HVAR [Hvar] , Gr. Pharos, Ital. Lesina, island (1991 est. pop. 11,400), 112 sq mi (290 sq km), in the Adriatic Sea off the Dalmatian coast, Croatia. Fruit growing, cattle raising, and fishing are the chief occupations. The island is also a leading tourist center. The chief town, Hvar, was long a Croatian cultural center. Its architecture exemplifies its long history: it has a 12th-century Byzantine cathedral, a 15th-century Franciscan church, and a 16th-century Venetian fort.