engleski

Artificial Peninsulas and Pseudo-Islands of Croatia

The paper discusses the artificial peninsulas and pseudo-islands of Croatia, i.e. technically bridged islands, which are linked to the neighbouring mainland or a larger island by means of a dike, bridge or both dike and bridge. Whereas artificial peninsulas are entirely incorporated into the mainland by means of dikes, pseudo-islands are connected to the mainland via bridges, thus losing some of their insular characteristics, particularly in terms of their functional link to the mainland. Croatian bridged islands played a vital role in the past as in times of war they represented refuges or places of permanent settlement. Nowadays, in times of marked littoralisation, these islands have experienced a dramatic change in function and physical appearance, mostly due to their transport connections with the mainland, which has naturally resulted in their inclusion in the tourist valorisation of natural and cultural heritage. On the one hand, this has contributed to the slowing down of the depopulation process, which is a basic social characteristic of most Croatian islands, but on the other hand, it has led to the spontaneous, uncoordinated, excessive building of apartments and other constructions which in size and shape have ruined the authentic cultural appearance of the islands.

islands; artificial peninsulas; pseudo-islands; Croatian islands; Croatia; Adriatic

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