Korčula, the pearl of the Adriatic, is an island located in Southern Dalmatia. The island was inhabited since prehistoric times. With an area of 279 square kilometers, it is the sixth largest island in Croatia. Its length is 46.8 kilometers and the average width is about 7.8 kilometers.The three largest settlements on Korčula are the the town of Korčula in the east, Blato in the middle and Vela Luka in the west of the island. Other towns and villages are Brna, Lumbarda, Pupnat, Kneže, Račišće, Žrnovo, Prigradica, Prižba, Gršćica, Čara, Zavalatica, Babina and Smokvica. With 16,200 inhabitants, Korcula is Croatia’s second most populated island. The city of Korčula itself with its surrounding towns and settlements has about 5,660 inhabitants. The island of Korčula belongs to Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
Korčula is also known as Korkyra Melaina, Black Korčula. This name was given by the Greek colonizers because of the rich pine and cypress forest mixed with other Mediterranean flora that covers more than 60% of its surface.
The extremely mild Mediterranean climate results in warm winters and warm summers. The average temperature is 9.8 °C in January, and in July it is around 26.9 °C. The average annual rainfall amounts to 1100 mm/m2. The number of sunny hours is relatively high, even 2700. The average temperature of the sea surface in March is 12.9° C, with the hottest temperatures in July and August and September when the average is 24 °C. The most common winds are bora, jugo and summer mistral.
The main activities that dominate the economic life are based on tourism, trade, agriculture, wine and olive growing.
A series of peculiarities such as the medieval knightly games of Moreška and Kumpanjia, the Statute of the city and island of Korčula as the oldest Croatian collection of laws, and church brotherhoods along with Korčula’s Vela Setemana (Great Week before Easter) make Korčula one of the most prominent Croatian historical cities.