“It is official! The Vis Archipelago Geopark is now a member of UNESCO's Global Geopark Network! We congratulate and thank everyone who has contributed in any way to this project. We are sure this is just the beginning of a fantastic and beautiful story for the island of Vis and its archipelago,” wrote the Komiža Town Tourist Board on its Facebook page, reports Jutarnji List on April 18, 2019.
The Global Geopark Network is a UNESCO network of geoparks comprised of areas whose geological and geomorphological heritage makes them locations of international significance. Until now, the Papuk Nature Park was the only location in Croatia with such status.
Following a suggestion by the National Commission for UNESCO Global Geoparks, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy filed an application for the establishment of the Vis Archipelago Geopark in 2017. The initiative for the establishment of the geopark was first given by the Croatian Geological Institute, together with the towns of Vis and Komiža. The report was prepared by a working group headed by Jakša Božanić, with Tvrtko Korbar, Joško Božanić, Josip Belmarić and Dalka Zanka as members.
The area of Vis archipelago is a significant zone of the Adriatic Sea were some 220 million years ago major changes occurred through the propagation of diapirs, masses of searing deep ancient salts, which elevated sediment plates formed by the petrification of sand and organism shells. The summits of this magmatic penetration are nowadays the islands of Jabuka, Brusnik, Biševo and Palagruža, as the geologically oldest island of the Adriatic which, just like the island of Brusnik, continues to rise under the influence of tectonic activity.
The Vis archipelago includes seven areas protected by the Nature Protection Act in several different categories: in addition to the islets of Brusnik and Jabuka, they include Blue Cave, Medvidina Cave, Ravnik island and its cave, and Stiniva Cove.
The establishment of the Vis Archipelago Geopark will contribute to raising awareness about the importance of protecting geological and geomorphological heritage, as well as recognising geo-tourism as part of a unique tourist offer.
More info about the Vis Archipelago can be found at its official page.
Translated from Jutarnji List.
More Vis island news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
