The area of the island is 22.38 square kilometres, which is the twentieth largest island in Croatia and the eighth largest in the district of Zadar. The length of the island is 10.12 km and the widest part measures 4.25 km. The highest building is on the hill Barbenjak with a height of 115 m above sea level, followed by another building on the hill Bandira (St. George) with a height of 112 m above sea level. The island of Vir lies in the Vir Sea and is one of the few islands after which the sea is named. There are few other islands situated around: Pag, Maun, Planik, Olib, Ist, Molat, Sestrunj, Rivanj and Ugljan. According to the last census in 2011, the island of Vir has 3,032 inhabitants.
In 1903, Virania, a former colony, began negotiating with its envoys Ante Vučič and Mate Subotič with the descendants of the Bakmaz family to buy the island for the 89 families who then lived on the island. The former owner of the island, August Obradovič, who was born Bakmaz, decided to sell the island of Vir. The island was bought by 89 families for the price of 12,000 crowns for every eighty-ninth (part 1/89 of the total). The contract was signed on August 5th, 1908 and the registration took place on August 13th of the same year. In honor of this event, the traditional “Vir Night” is held every year, which is the most important cultural and social event during the season.
