Hvar Croatia

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Hvar is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, and is part of the county of Split-Dalmatia. This elongated island is the fourth largest of the Adriatic islands. Hvar has a length of 67.5 kilometers and a maximum width of 10.6 kilometers.
The island has a mild, Mediterranean climate; the average temperature in January is 8.4°C, and in July 24.8°C. It receives 2,718 hours of sunshine a year.
There are 16000 residents on the island. The capital town of Hvar has 5000 inhabitants. Other major towns are Jelsa, Stari Grad, Vrboska and Sucuraj.

Hvar Island was inhabited in prehistoric times, testified to by finds of painted pottery in the caves near Grapceva and Pokrivenik. Later, the Illyrians, who at the beginning of the fourth century BC fought with the Greek colonists for supremacy, settled the island. Even today there are many burial mounds from the Illyrians.
The Greeks settled Korcula and Vis in addition to Hvar, but Hvar is the only island with an Ionic settlement. At the time of the Roman-Illyrian wars (229-228 BC) against Illyrian Queen Teuta, Hvar’s importance grew as it managed to maintain its independence from the affair. After the fall of the Roman Empire, as with all of Dalmatia, Hvar came under Byzantine rule.
In the seventh century, the island fell to the noble family of Neretljani from the mainland; in the eleventh century, Hvar became part of the Kingdom of Croatia. In the following centuries Hvar first recognized the sovereignty of the Croatian-Hungarian rulers, then the king of the Bosnian Tvrtko, the Duke Hrvoje of Split and the Republic of Dubrovnik.

Hvar was ruled by the Republic of Venice from 1278-1797, except for the period of 1358-1420, when it was under Hungarian rule. It was the first island to belong to Austria; during 1808-1814 it belonged to the Illyrian provinces of the French Empire, and then from 1814 on, as with the whole of Dalmatia, Hvar belonged to Austria for a century.
After World War I, Hvar, and all of Croatia, became part of Yugoslavia. During World War II it was occupied by Italian troops. Since then it belonged to the Yugoslav Republic and since 1991 to the independent Republic of Croatia.

The Island is a tourist destination, and is especially popular during the summer months. While tourism plays a crucial role, Hvar also depends upon agriculture. The cultivation of lavender and the manufacture of products derived from it (such as lavender oil and lavender pillows), as well as the pressing of some outstanding wines, contribute to the livelihood of the population.
The most famous wines of the island are the excellent Zlatan and the almost black Faros Plavac, which are produced from grapes grown in Mali Plavac. The best locations are in steep vineyards on the south side of the island. Ivan Dolac, a very dark red wine made from these grapes, and the Mali Plavac Bogdanusa, a very dry sherry, also deserve consideration.

The once important fishing industry today plays hardly any role in the economy of Hvar.
Hvar is connected with the Croatian mainland by ferry, from Stari Grad to Split and from Sucuraj to Drvenik, and also on the coastal line between Rijeka and Dubrovnik