Pag (island)

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Pag (Latin Pagus, village, Italian Pago) is an island in northern Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Croatia. It is the fifth largest island on the Croatian coast, and the one with the longest coastline.

The population of Pag is 7,969 (2001). In addition to the towns on island, Pag and Novalja, there are also many smaller villages and touristic places. The island is administratively divided in a northern part which belongs to the Lika-Senj county and a southern part which belongs to the Zadar county.

[edit] Geography

Pag belongs to the north-Dalmatian archipelago and it is extended northwest-southeast along the coast forming the Velebit channel. The island has an area of 305 km² and coastline of 302.47 km. It is around 60 km long (from northwest to southeast), and between 2 and 10 km wide.

The southwestern coast of the island is low (the Pag Bay with the large Caska Cove), and the north-western is steep and high: (Stara Novalja Bay). Most of the island is rocky; smaller areas are covered with Mediterranean shrubs. The southeast of the island contains karst lakes Velo Blato and Malo Blato. The island's highest peak is Sveti Vid (St. Vitus, 348 m).

Vine (the authentic sort of žutica), vegetables and fruit are grown in the valleys and fields. The area of the Lun peninsula is mostly under olive-groves. Major places on the island are connected by a road and a 300m-long arch bridge. There are also ferry connection to the mainland on the norther part Prizna - Žigljen. Major ports and villages are Lun, Stara Novalja, Novalja, Kolan, Šimuni, Metajna, Pag, Dinjiška and Povljana.