Velebit

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Velebit

| photo = Svetirok.tunnel.JPG

| photo_caption = The Sveti Rok Tunnel passes underneath Velebit.

| elevation_m = 1757

| elevation_ref =

| prominence_m = 1059

| prominence_ref = https://worldribus.org/balkan-peninsula/

| map = Croatia

| map_caption = The highest peak of Velebit

| label_position = left

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-zoom = 8

| listing = Ribu

| location = Croatia

| range = Dinaric Alps

| coordinates = {{coord|44|32|N|15|14|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates_ref =

| first_ascent =

| easiest_route =

}}

Velebit ({{IPA|hr|ʋe̞le̞bit|pron}}; {{langx|la|Mons Baebius}}; {{langx|it|Alpi Bebie}}) is the largest, though not the highest, mountain range in Croatia. The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior. Velebit begins in the northwest near Senj with the Vratnik mountain pass and ends 145 km to the southeast near the source of the Zrmanja river northwest of Knin.

Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1,757 m.{{cite web |year=2009 |title=Geographical and meteorological data |url=http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/ljetopis/2009/PDF/01-bind.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200817163642/https://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/ljetopis/2009/PDF/01-bind.pdf |archive-date=2020-08-17 |access-date=2011-09-19 |work=Statistical Yearbook |publisher=Croatian Bureau of Statistics}} Major mountain passes on Velebit include the aforementioned Vratnik or Senjsko bilo at 694 m.a.s.l., where the Josephina connects Senj with Josipdol; Oštarijska vrata at 928 m.a.s.l. that connects Karlobag and Gospić; and Prezid at 766 m.a.s.l. that connects Obrovac and Gračac.

Velebit is characterized by its simple, solid form, stiff cliffs, the lack of vegetation on the seaward side (towards the Velebit Channel), and the wood-covered slopes of the Lika side. The basic geological characteristic of the mountains is karst; flora and fauna are abundant. The whole mountain range is protected as a nature park. The most popular spots on Velebit are: the peak of Vučjak (1,644 m) above Zavižan, the botanical gardens and caves, Hajdučki and Rožanski kukovi, Štirovača, the Northern Velebit National Park and the Paklenica National Park.Naklada Naprijed, The Croatian Adriatic Tourist Guide, pg. 140–141, Zagreb (1999), {{ISBN|953-178-097-8}} The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service has a permanent measurement station at Zavižan.

Regions

Image:Velebit.jpg ]]

Velebit is usually divided into three regions:{{cite web | url = https://www.hps.hr/info/hrvatski-vrhovi/ | language = hr | title = Hrvatski vrhovi | publisher = Croatian Mountaineering Association | access-date = 16 October 2024 }}

the northern part between the mountain passes Vratnik and Veliki Alan, with the highest peaks including:
Mali Rajinac (1699 m)
Veliki Zavižan (1676 m)
Veliki (Zavižanski) Pivčevac (1676 m)
Gromovača (1676 m)
the middle part between Veliki Alan and Baške Oštarije with the highest peaks including:
Šatorina (1622 m)
Zečjak (1622 m)
Laktin vrh (1504 m)
the southern part between Oštarije and Mali Alan, with the highest peaks including:
Vaganski vrh (1757 m)
Sveto brdo (1751 m)
Visočica (1615 m)
Crnopac (1402 m) in the far southeastern part

File:Velebit other side.JPG

Velebit as a whole is a nature park, from which two national parks have been carved out: Paklenica and Sjeverni Velebit (Northern Velebit)

A further category of even more careful nature preservation exists within Sjeverni Velebit, the special reservation Hajdučki i Rožanski Kukovi, under the highest nature protection available in Croatia. Officially no human activity is allowed there (except research). These are the mostly still unexplored and wild places and probably will stay that way in the future.

A pathway called Premužićeva staza (Premužić's pathway) leads through the northern and middle parts of Velebit. This pathway was built between 1930 and 1933 and it connects northern and southern Velebit. Its length is {{convert|57|km}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr/posjeti/lokaliteti/premuzicevastaza/?lang=en|title=Premužićeva staza|work=np-sjeverni-velebit.hr|publisher=National Park Sjeverni Velebit|access-date=6 May 2015}} Many parts of Velebit would not be reachable without it. The Velebit mountains are transversed by the A1 through the Sveti Rok Tunnel.

=Peaks and areas of Velebit=

Image:Paklenica3.jpg

Zavižan area – North Velebit (Mali Rajinac) (1699 m)
Rožanski Kukovi group – North Velebit (Gromovaca (1676 m) and Vratarski Kuk (1676 m)
Alančić, Rožanski Vrh, Seravski Vrh, North Velebit (Goli Vrh (1670 m)
Veliki Kozjak (1629 m), North Velebit
Šatorina (1624 m) – Mid Velebit
Stap area – South Velebit, (Debeli Kuk) (1269 m)
Visočica (1619 m) – South Velebit
Bojin Kuk (1110 m) – South Velebit
Viserujna (1632 m) and Rujno – South Velebit
Paklenica area – South Velebit
Vaganski vrh (1757 m) – South Velebit (highest peak of Velebit)
Liburnija (1710 m) – South Velebit
Sveto Brdo (1751 m) – South Velebit
Tulove Grede (1120 m) – Southeast Velebit
Crnopac (1404 m) – Southeast Velebit

Some 45 peaks exceed 1600 m.

Plješivica or Velebitska Plješivica is a peak in the north of Velebit (1654 m) that hosts a communications tower and a former military facility.{{cite web | url = https://geopp.planinarski-portal.org/kt-gpo/190/ | language = hr | title = 190 Velebitska Plješivica | website = Planinarski portal | editor-first = Drago | editor-last = Špoljarić | date = 27 August 2019 | access-date = 15 October 2024 }} There is also a smaller peak of Pljišivica in the north of Velebit (1560 m).{{cite web | url = https://www.hps.hr/info/najvisi-vrhovi/ | language = hr | title = Najviši vrhovi | publisher = Croatian Mountaineering Association | access-date = 16 October 2024 }}

In the categorization of 113 of the highest points of Croatia by professor Vladimir Volenec, first published in 1990 and revised in 2015, there are 76 peaks from the Velebit.

The caves

There are hundreds of "holes" on Velebit. It has the largest and deepest caves in Croatia. The three-part "Lukina jama" cave is 1392 m deep, making it one of the deepest caves in the world, and the deepest in southeast Europe, while the "Slovačka jama" is 1320 m. What makes it unique is that it is completely vertical, steepest in the world. At the bottom of the pothole is a water course or siphon with branches that are still unexplored. A kind of leech was discovered in the pothole, which has been ascertained to represent a new species, genus and family; it has been named Erpobdella mestrovi.

List of sinkholes on Velebit deeper than 500 m:

Lukina Jama, 1392 m, Hajdučki Kukovi – North Velebit
Slovačka Jama, 1320 m, Rožanski Kukovi – North Velebit
Velebita, 941 m, Rožanski Kukovi – North Velebit
Meduza, 679 m, Rožanski Kukovi – North Velebit
Patkov Gušt, 553 m, Hajdučki Kukovi – North Velebit
Ledena Jama, 536 m, Lomska Duliba – North Velebit
Ponor na Bunovcu, 534 m, Bunovac – South Velebit
Jama Olimp, 531 m, Hajdučki Kukovi – North Velebit
Lubuška Jama, 521 m, Hajdučki Kukovi – North Velebit

It is also home to Degenia velebitica, an endemic and protected species of plant in the mustard family discovered in 1907 by the Hungarian botanist Árpád von Degen.

The imposing nature of the Velebit mountain has made it something of a national symbol in Croatian folklore. There is a patriotic folk song "Vila Velebita" that personifies a fairy in Velebit.

Image:Rossijeva koliba velebit.jpg

Climate

Between 1962 and 2010, the highest temperature recorded at the Baške Oštarije weather station was {{convert|33.0|C|F}}, on 22 August 2000.{{cite web |date=2022-07-19 |author=DHMZ |title=Najviše izmjerene temperature zraka u Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od kada postoje mjerenja |url=https://meteo.hr/objave_najave_natjecaji.php?section=onn¶m=objave&el=priopcenja&daj=najvise_temperature_zraka |website=Državni hidrometeorološki zavod}} The coldest temperature was {{convert|-23.0|C|F}}, on 3 March 2005.{{cite web |date=2022-01-21 |author=DHMZ |title=Najniže izmjerene temperature zraka u Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od kada postoje mjerenja |url=https://meteo.hr/objave_najave_natjecaji.php?section=onn¶m=objave&el=priopcenja&daj=najnize_temperature_zraka |website=Državni hidrometeorološki zavod}}

Since records began in 1954, the highest temperature recorded at the Zavižan weather station at an elevation of {{convert|1594|m|ft}} was {{convert|28.3|C|F}}, on 22 July 2015.{{cite web |date=2022-07-19 |author=DHMZ |title=Najviše izmjerene temperature zraka u Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od kada postoje mjerenja |url=https://meteo.hr/objave_najave_natjecaji.php?section=onn¶m=objave&el=priopcenja&daj=najvise_temperature_zraka |website=Državni hidrometeorološki zavod}} The coldest temperature was {{convert|-28.6|C|F}}, on 10 February 1956.{{cite web |date=2022-01-21 |author=DHMZ |title=Najniže izmjerene temperature zraka u Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od kada postoje mjerenja |url=https://meteo.hr/objave_najave_natjecaji.php?section=onn¶m=objave&el=priopcenja&daj=najnize_temperature_zraka |website=Državni hidrometeorološki zavod}}

{{Weather box

| location = Zavižan (1971-2000 normals, extremes 1951-2021)

| metric first = Y

| single line = Y

|Jan record high C = 12.5

|Feb record high C = 13.8

|Mar record high C = 16.5

|Apr record high C = 19.4

|May record high C = 23.1

|Jun record high C = 26.4

|Jul record high C = 28.3

|Aug record high C = 28.2

|Sep record high C = 27.2

|Oct record high C = 20.6

|Nov record high C = 19.2

|Dec record high C = 14.6

|year record high C = 28.2

| Jan high C = -0.7

| Feb high C = -0.9

| Mar high C = 1.4

| Apr high C = 4.4

| May high C = 10.1

| Jun high C = 13.6

| Jul high C = 16.6

| Aug high C = 16.9

| Sep high C = 12.6

| Oct high C = 8.4

| Nov high C = 3.2

| Dec high C = 0.5

|year high C = 7.2

|Jan mean C = −3.5

|Feb mean C = -4.0

|Mar mean C = -1.7

|Apr mean C = 1.2

|May mean C = 6.5

|Jun mean C = 9.9

|Jul mean C = 12.5

|Aug mean C = 12.4

|Sep mean C = 8.9

|Oct mean C = 5.0

|Nov mean C = 0.2

|Dec mean C = -2.4

|year mean C = 3.8

| Jan low C = -6.1

| Feb low C = -6.5

| Mar low C = -4.3

| Apr low C = -1.2

| May low C = 3.8

| Jun low C = 7.0

| Jul low C = 9.4

| Aug low C = 9.5

| Sep low C = 6.2

| Oct low C = 2.4

| Nov low C = -2.3

| Dec low C = -5.0

|year low C = 1.1

|Jan record low C = −24.5

|Feb record low C = −28.6

|Mar record low C = -22.6

|Apr record low C = −14.5

|May record low C = −9.8

|Jun record low C = -3.1

|Jul record low C = 0.2

|Aug record low C = -2.0

|Sep record low C = -4.0

|Oct record low C = −11.5

|Nov record low C = −16.8

|Dec record low C = −24.2

|year record low C = −28.6

|precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 144.7

| Feb precipitation mm = 147.2

| Mar precipitation mm = 147.0

| Apr precipitation mm = 179.3

| May precipitation mm = 154.7

| Jun precipitation mm = 156.4

| Jul precipitation mm = 86.5

| Aug precipitation mm = 121.8

| Sep precipitation mm = 180.4

| Oct precipitation mm = 215.9

| Nov precipitation mm = 245.6

| Dec precipitation mm = 204.0

|year precipitation mm = 1983.4

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 14.7

| Feb precipitation days = 14.1

| Mar precipitation days = 14.4

| Apr precipitation days = 16.1

| May precipitation days = 13.6

| Jun precipitation days = 13.6

| Jul precipitation days = 9.6

| Aug precipitation days = 9.4

| Sep precipitation days = 11.7

| Oct precipitation days = 13.7

| Nov precipitation days = 15.0

| Dec precipitation days = 15.4

|year precipitation days = 161.3

|Jan humidity = 80.6

|Feb humidity = 79.8

|Mar humidity = 80.4

|Apr humidity = 81.1

|May humidity = 78.6

|Jun humidity = 77.1

|Jul humidity = 72.6

|Aug humidity = 73.5

|Sep humidity = 77.9

|Oct humidity = 80.8

|Nov humidity = 82.6

|Dec humidity = 81.4

|year humidity = 78.9

|Jan sun = 99.2

|Feb sun = 115.8

|Mar sun = 145.7

|Apr sun = 156.0

|May sun = 217.0

|Jun sun = 237.0

|Jul sun = 297.6

|Aug sun = 282.1

|Sep sun = 204.0

|Oct sun = 142.6

|Nov sun = 96.0

|Dec sun = 89.9

|year sun =

|Jan percentsun = 35

|Feb percentsun = 40

|Mar percentsun = 40

|Apr percentsun = 41

|May percentsun = 51

|Jun percentsun = 55

|Jul percentsun = 67

|Aug percentsun = 68

|Sep percentsun = 55

|Oct percentsun = 42

|Nov percentsun = 34

|Dec percentsun = 34

|year percentsun = 49

| source 1 = Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service{{cite web

| url = http://klima.hr/k1/k1_2/zavizan.pdf

| title = Zavižan Climate Normals

| access-date = 3 December 2015

| publisher = Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service}}{{cite web

| url = https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_podaci¶m=k1&Grad=zavizan

| title = Monthly values and extremes

| language = en

| access-date = January 29, 2023

| publisher = Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service}}

}}

Mountain huts

In the 1935–1936 season, the Gojtanov dom mountain hut (open 1 May through 31 October), at {{convert|1460|m|ft}} in elevation on Visočica, saw 232 visitors, including 3 Russian citizens. The mountain hut on Crnopac, at {{convert|750|m|ft}}, normally open from 1 May to 31 October was closed at the time,{{cite magazine |date=1936 |orig-date=1936-05-15 |first=Josip |last=Plaček |title=Izvještaj tajnika |pages=212–245 |magazine=Hrvatski planinar |issn=0354-0650 |volume=32 |issue=7–8 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/193607.pdf |language=hr}}{{rp|224}} but open year-round the next season. In the 1936–1937 season, it saw 149 visitors.{{cite magazine |date=1937 |orig-date=1937-05-05 |first=Josip |last=Plaček |title=Izvještaj tajnika |pages=221–252 |magazine=Hrvatski planinar |issn=0354-0650 |volume=33 |issue=7–8 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/193707.pdf |language=hr}}{{rp|243}} In the 1937–1938 season, Gojtanov dom saw no visitors; the hut on Crnopac and the new mountain shelter on Bunovac were open.{{cite magazine |date=1938 |orig-date=1938-05-05 |first=Josip |last=Plaček |title=Izvještaj tajnika |pages=222–254 |magazine=Hrvatski planinar |issn=0354-0650 |volume=34 |issue=7–8 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/193807.pdf |language=hr}}{{rp|237,243}}

Velebit in literature

In the Republic of Venice, Velebit was known as Montagna della Morlacca ("Mountain of the Morlach"), named after the Morlachs, an originally Romance ethnic group that eventually got assimilated into the local Croatian population, a generally socio-cultural and professional segment of the Slavic-speaking population rather than a Romance-speaking ethnicity.

Planine, the first Croatian novel by Petar Zoranić, was inspired by the Velebit mountain.

References

=Bibliography=

{{cite book |date=February 1959 |first=Željko |last=Poljak |chapter=O Velebitu općenito |page=14 |title=Kazalo za "Hrvatski planinar" i "Naše planine" 1898—1958 |series=Naše planine |issn=0354-0650 |volume=XI |issue=1–2 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/195901.pdf}}
{{cite book |date=February 1959 |first=Željko |last=Poljak |chapter=Srednji Velebit |page=16 |title=Kazalo za "Hrvatski planinar" i "Naše planine" 1898—1958 |series=Naše planine |issn=0354-0650 |volume=XI |issue=1–2 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/195901.pdf}}
{{cite book |date=February 1959 |first=Željko |last=Poljak |chapter=Visočica |page=16 |title=Kazalo za "Hrvatski planinar" i "Naše planine" 1898—1958 |series=Naše planine |issn=0354-0650 |volume=XI |issue=1–2 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/195901.pdf}}
{{cite book |date=February 1959 |first=Željko |last=Poljak |chapter=Vaganski vrh |page=17 |title=Kazalo za "Hrvatski planinar" i "Naše planine" 1898—1958 |series=Naše planine |issn=0354-0650 |volume=XI |issue=1–2 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/195901.pdf}}
{{cite book |date=February 1959 |first=Željko |last=Poljak |chapter=Sveto brdo |page=17 |title=Kazalo za "Hrvatski planinar" i "Naše planine" 1898—1958 |series=Naše planine |issn=0354-0650 |volume=XI |issue=1–2 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/195901.pdf}}
{{cite book |date=February 1959 |first=Željko |last=Poljak |chapter=Ostali članci o Južnom Velebitu |pages=17-18 |title=Kazalo za "Hrvatski planinar" i "Naše planine" 1898—1958 |series=Naše planine |issn=0354-0650 |volume=XI |issue=1–2 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/195901.pdf}}