Brioni Island
| Brijuni Islands National Park | |
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Native name Croatian: Nacionalni park Brijuni |
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Remains of a Roman villa on Brijuni
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| Location |
Istria County,  Croatia
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| Coordinates | 44°55′N 13°46′E / 44.917°N 13.767°ECoordinates: 44°55′N 13°46′E / 44.917°N 13.767°E |
| Area | 8 km2 (3.1 sq mi) |
| Official name: Nacionalni park Brijuni | |
| Archipelago | Brijuni Islands |
| Total islands | 14 |
| Major islands | Veli Brijun, Mali Brijun |
 Location of Brijuni Islands National Park in Croatia
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The Brijuni (pronounced [brijǔːni]) or the Brijuni Islands (also known as the Brionian Islands; Italian: Brioni) are a group of fourteen small islands in the Croatian part of the northern Adriatic Sea, separated from the west coast of the Istrian peninsula by the narrow Fažana Strait. The largest island, Veliki Brijun Island (also known as Brioni Grande or Veli Brijun), (5.6 km2), lies 2 kilometres (1 mile) off the coast. The other islands are Mali Brijun, San Marco, Gaz, Okrugljak, Supin, Supinič, Galija, Grunj, Krasnica (Vanga), Madona, Vrsar, Jerolim and Kozada. Famous for their scenic beauty, the islands are a holiday resort and a Croatian National Park.
The Brijuni islands were called by ancient Greeks Pollariae or Pullariae (Πολλάριαι), and later, they were called Brionian. The 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.
In 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 Island, together with minor fortifications on some of the others.
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