.jpg) Satellite image of the island, taken withEnhanced Thematic Mapper | |
 Interactive map of Rab | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Adriatic Sea |
| Coordinates | 44°46′59.88″N14°45′6.84″E / 44.7833000°N 14.7519000°E /44.7833000; 14.7519000 |
| Area | 86.115 km2 (33.249 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 408 m (1339 ft) |
| Highest point | Kamenjak |
| Administration | |
| County | Primorje-Gorski Kotar |
| Largest settlement | Palit (pop. 1,580) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 7,161 (2021) |
| Pop. density | 83.156/km2 (215.373/sq mi) |
Rab (Croatian:[ɾâːb]) is an island in thePrimorje-Gorski Kotar County inCroatia, located just off the northern Croatian coast in theAdriatic Sea.
The island is 22 km (14 mi) long, has an area of 93.6 km2 (36 sq mi)[1] and 7,161 inhabitants (2021).[2] The main settlement on the island is the eponymoustown of Rab, although the neighboring village of Palit has the biggest population. The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 m. The northeastern side of the island is mostly barren,karst, while the southwestern side is covered by one of the lastoak forests of the Mediterranean.
Ferries connect the island of Rab with the mainland port of Stinica and with the neighbouring islands ofKrk andPag.European Coastal Airlines offered multiple daily connections by seaplane from Rab toZagreb and toRijeka viaRijeka Airport in Omišalj on the neighboring island ofKrk, until it ceased operations in 2016.[3]
The island of Rab was first mentioned in aGreek sourcePeriplus of Pseudo-Scylax (360 BC) and then by other Greek andRoman geographists by the nameArba. That name belonged to theLiburnians, so far the oldest known inhabitants of the island. Arba was also the name of the Liburnian settlement in the modern city of Rab. It is not certain how old this name is; it may be as old as the settlement, which means from the beginning of theIron Age since the Liburnians did not build the city walls on the island. The Illyrian-Liburnian wordArb meant 'dark, obscure, green, forested'. Therefore, name Arba should be comprehended as a toponym meaning "Black island", due to the rich pine forests that once grew on the island.
After the 1st century AD, it was recorded by many other Greek and Roman authors by the namesArba andArva.
Its MedievalDalmatian-speaking population usedArbe,Arbia,Arbiana,Arbitana and most frequentlyArbum in the documents written in theLatin.
Arbe became also theVenetian name of the city in the 15th century when it fell under the authority of theRepublic of Venice.
InCroatian it becameRab, a form which probably goes back as far as the 7th century[dubious –discuss] when theSlavs began to settle on the island.[4] However, the first record of the name Rab is preserved only in the middle of the 15th century (in a Latin document relating to the establishment of the Franciscan monastery of St. Eufemija), since the major establishment ofCroatian inhabitants in the city did not occur before the 10th century, unlike the rest of the island and region.
The island is first heard of under theIllyrians in 360 BC. It was part ofLiburnia and then part of theRoman Empire. The emperorOctavian Augustus built town walls and gave Rab the title ofMunicipium.
Saint Marinus, the founder of themicrostate ofSan Marino, originated on Rab, whence he fled during the religious persecutions of the EmperorDiocletian (this ancient bond is commemorated in the presenttwin-city agreement between Rab and San Marino).
The earliest bishop of Arba whose name is preserved in an extant document is Titianus, a participant in a council held in 532Salona, themetropolitan see of which Arba was asuffragan. Among the signatories of theSecond Council of Nicea was a bishop of Rab, namely Ursus. (“Ursus episcopus Avaritianensium ecclesiae” Ursus of Rab)[5][6] On 17 October 1154, Arba was attached instead to the archdiocese ofZadar. By thepapal bullLocum Beati Petri of 30 June 1828, the history of the diocese as a residential see came to an end and its territory was united with that ofKrk.[7][8] No longer a residential bishopric, Arba is today listed by theCatholic Church as atitular see.[9]
During theMiddle Ages, Rab was one of theDalmatian city-states and remained part of theByzantine Empire, with various degrees of autonomy. For a short time, it formed a part of themedieval Kingdom of Croatia. In 1000 the island, together with the many other islands and cities ofDalmatia, submitted to theRepublic of Venice. In 1358 the island came under the rule ofKing Louis the Great, theAngevin ruler ofHungary.
During theRenaissance it was ruled byVenice from 1409 until the end of the 18th century followed by a brief interlude underNapoleon. It was eventually annexed by theHabsburgs in 1815 and remained under Austrian rule till 1918.
Since a majority of its residents were Italian speakers, the locals sought to be annexed to theKingdom of Italy, but Italy eventually decided to cede the island toYugoslavia in 1921, and many of its Italian-speaking residents subsequently left forIstria and the rest of Italy.
DuringWorld War II, the forces ofFascist Italy established theRab concentration camp on the island. A memorial complex built in 1953 commemorates the site of the former camp, located in the village of Kampor.
After the Second World War, the island was part of theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until theCroatian independence referendum in 1991.
The island of Rab is rich in cultural heritage and cultural-historical monuments that make it a popular vacation destination. Rab is also known as a pioneer ofnaturism after the visit ofKing Edward VIII andWallis Simpson.
The island is nowadays very popular with tourists and families for its beautiful nature, beaches, heritage and many events, particularly the Rabarbalest tournament and the Rab Medieval festival calledRapska Fjera.
On 16 September 2017, after 183 millimetres (7.2 in) of rain fell by 6:00, all the lowlands of Rab were flooded.[10]
Sežana, Slovenia
Königsbrunn, Germany
San Marino, San MarinoThe 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.[11]
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