The paper analyzes the geostrategic significance of the island of Hvar in the period from the last Venetian takeover in the beginning of 15th century until the beginning of the second Austrian administration in the first half of 19th century. The existing literature contains elements that constitute this paper, but they have never been shown singularly and in a way that this paper did – the geostrategic significance of an island has never been described as a whole and presented in this way. The introduction defines the term geostrategy and analyses the maritime routes of the Adriatic and its geostrategic significance. The first chapter deals with fortifications on island as one of the key elements of the geostrategic significance. It also provides a shorter description of the places in which they are located. The second chapter deals with a historical political review with an emphasis on war activities conducted on and around the island. Moreover, they generally show that the island of Hvar bases its geostrategic significance on its position on the main longitudinal and transversal routes in the Adriatic and in a long term – from antiquity to the beginning of the 19th century. In the conclusion, the aim was to summarize the whole work and give a new look on the geostrategic significance of Hvar and answer why the city of Hvar has the primacy over the island, the Hvar commune and its role in the wider Adriatic context.