BrijuniThe Brijuni or the Brijuni Islands are a

group of fourteen small islands in Croatia.

PositionSituated a few kilometers west of the Istrian

coast , opposite the town of Pula , and consists of 14 islands and islets total area of 33.9 square kilometers (an area of the island and archipelago).

IslandsThe largest island, Veliki Brijun Island, lies 2 kilometres off the coast. The other islands are Mali Brijun, San Marco, Gaz, Okrugljak, Supin, Supinič, Galija, Grunj, Krasnica , Madona, Vrsar, Jerolim and Kozada.

HistoryDuring the large Aegean migration of people in the first century BC there came the Illyrian tribe Histri , after which Istria was later named. After them came the Romans , and the GOI. In VIII. century archipelago and Istria are ruled by the Byzantines.

History

On Brijuni there are many cultural and historical sites of which the most famous and best preserved are: the Roman country house from I.-II. c. the spa , Temple of Venus, Byzantine Castrum, the Basilica of St. Mary from V.-VI. Century and church of St . German from the XV. century .

HistoryThe Brijuni Islands had some Ancient

Roman settlements, but up to the late 19th century the islands were mainly used for their quarries, which have been worked on for centuries. The islands belonged to Venice from the Middle Ages, and stone from the islands was used to build the palaces and bridges of the city. The islands were part of the Illyrian Provinces after Napoleon's brief annexation.

HistoryIn 1815 the islands became part of the Austrian

Empire, which later became Austria-Hungary. During this period the islands' quarries first supplied stone to Vienna and Berlin. With the erection of a naval base in the harbour of Pula, the Austrians built a strong fortress, "Fort Tegetthoff," on Veliki Brijun Island, together with minor fortifications on some of the others.

TourismOn the Brijuni there are several archaeological and cultural

sites.At four sites on Veliki Brijun Island over 200 dinosaur footprints

have been discovered, which can be traced to the Cretaceous Period from where Brijuni Cretaceous Park gets its name.

There are also several archeological sites worth seeing. There is the 13th century AD St. Mary's Church which was built by the Knights Templar. 

FloraThe majority of the flora on the archipelago of the Brijuni islands

has the typical Mediterranean characteristics. On Veliki Brijun Island there are about 600 indigenous plant species. Here cedars, bamboos, and the pyramidal yew have become acclimatised, while on Vanga the dwarf spruce grows. There is also much exotic vegetation that Tito received from foreign statesmen. The most important plant associations of Veliki Brijun Island are: Maquis shrubland, Holm Oak, and Laurel forest, and Conifers, which are very characteristic of the region.

FaunaBecause of the millennial presence of men on the

archipelago of Brijuni, the animal world on the islands, especially Veliki Brijun, besides the autochthonous species, was enriched by many imported species that are not congenial to this habitat but got acclimated to it thanks to the almost ideal microclimatic conditions.

FaunaInside the park there is an ethno park is an area within

the Safari park presenting a typical Istrian homestead with its autochthonous animal species. Istrian ox , Istrian sheep, donkeys and goats. It is intended both as a habitat and presentation of domestic animals of Istria.