many of these names of certain families have been italianized and anglicized to Bellani, Belanich; Budinis, Budinich; Mezzich, Mezich; Simicich. People from Ilovik who live in the United States live in the New York City - Long Island/Astoria area. Many others live in New Jersey and Washington State. Each summer the island population will often double or triple in size when these expatriates return home with their families for vacation. People in the New York area have organized a club called the Ilovik Social Club. Dialect The official language of the island of Ilovik is Croatian. During Italian rule, the main language was Italian. The dialect of Ilovik is a unique one. It is based on the Istrian dialect of Istria and is much comparable to it as well. It can be summed up as a combination of Italian and Croatian, considering many of the words are Italian. This dialect will only be understood around the Lošinj archipelago and Istria, and not on mainland Croatia. Tourism Over the years, Ilovik has become an increasingly popular tourist destination in the Northern Adriatic. There are daily excursion boats that come from Mali Lošinj during the summer. The main attractions are the church of Sts. Peter and Paul; the various beaches, particularly Harbac; the town well; and the small village. The port of Ilovik has been taken advantage of by sailors from the past to present because of the natural harbor, defending sailors from all winds, particularly Jugo, or the southern wind. During the summer, the harbor is packed with yachts and sailboats from the town cemetery to the Venetian castle. Music Music on the island is an important aspect of life. One of the main modes of entertainment is one or more men playing the accordion. Many times during the nightlife, and at certain places, & events, such as in front of the church, or for Petrova (day of Sts. Peter and Paul) accordionists will gather to entertain the populous. Ilovik also has its own traditional song, called "O Sanpjero" - Oj Sanpjero, misto moje Misto moje Misto moje Oj Sanpjero, misto moje Misto moje Misto moje O ljubavi, zavežena zavežena zavežena O ljubavi, zavežena zavežena zavežena Chorus Oj joj joj! Anđeliću moj Kad će doći ona ura da ćeš biti moj! References Bibliography External links Ilovik Social Club Home Page Port of Ilovik Home Page Islands of Croatia Islands of the