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Composed of 147 mostly uninhabited islands, islets and reefs covering 69 sq km, the Kornati Islands are the largest and densest archipelago in the Adriatic. Since there is no sources of fresh water on the islands, they are mostly barren, sometimes with a light covering of grass. Not only the land but the sea is within the protection of the National Park. Fishing is strictly limited now in order to allow the regeneration of fish shoals that had been severely overfished. Until the 19th century the islands were owned by the Zadar aristocracy but about one hundred years ago peasant ancestors of the residents of Murter and Dugi Otok bought the islands, built many kilometres of rock walls to divide their property and used the islands to raise sheep. The islands remain privately owned. Although there are no longer any permanent inhabitants on the islands, many owners have cottages and fields which they visit from time to time to tend the land. All told, there are about 300 buildings on the Kornati Islands. The largest marina is on the island of PISKERA, on the southern part of the strait between Piskera and Lavsa.
A greater part of Kornati archipelago was proclaimed National Park in 1980. |
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