2017-05-19

A Giant Fingerprint Island of Croatia

The island of Baljenac Croatian: What does it look like? A giant fingerprint With horizontal and vertical ridges. Baljenac, also known as Bavljenac, is a small island measuring 1.4km2 in the Sibenik archipelago of the Adriatic Sea. It can be found off the coast of Croatia. Looking down from the top Baljenac is like an enormous fingerprint in the middle of the ocean. This unique feature has made the island a popular tourist destination in Croatia.

Baljenac Fingerprint Island

Fingerprint Island

Baljenac's horizontal and vertical ridges look like fingerprints. These are rock ledges. Croatians living in rural areas and along the coast often build low walls to mark their fields and lands with their neighbors, much like in England, Ireland, and Scotland. These walls were not made of mortar and were constructed by stacking stones on top of each other.

The limestone geology of the island has meant that the stone embankments have been in place for thousands of years. People don't have any land to cultivate. Farmers have built barriers by digging up rocks beneath their land, saving time and allowing them to cultivate arable land.

Baljenac Island

Baljenac Island measures half a kilometer in length, but its walls stretch for 23 kilometers. Realizing the importance and uniqueness of this Croatian Island. The Croatian government is working hard for this place to be recognized by UNESCO, and added to the world cultural heritage list.

Photo Link - Sibenski