' below Porovac and the bay of ''Komoševa'' below Makovac.
Climate
Iž belongs to the area which has a borderline
humid subtropical
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
and
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
. Summers are dry, warm or hot and winters are mild and rainy. Average annual air temperature on the island is 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit).
The island is relatively low and spatially small so that significant day and night
wind
Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ...
s can form there. It is relatively far from the mainland, surrounded on all sides by the sea and protected by neighboring higher islands. The most common winds are
bora (Croatian: ''bura'') during winter,
sirocco
Sirocco ( ), scirocco, or, rarely, siroc (see below) is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, especially during the summer season.
Names
''Sirocco'' derives from ...
(Croatian: ''jugo'') during spring, autumn and winter and ''maestral'' - a constant humid breeze of moderate intensity - during summer. The strength of bora usually decreases from the mainland towards the open sea; Iž is in the „Srednji kanal“ channel especially protected by Ugljan and
Pašman
Pašman () is an List of islands in the Adriatic, Adriatic island off the coast of northern Dalmatia in Croatia with an area of 60.11 km2,
located to the south of Zadar, surrounded by the islands of Ugljan to the northwest, Iž to the west, ...
.
The average annual
humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity dep ...
on Iž is about 70% and the annual rainfall is about 880 mm (1989 data).
History

The island of Iž has been inhabited since
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
times; there are traces of an
Illyrian Illyrian may refer to:
*Illyria, the historical region on the Balkan Peninsula
**Illyrians, an ancient tribe inhabiting Illyria
**Illyrian languages, languages of ancient Illyrian tribes
* Illyrian (South Slavic), a common name for 17th to 19th cen ...
hillfort and a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
settlement.
Constantine VII
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zo ...
calls it „Ez“ in 10th century. In that time it was under the rule of the Zadar commune, which, as a feud, gave it to the female
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, found ...
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...
of St. Mary, and later leased to the Zadar
aristocracy. Above the bay of ''Komoševa'', at the top of the village of Mali Iž, there is an old
romanesque church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Ch ...
of St. Mary from the 11th century, circular-shaped with a semicircular apse. It is located right next to the new parish church from the beginning of the 20th century and represents the oldest cultural monument on the island. There are also records of the first
Croatian
Croatian may refer to:
* Croatia
*Croatian language
*Croatian people
*Croatians (demonym)
See also
*
*
* Croatan (disambiguation)
* Croatia (disambiguation)
* Croatoan (disambiguation)
* Hrvatski (disambiguation)
* Hrvatsko (disambiguation)
* S ...
settlers that date from the year 1266.
Since 1409, Iž has been part of the
Venetian Republic
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
. In the time of
Venetian-Turkish wars during the 15th and 16th centuries, many refugees from the mainland moved to the island, especially from
Ravni Kotari.
Both the parishes of Veli and Mali Iž have a thousand-year Glagolitic history, meaning that from their beginning the Roman Rite in the church was celebrated in the Old Church Slavonic language, not in Latin, from liturgical books written in the old Croatian
Glagolitic
The Glagolitic script (, , ''glagolitsa'') is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It is generally agreed to have been created in the 9th century by Saint Cyril, a monk from Thessalonica. He and his brother Saint Methodius were sent by the Byzan ...
script. History records more than 200 glagolitic priests on the island and many documents in the Glagolitic alphabet from the 15th to 19th century are still preserved, including manuscripts, printed liturgical books and stone epigraphs. In 2019. a Glagolitic inscription in stone from 1685. was discovered in the family house Švorinić, being among the most recently reveled Glagolitic stone inscriptions in the world.
In the 18th and 19th century Iž became one of the leading maritime and trade centers in the Zadar archipelago.
The
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
of the Zadar family Canagietti has been preserved; the castle of the Fanfogna family, originally built in the romanesque style but later rebuilt, was converted into a school in the 19th century.
Economy, culture and tourism

The small population of the island is mainly engaged into
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
cultivation,
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques ...
,
viticulture
Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
and
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism ...
.
The island also is known for its
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and po ...
tradition that has survived to this day: the ethnographic collection of Veli Iž preserves numerous examples of island's authentic
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelai ...
s and tools of traditional pottery.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
''Korinjak'', located in Veli Iž, is the only hotel on the island, also representing the only vegetarian hotel in Croatia. The hotel offers meditation and relaxation therapies for mind and body energy, from
yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-conscio ...
to pyramide meditation and orgon or ozon therapies. The hotel also offers boat trips and
excursion
An excursion is a trip by a group of people, usually made for leisure, education, or physical purposes. It is often an adjunct to a longer journey or visit to a place, sometimes for other (typically work-related) purposes.
Public transportation ...
s to island Iž hidden bays or small unsettled nearby islets, where visitors can enjoy untouched nature and beaches.
Veli Iž also has a
marina
A marina (from Spanish language, Spanish , Portuguese language, Portuguese and Italian language, Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a Dock (maritime), dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina dif ...
that can accommodate up to two hundred boats and the church of St. Peter and Paul from the 14th century, with elements of romanesque although it is not preserved in its original form.
Traditional festival ''Iška fešta (''lit. "The Fest of Iž") is being held in Veli Iž every year on July 29. The locals then dress in traditional costumes, perform old island dances and songs and prepare local dishes. The highlight of the ceremony is the election of the "King of Iž" (Croatian: ''Iški kralj'') with a term of one year.
The revitalization of the island was greatly contributed by the construction of the main road connecting Mali Iž and Veli Iž - construction of the
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
started in 1980's by the
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska arm ...
. It was fully completed and paved in 1996, stretching in direction northwest–southeast, between Veli Iž and the ferry port in Mali Iž, also connecting Mali Iž hamlets Porovac, Muće and Makovac, together with the bays ''Knež'' and ''Komoševa'', by the local roads.
Maritime connections

Iž is connected with
passenger ship
A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...
and
catamaran public lines Zadar – Mali Iž – Veli Iž – Mala Rava – Rava and
car ferry line Zadar (Gaženica) – Bršanj (Mali Iž) – Mala Rava – Rava. It is about one hour ship ride from Zadar although catamaran service offers shorter travel time.
The shortest connection of island Iž with Zadar iz through the strait of
Mali Ždrelac
Mali Ždrelac is a small strait in the Adriatic Sea located between the Croatian islands of Ugljan and Pašman. State road D110 passes over the strait via the Ždrelac Bridge which spans the entire strait. There is also a village called Ždrela ...
, nowadays used by all public shipping services which operate to the island.
Before the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, all maritime connections between Zadar and Iž were vivid through the island of Ugljan. Since 1892, Iž has a regular
steamship connection with Zadar through the strait „Veli Ždrelac“ between islands Ugljan and
Rivanj Rivanj is an Adriatic Sea island in the Zadar Archipelago, between the islands of Sestrunj and Ugljan, with an area of
(length , width up to ); population 31 (2011); highest peak Lukocina (). The only village is Rivanj, located in the interior o ...
(north-west from Zadar) and from 1980's that connection started to operate through the strait of Mali Ždrelac. Until 2012, only certain amount of smaller ferries connecting Iž and Zadar (as well as ships and catamarans) could sail through Mali Ždrelac, while the rest of the ferries were sailing through Veli Ždrelac strait. In 2012, the strait was deepened which resulted in allowing all ships that sail to the island to pass through. Since 2014, ferries connecting Iž and Zadar (as well as other ferries which connect Zadar with the islands of its archipelago) have been using the port of
Gaženica
Gaženica is a suburb of Zadar, Croatia, located about 3 miles southeast from the city center, by the Adriatic Sea. It is connected by the D424 highway.
Port of Gaženica
Gaženica is location of the commercial port of the city of Zadar— ...
south of Zadar instead of original ferry port that was located in Zadar's town center.
Island's ferry terminal, opened in late 1980's and hosting only a ticket office, is located in the bay of ''Bršanj'' in Mali Iž. It is about 1 km from the center of Mali Iž where all the facilities are. Passenger ships and catamarans, however, use
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as ...
s of Mali Iž (located in the bay and small settlement ''Komoševa'') and Veli Iž (located in the bay near the promenade by the sea, in the town center).
Notable residents
Kristo Novoselić, the father of
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. ...
bassist
Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician and activist. He was the bassist and co-founder of the rock band Nirvana.
Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the band Nirvana in 1987 along with drummer Aaron Burckhard, ...
, lived in Veli Iž before immigrating to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
.
[...https://www.zadarskilist.hr/clanci/17042010/novaselici-nismo-ni-sanjali-da-ce-nam-sin-postati-rock-zvijezda]
Nearby islands
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iz
Islands of Croatia
Islands of the Adriatic Sea