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| Geography | |
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| Location | Adriatic Sea |
| Coordinates | 44°35′N14°24′E / 44.583°N 14.400°E /44.583; 14.400 |
| Archipelago | Cres-Lošinj |
| Area | 74.36 km2 (28.71 sq mi) |
| Length | 33 km (20.5 mi) |
| Width | .25–4.75 km (0.16–2.95 mi) |
| Coastline | 112.7 km (70.03 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 588 m (1929 ft) |
| Highest point | Televrin |
| Administration | |
Croatia | |
| County | Primorje-Gorski Kotar |
| Largest settlement | Mali Lošinj (pop. 8,116) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 9,587 (2011) |
| Pop. density | 128.5/km2 (332.8/sq mi) |
Lošinj (pronounced[lɔ̌ʃiːɲ];Italian:Lussino;Venetian:Lusin, earlierOsero;German:Lötzing;Latin:Apsorrus;Ancient Greek:Ἄψωρος) is aCroatian island in the northernAdriatic Sea, in theKvarner Gulf. It is almost due south of the city ofRijeka and part of thePrimorje-Gorski Kotar County. The settlements on Lošinj includeNerezine,Sveti Jakov,Ćunski,Artatore,Mali Lošinj andVeli Lošinj. A regional road runs the length of the island; ferry connections (via the island ofCres) includeBrestova -Porozina,Merag -Valbiska, Mali Lošinj -Zadar and Mali Lošinj -Pula.Lošinj Airport is on the island.== In film
Lošinj is part of the Cres-Lošinj archipelago. The Cres-Lošinj archipelago includes the two major islands Cres and Lošinj, some minor islandsUnije,Ilovik,Susak,Vele Srakane,Male Srakane and a number of uninhabited small islets and outcrops. Cres is the largest by area, followed by Lošinj.Cres and Lošinj are connected by a small bridge at the town ofOsor on Cres. The highest elevations are the mountains Televrin (also called Osoršćica) at 588 m (1,929 ft) and Sv. Nikola (also called Sv. Mikul) at 557 m (1,827 ft). The towns of Nerezine and Sveti Jakov lie at their base. The island bedrock is formed predominantly of chalklimestone anddolomite rocks. There are sand deposits in the western part of the Kurila peninsula.
Lošinj is the 11th largest Adriatic island by area, 33 km (21 mi) long, with the width varying from 4.75 km (2.95 mi) in the north and middle of the island, to 0.25 km (0.16 mi) near the town of Mali Lošinj. The total coastline of the island is 112.7 km (70.0 mi).[1][2]
The island has a mild climate andevergreen vegetation (likemyrtle,holm oak, andlaurel). Veli Lošinj,Čikat and the south-west facing shores are ringed bypine forests, while the highest elevations in the north of the island have more sparse vegetation.
Around 2600 sunshine hours a year make the island a popular tourist destination in the summer months, especially for nearbySlovenian,German andItalian visitors. On averagehumidity is 70% and temperatures average 24 °C (75 °F) in the summer and 7 °C (45 °F) during the winter.[3]
As with other locations on the Adriatic, Losinj is prone to a variety ofWinds. TheBura is a north-easterly wind that brings low temperatures and dry air masses from the continent, sometimes the gusts are strong enough to turn over heavy vehicles.[4] TheJugo is a southerly wind that originates in theSahara, however, over the relatively long fetch over the warm waters of the Mediterranean it becomes moisture-laden, and typically brings much cloud and stormy weather. Traditionally, it is reputed to cause headaches, melancholy and even bouts of madness in the inhabitants of the coastal areas, especially Dalmatians.[5]
The island forms part of the Kvarner IslandsImportant Bird Area (IBA), designated as such byBirdLife International because it supports significant numbers of many bird species, including breeding populations of severalbirds of prey.[6]
Settlement on nearby Cres is known to date back around 12,000 years,[7] and the island of Lošinj is also thought to have been inhabited since prehistoric times. This is evidenced by hill-forts at the foot of Osoršćica and around the port of Mali Lošinj. According toPtolemy, theRomans called this islandApsorrus (Ancient Greek:Ἄψορρος),[8] and referred to the islands of Lošinj andCres collectively asApsirtides. In several places, ruins of Roman villas have been excavated (villae rusticae: Liski, Sveti Jakov, and Studenčić nearĆunski). Several smalleremitic churches dating from the Roman era have been preserved (St. Lovreć near Osor, and St. James in Sveti Jakov).In the Middle Ages, Lošinj was the property of the clerical and secular nobility of Osor and unpopulated.
The first evidence of settlers from the mainland was in 1280. Pursuant to a contract withOsor, their settlements gained self-governance in 1389. The name Lošinj was first mentioned in 1384. Parallel with the gradual decline of Osor from the 15th century onwards, the settlements Veli Lošinj and Mali Lošinj played an increasingly important role.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, trade, shipbuilding and seafaring on the island developed more intensely. In 1771,Alberto Fortis visited Cres and Lošinj (which was then calledOsero) and wrote a travelogue about his visit:Saggio d'osservazioni sopra l'isola di Cherso ed Osero.[9][10] After the fall of theRepublic of Venice in 1797, Lošinj became part of theAustrian province (crown land) of Istria under theTreaty of Campo Formio. By 1900 the population had reached 11,615.[11] In 1921, it was given as 15,000.[12]
Tourism appeared on Lošinj for the first time in 1885 with the appearance ofhealth tourism. The firsthotel in Lošinj, Vindobona, was built in 1887.[13]
In 1919, Lošinj, with its partially Italian population, became part ofItaly under the terms of theTreaty of Saint-Germain, as confirmed by the 1920Treaty of Rapallo. It was part of Italy until 1943 when it was occupied byGerman Wehrmacht andCroatian troops duringWorld War II as part of theOperational Zone Adriatic Coast. In 1947 the island and the rest of Croatia became part ofYugoslavia, untilCroatia declared independence from the Yugoslav Federation in 1991.
The post-Second World War period saw a substantial exodus (seeIstrian–Dalmatian exodus for further details) of itsItalian-speaking population to Italy and to other countries. According to the last census the number of Italian-speaking citizens in Lošinj were 557 (6.64% of the total official resident population). Before the independence of Croatia from the Yugoslav Federation, the official censuses reported the Italian-speaking minority being much smaller (figures quoted in the official census conducted in 1981 shows that the Italian minority accounted only for 1.5% of the resident population).Expatriates in Italy and around the world publish a newsletter[14] which keeps their memories and traditions alive.On the Island Italian is popular as a second language.
Due to its temperate climate, and non-withstanding the occasional episode of high winds, Losinj started becoming a tourist destination of international renown. Powerful Russian oligarchs and consortia have invested in properties on the Island.[15][16]
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