Palagruža is a small, remote Croatian archipelago in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. It consists of one larger island, called Vela or Velika Palagruža, and a smaller one, Mala Palagruža, as well as a dozen nearby rocks and reefs composed ofdolomite. All the main islets are in the form of steep ridges. The place is some south of Split, Croatia, and east of the Gargano peninsula, Italy. It is visible from land only from other remote islands of Italy and Croatia. Palagruža is further south than the mainland peninsula of Prevlaka, making it the southernmost point of the Republic of Croatia. It is uninhabited, except by lighthouse staff and occasional summer tourists. It can be reached only by a chartered motorboat, requiring a journey of two to three hours from the island of Korčula.
Name
The place is known in Italian as Pelagosa, derived from Ancient GreekPelagousae. This is the source of the current Croatian name, as well as of the name of pelagosite. Gruž also means 'ballast' in Croatian, and the term is therefore well known in two ways to seafarers.
Legend and history
For some, Palagruža is associated with the Homeric hero Diomedes, King of Argos, who is reputed to be buried here, though it is hard to imagine where. Speculation is fueled by the discovery of a painted 6th-century BC Greek potsherd with the name Diomed on it, making a shrine by the Cult of Diomedes on Palagruža seem plausible. Authentic archaeological finds of the Neolithic, Greek, Roman, and early medieval periods have been recorded. It is recorded that the galley-fleet of Pope Alexander III landed on Palagruža on 9 March 1177. In the 15th and 16th centuries, there was a rise in fishing in the area, making the island the centre of a traditional fishing-ground of the community of Komiža, island of Vis, Croatia. Palagruža is closer to Italy than to the Croatian mainland, being some from Monte Gargano. Before 1861, it belonged to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and after 1861 therefore to the Kingdom of Italy, but was unilaterally occupied by Austria-Hungary in 1873, without any declaration of war. The first action of the new authorities was to build the important lighthouse mentioned above, in 1875. After Italy's entry into the First World War, the country's armed forces occupied the island. Italy's Regia Marina submarine Nereide was sunk there on the 5th of August 1915 by Austria-Hungary's Imperial and Royal War Navy submarine U-5. It reverted to Italy between the two World Wars, as part of the Province of Zara, and was ceded to Yugoslavia in 1947. Since the break-up of Yugoslavia, it has formed part of the sovereign country of Croatia.
Topography, economy and ecology
Vela Palagruža is some long and wide. The highest point of the archipelago, on Vela Palagruža, is about above sea level, and on this elevation is a lighthouse. Palagruža is surrounded by dangerous waters, and landing can be difficult. It is uninhabited, except by lighthouse staff and by summer tourists who occupy two units of residential accommodation. There is one beach of golden sand. The lighthouse is also the site of a meteorological station. Other important islands in this archipelago are Mala Palagruža, Galijula and Kamik od Tramuntane Palagruža sits in the heart of fish-rich seas, including spawning grounds of sardines. It is a nature reserve, and the small amount of vegetation is of the Mediterranean type, for instance oleander and tree spurge. There are endemic plant species including a type of knapweed, Centaurea friderici Vis.. The algae, and their role in the production of the local mineral pelagosite, have been the subject of academic study. The distinctive local fauna, including the black lizard now classed as Podarcis melisellenis ssp. fiumana and the related Podarcis sicula ssp. pelagosana, was mentioned first by Babić and Rössler.
Geology
Velika Palagruža is an apical part of subsurface geological complex, composed of carbonate, siliciclastic and evaporite rocks of different ages, ranging from Triassic, through Miocene, to Quaternary.
Climate
Palagruža has a weather station, established in 1894, which represents a major indicator of weather, especially wind, waves and precipitation on the open Adriatic. Weather conditions on the central Adriatic are dictated by movements of low-pressure area, which causes frequent changes of bora and scirocco winds. Annually, Palagruža Island has 104 days with strong, and 21 days with stormy winds. Due to its remote position in the middle of the sea, Palagruža exhibits more Mediterranean climate features than the Croatian coast. Summers are sunny and dry, while most of the rain falls in winter months. There are 2620 sunshine hours annually. Annual precipitation level of is the lowest of all Croatia. Maritime winds temper air temperatures compared with the mainland, with average summer daily highs of ; on the other extreme, winter average daily lows are.
Flora and fauna
There are not many types of creatures on this island but the ones that do live there are bright and colourful. Some snakes are venomous but are mostly harmless.
