Rab

44°46N 14°44E, pop (2000e) 9300. Island in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of W Croatia; a leading resort island since the 1950s; noted for fruit and wine.

Rab Rab on the map of Croatia

Rab (Italian Arbe) is an island and a town of the same name located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea, today in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county.

The island is 22 km long, has an area of 93.6 km² and 9,480 inhabitants (2001). The island is very popular nowadays with tourists and families for its beautiful beaches and many events, particularly the Rab arbalest tournament and Rab Medieval festival.

The main town on the island is also named Rab. It has 554 residents (2001) and is located on a small peninsula on the southwestern side of the island. Ferries connect the island of Rab with the mainland port of Jablanac and with the neighbouring island Krk.

The town Rab has a long history that dates back to 360 BC when it was under the Illyrians. Marinus, the Christian founder of San Marino, was a native of Rab who was said to have fled the island under Diocletian's persecution in AD 301.

During the Middle Ages Rab was part of the Byzantine Empire, then, for a short time, part of the Kingdom of Croatia, then in 1358 the island came under the rule of King Louis the Great, the Angevin ruler of Hungary.

During World War II, the forces of Fascist Italy established the Rab concentration camp on the island where over a thousand people were killed between 1942 and 1943.

The four church belltowers became the symbol of the town and island.

Nowadays island Rab is vacation and wellness oasis, also known as the pioneer of the nudism.