Olib is an island in northern Dalmatia, located northwest of Zadar, southwest of Pag, southeast of Lošinj and just east of Silba with an area of 26.14 km2. The population is 140.
First inhabited by settlers from the Roman Empire, Olib is first mentioned in documents from the 10th century as Aloep Island.
Croatian inhabitants arrived in the mid to late 15th century, from Vrlika in the Cetinska Krajina, fleeing the Ottoman invasions. The Chakavian dialect of the Croatian language is spoken on Olib and residents call themselves Olibjani.
The island has many historic buildings and ruins. Among these are the Parish Church Assumption of Mary with its collection of antiquities including Glagolitic codices dating back to the 17th century (housed in the treasury of the parish rectory), the stone Tower or "Kula" built for protection from pirates and the ruins of St. Paul's Church and Monastery, which was abandoned in the 13th century.
