Wikipedia:Today's featured article/July 24, 2006



Lastovo is an island, town and municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. The island has an area of 46 km² and a population of 835, of which 93% are ethnic Croats. The municipality is slightly larger, as it includes another 46 islands and islets, covering a total area of approximately 56 km². Lastovo, like the rest of Roman Dalmatia, was settled by Illyrians. Around the year 1000, the Venetians attacked the island due to its participation in piracy along the Adriatic, destroying the settlement. In the 13th century, Lastovo joined the Dubrovnik Republic, where it mostly enjoyed a certain level of autonomy until the republic's conquest by the French under Napoleon. Austria then ruled the island for the next two centuries until it finally became a part of Croatia. The island is noted for its 15th and 16th century architecture. There are a large number of churches for the island's size, a testament to the island's long-standing Roman Catholic tradition. Lastovo's major cultural event, aside from the normal celebrations on the Catholic calendar, is the event known as the Poklad. The island relies primarily on its history and natural beauty to attract tourists. (More...)

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