Sazan
Sazan (Albanian definite form: Sazani) is an Albanian uninhabited island in the Mediterranean Sea. The largest of Albania's islands, it is a designated military exclusion zone; it lies in a strategically important location between the Strait of Otranto and the mouth of the Bay of Vlorë, marking the border between the Adriatic and Ionian seas.
Sazan seen from the Karaburun Peninsula | |
Sazan | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°29′37″N 19°16′50″E |
| Area | 5.7 km2 (2.2 sq mi) |
| Length | 4.8 km (2.98 mi) |
| Width | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 344 m (1129 ft) |
| Administration | |
| State | Vlorë County |
| Municipality | Vlorë |
| Sazan Lighthouse | |
| Constructed | 1871 (first) |
| Height | 11.9 m (39 ft) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower attached to a 2-storey keeper's house |
| Power source | solar power |
| First lit | 1920s (current) |
| Focal height | 157 m (515 ft) |
| Range | 14 nmi (26 km; 16 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl(4) W 15s |
In 2010, 2,721.87 hectares (6,725.9 acres) of the island's surrounding marine area was designated as the Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park. In clear weather, Sazan is sometimes visible from the coast of Salento, Italy, to its west. The island has been open to the public since July 2015. The island has a surface area of 5.7 km2 (2.2 sq mi). It is 4.8 km (3.0 mi) long and 2 km (1.2 mi) wide, and its coastline measures about 15 km (9.3 mi).