Here's another view of the terraces, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites as examples of Greek agriculture. Some have been in continuous use forever, if not longer. The island of Hvar is the longest Adriatic island at about 43 miles long. But it's thin -- averaging less than 7 miles wide. The Dinaric Alp mountain range that parallels and defines the Croatian coast lifts up an east-west limestone ridge out of the Adriatic. Terrace farming is important to preserve the rainwater (about 27" per year -- not all that different from the US Midwest area). But scarce fresh water disappears quickly through the porous limestone. The soil is not suitable for raising grain, but works well with vines and, as we see at the bottom of this picture, olive trees...
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