Pelješac
Pelješac (Chakavian: Pelišac) is a peninsula in southern Croatia, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. It is second largest peninsula in Croatia. From the isthmus that begins at Ston, to the top of Cape Lovišta, it is 65 km long. The name 'Pelješac' is most likely derived from the name of a hill above town of Orebić, which is Pelisac. This is a relatively new name for the peninsula. Throughout history other names have been used such as Stonski rat, Puncta Stagni, Ponta di Stagno and Sabioncello. The main town of Peljesac, Ston, with its large fortifications, built by the Republic of Dubrovnik, has the second longest walls in Europe and perhaps one of the oldest salt panes in this part of the world.
The Strait of Pelješac is located at its other end, and it divides the peninsula from the island of Korčula.
Municipalities
Administratively the peninsula is divided into the municipalities of:
- Orebić in the western part, with 4,165 inhabitants (2001)
- Trpanj in the northwest, with 871 people
- Janjina in the center, 593 people
- Ston in the east, with 2,605 residents
History
The history of Peljesac is dating, earliest known, from ancient Greece time. In 1333 the Republic of Ragusa bought Peljesac from the Serbian Kingdom of Tsar Dušan. The French Empire occupied the region in 1806 and abolishing the old Republic, turned it in 1808 into Illyrian Provinces region. In 1815 it was awarded to the Austrian Empire, since 1867 a part of the Cisleithanian part of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Between 1918 and 1991 it was a part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Bridge
An additional connection between Pelješac and the mainland is planned to be created through the Pelješac bridge. Once completed, bridge would physically connect all of Croatia, which is broken due to the strip of Bosnia and Herzegovina that passing through Croatia, granting them sea access. Due to this, the start of construction has been continually delayed until shipping rights and boundaries can be properly defined between the two countries.