Cres
island in the Kvarner group, northwest Croatia, in the Adriatic Sea, off the east coast of Istria. With an area of 156 square miles (404 square km), it reaches a maximum elevation of 2,150 feet (650 metres) at Gorice. In the south, a canal-first made in Roman times, revived in the 16th century-separates Cres from the island of Losinj (Italian Lussino), about 29 square miles (75 square km) in area; a road bridge spans the channel. Both islands are structurally part of the limestone plateau of Istria. Lake Vrana, a freshwater lake in the centre of Cres, supplies both Cres and Losinj. Since the decline of viticulture on Cres, fishing and fruit growing provide a livelihood. A small but valuable tourist industry has recovered from the inactivity of 1921-47, when both islands were Italian. Cres has Roman ruins, a Renaissance clock tower, city loggia, and a 15th-16th-century church
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