Murter

This article is about the island. For the town of Murter, see Murter (town).

Murter

File:Murter murter061995.jpg Murter in 1995
File:Croatia - Murter.PNG
Geography
Location	Adriatic sea
Coordinates
Archipelago	Šibenik
Area
Highest elevation	125 m (410 ft)
Highest point	Raduč
Country
Croatia
County	Šibenik-Knin
Largest settlement	Murter (pop. 2,010)
Demographics
Population	5,192
Density	277.65 /km2 (719.11 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	97.59% Croats

Murter (pronounced [mǔrtɛːr]; Italian: Morterocode: it is deprecated ; Latin: Colentum) is an island in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea.

Population

The town of Murter is located on the north-western part of the island. Other settlements on the island include the small town of Betina on the northwestern side and Jezera and Tisno on the southeastern coast. In the 2011 census, the total island population is about 5,138 inhabitants.

Geography

The island is in the northwest part of the Šibenik archipelago, separated from the mainland by a 20 m (66 ft) wide sea canal at Tisno which is spanned by a short draw-bridge. The island covers an area of about 18.7 km² (7.2 sq mi), and the highest point is the peak of Raduč at 125 metres (410 feet) above sea level.

The southwestern coastline is predominantly steep slopes divided by many sandy coves. The island has lots of rocky beaches, as well as several sandy ones.

History

The island has been populated for nearly two millennia. An Illyric-Roman settlement known as Colentum has been found near Betina. In 1293, documents show that Murter was called "Villa Magna' meaning big village. During the 13th century there were two documented settlements on the island—Jezera and Veliko selo, Srimač (now Murter) -- and the island itself was mentioned in the year 1318 as Insula Mortari. Betina and Tisno were most likely built around the beginning of the 15th century, during the time of Ottoman attacks in the area. The population of the island increased as refugees fled from the Turks.

Heritage

• Many Christian texts written in Glagolitic/Slavonic instead of the traditional Latin style have been found and are preserved here and in the Vatican.

• St. Michael's church, St.Rock's chapel, and the church of Our Lady of Gradina are the oldest churches on the island.

• The population of Murter traditionally deal with agriculture and fishing and are well known for these skills, as well as being producers of excellent olive oil.

• Beaches, quality accommodation and various services make Murter an ideal tourist destination, and has been one of the most visited destinations in this region for years.

• What is mostly unknown is that the island had a military base built in World War Two on top of the hill, with tunnels bored deep inside it. Some locals believe the place is haunted.