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Crete

Crete (/krt/ KREET; Greek: Κρήτη, Modern: Kríti [ˈkriti], Ancient: Krḗtē [krɛ̌ːtεː]) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete rests about 160 km (99 mi) south of the Greek mainland, and about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Anatolia. Crete has an area of 8,450 km2 (3,260 sq mi) and a coastline of 1,046 km (650 mi). It bounds the southern border of the Aegean Sea, with the Sea of Crete (or North Cretan Sea) to the north and the Libyan Sea (or South Cretan Sea) to the south. Crete covers 260 km from west to east but is narrow from north to south, spanning three longitudes but only half a latitude.

This article is about the Greek island. For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation).

Native name:
Κρήτη

8,450 km2 (3,260 sq mi)

2,456 m (8058 ft)

Mount Ida (Psiloritis)

Heraklion (pop. 144,442[1])

Cretan, archaic Cretian

624,408 (2021)[2]

74.9/km2 (194/sq mi)

Greeks;
historically, Minoans,
Eteocretans,
Cydonians and Pelasgians

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GR-M

Crete and a number of islands and islets that surround it constitute the Region of Crete (Greek: Περιφέρεια Κρήτης), which is the southernmost of the 13 top-level administrative units of Greece, and the fifth most populous of Greece's regions. Its capital and largest city is Heraklion, on the north shore of the island. As of 2020, the region had a population of 636,504.[4] The Dodecanese are located to the northeast of Crete, while the Cyclades are situated to the north, separated by the Sea of Crete. The Peloponnese is to the region's northwest.


Crete was the centre of Europe's first advanced civilization, the Minoans, from 2700 to 1420 BC. The Minoan civilization was overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from mainland Greece. Crete was later ruled by Rome, then successively by the Byzantine Empire, Andalusian Arabs, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottoman Empire. In 1898 Crete, whose people had for some time wanted to join the Greek state, achieved independence from the Ottomans, formally becoming the Cretan State. Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.


The island is mostly mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range crossing from west to east. It includes Crete's highest point, Mount Ida, and the range of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) with 30 summits above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in altitude and the Samaria Gorge, a World Biosphere Reserve. Crete forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own poetry and music). The Nikos Kazantzakis airport at Heraklion and the Daskalogiannis airport at Chania serve international travelers. The Minoan palace at Knossos is also located in Heraklion.[5]

The White Mountains or 2,453 m (8,048 ft)

Lefka Ori

The Idi Range () 2,456 m (8,058 ft)

Psiloritis

1,231 m (4,039 ft)

Asterousia Mountains

1,777 m (5,830 ft)

Kedros

The 2,148 m (7,047 ft)

Dikti Mountains

1,489 m (4,885 ft)

Thrypti

Crete Region
Περιφέρεια Κρήτης (Greek)
Periféria Krítis

 Greece

1912

8,335.88 km2 (3,218.50 sq mi)

624,408

75/km2 (190/sq mi)

€8.913 billion (2021)

Venetian harbour in Chania

Venetian harbour in Chania

Dusk airview of the Old Harbour of Rethymno

Dusk airview of the Old Harbour of Rethymno

View of the harbour in Heraklion

View of the harbour in Heraklion

The old harbour in Agios Nikolaos

The old harbour in Agios Nikolaos

View of Gortyn

View of Gortyn

Archaeological site of Phaistos

Archaeological site of Phaistos

Ruins of the Palace of Knossos

Ruins of the Palace of Knossos

Archeological Museum of Chania

Archeological Museum of Chania

Crete Naval museum

Crete Naval museum

Pluto and Persephone in Heraklion Museum

Pluto and Persephone in Heraklion Museum

Jars in Malia, Crete

Jars in Malia, Crete

The Kri-kri (the Cretan ibex) lives in protected natural parks at the gorge of Samaria and the island of Agios Theodoros.

The Kri-kri (the Cretan ibex) lives in protected natural parks at the gorge of Samaria and the island of Agios Theodoros.

Male Cretan ibex

Male Cretan ibex

Cretan Hound or Kritikos Lagonikos, one of Europe's oldest hunting dog breeds

Cretan Hound or Kritikos Lagonikos, one of Europe's oldest hunting dog breeds

Dancers from Sfakia

Dancers from Sfakia

Dakos, traditional Cretan appetizer. Paximadi (hard bread) topped with fresh tomato, fetta cheese, oregano and olives drizzled with olive oil.

Dakos, traditional Cretan appetizer. Paximadi (hard bread) topped with fresh tomato, fetta cheese, oregano and olives drizzled with olive oil.

Renaissance author from Sitia, who lived in Heraklion (then Candia)

Vitsentzos Kornaros

(El Greco), Renaissance artist, born in Heraklion

Domenikos Theotokopoulos

famous composer and singer.

Nikos Xilouris

Cretan folk singer and Cretan lyra player and brother of Nikos Xilouris.

Psarantonis

author, born in Heraklion, 7 times suggested for the Nobel Prize

Nikos Kazantzakis

poet, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979, born in Heraklion[118]

Odysseas Elytis

former Greek Prime Minister, born in Chania Prefecture

Eleftherios Venizelos

nephew of Eleftherios Venizelos and father to Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece.

Konstantinos Mitsotakis

leader of the Orlov Revolt in Crete in 1770

Daskalogiannis

(Giannis Anastasakis), Greek-American actor, father of Jennifer Aniston

John Aniston

paternal grandparents, Mike Galifianakis and Sophia Kastrinakis, were from Crete

Zach Galifianakis

Renaissance author

Georgios Chortatzis

singer, born in Chania

Nana Mouskouri

leader of the Greek War of Independence from Messara.

Michalis Kourmoulis

tennis player, born in Chania

Eleni Daniilidou

Greek-American labor union leader

Louis Tikas

Greek-Canadian writer, born in Heraklion

Tess Fragoulis

a.k.a. Nick the Greek, professional gambler and high roller

Nick Dandolos

a computer scientist, laureate of the 2007 Turing Award, born in Heraklion in 1946

Joseph Sifakis

Associate Professor at MIT's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department

Constantinos Daskalakis

Professor of Applied Mathematics at Brown University; and Research Scientist at MIT

George Karniadakis

a shepherd, a war hero and an author

George Psychoundakis

Greek professional basketball player for the Tigers Tübingen of the German Basketball Bundesliga is from Heraklion, Crete

Georgos Kalaitzakis

Notable people from Crete include:

Cretan Greek

Cretan lyra

Cretan wine

List of novels set in Crete

List of rulers of Crete

Mantinades

. Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 418–430.

"Crete" 

Francis, Jane and Anna Kouremenos (eds.) 2016. Roman Crete: New Perspectives. Oxford: Oxbow.

Gregory, T. E.; Kazhdan, A. (1991). "Crete". In (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8.

Kazhdan, Alexander

Margaritis, Giorgos (2006). Ιστορία του ελληνικού εμφυλίου πολέμου 1946-1949 [History of the Greek Civil War 1946-1949] (in Greek). Vol. II. Athens: Vivliorama.  9608087139.

ISBN

Panagiotakis, Nikolaos M., ed. (1987). "Εισαγωγικό Σημείωμα ("Introduction")". Crete, History and Civilization (in Greek). Vol. I. Vikelea Library, Association of Regional Associations of Regional Municipalities. pp. XI–XX.

(in English)

Official Website of Gavalochori Village, Crete

comprehensive guide of Crete Island (in English)

Crete Locals

at the University of Crete.

Natural History Museum of Crete

in Heraklion.

Cretaquarium Thalassocosmos

in Hersonissos.

Aquaworld Aquarium

Archived 30 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine at Oxford Bibliographies Online: Classics.

Ancient Crete

Official Greek National Tourism Organisation website

Interactive Virtual Tour of Crete