Molat is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It is situated near Zadar, southeast from Ist, separated by Zapuntel strait. It has an area of 22.82 km2 (8.81 sq mi).
The settlements on the island are Molat (population 107), Zapuntel (pop. 42) and Brgulje (pop. 48) and are situated in the interior of the island; only smaller hamlets are on the seaside. Main industries on the island are agriculture, sheep breeding, fishing and tourism.
It is composed of lower cretaceous and Eocene limestone. The north-eastern coast is mostly low and indented with numerous coves, but the southwestern coast is largely steep. The relief is characterized by two limestone ridges, separated from each other by the Zapuntel Field (the Bay of Brgulje is its south-eastern submerged part). A smaller transversal Molat Field stretches in the south-eastern part of the island. It is mostly covered with young forests and underbrush.
In 1151, the island became the property of the Zadar-based Benedictine monastery of Saint Krševan. From 1409, it was under the power of the Republic of Venice, which leased it to several families from Zadar. The abdicated English King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis visited the island in 1939.
