-Physical geography

Crete is the largest island in Greece and the second largest in the eastern Mediterranean (after Cyprus).

-Island morphology

Greece and Crete.

The island has an elongated shape: it spans 260 km (160 mi) from east to west, is 60 km (37 mi) at its widest point, and narrows to as little as 12 km (7.5 mi) (close to Ierapetra). Crete covers an area of 8,336 km2 (3,219 sq mi), with a coastline of 1,046 km (650 mi); to the north, it broaches the Sea of Crete (Greek: Κρητικό Πέλαγος); to the south, the Libyan Sea (Greek: Λιβυκό Πέλαγος); in the west, the Myrtoan Sea, and toward the east the Karpathion Sea. It lies approximately 160 km (99 mi) south of the Greek mainland.

Mountains

Crete is extremely mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range crossing from west to east, formed by three different groups of mountains. These are:

the White Mountains or Lefka Ori (2,452 m (8,045 ft));

the Idi Range (Psiloritis (35.18°N 24.82°E) 2,456 m (8,058 ft));

the Dikti Mountains (2,148 m (7,047 ft));

Kedros (1,777 m (5,830 ft));

Thripti (1,489 m (4,885 ft))

These mountains gifted Crete with fertile plateaus, such as Lasithi, Omalos and Nidha; caves, such as Diktaion and Idaion; and a number of gorges.

Gorges, rivers and lakes

View of Ha Gorge.

The island has a number of gorges such as the famous gorge of Samaria, the gorge of Improu, theKourtaliotiko gorge, the Ha gorge, and the gorge of the dead (at Kato Zakros, Lasithi). The protected area of the gorge of Samarias is the home of the kri-kri. The Cretan mountains and gorges are refuges for the endangered vulture Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus).

The rivers of Crete include the Ieropotamos River, the Koiliaris, the Anapodiaris, the Almiros, and Megas Potamos. There are only two lakes including LakeKournas, the only freshwater lake, and Lake Voulismeni.

-Surrounding islands

A large number of islands, islets, and rocks hug the coast of Crete. Many are visited by tourists. Others only by archaeologists and biologists. Some are environmentally protected. A small sample of the islands include Gramvousa the pirate island opposite the Balo lagoon,Elafonisi which commemorates a shipwreck and an Ottoman massacre, the Paximadiawhere the god Apollo and the goddess Artemis were born, the Dionysades which are in an environmentally protected region together with the Forest of Vai, the Venetian fort and leper colony at Spinalonga opposite the beach and shallow waters of Elounda

Climate

High plains of Askifou.

Crete straddles two climatic zones, theMediterranean and the North African, mainly falling within the former. As such, the climate in Crete is primarily temperate. The atmosphere can be quite humid, depending on the proximity to the sea, while winter is fairly mild. Snowfall is common on the mountains between November and May, but rare in the low lying areas, especially near the coast when it only stays on the ground for a few minutes or hours. However, a truly exceptional cold snap swept the island in February 2004, during which period the whole island was blanketed with snow. During the Cretan summer, average temperatures reach the high 20s-low 30s Celsius (mid 80s to mid 90s Fahrenheit), with maxima touching the upper 30s-mid 40s (above 110 °F / 43.3 °C).

The south coast, including the Mesara Plain and Asterousia Mountains, falls in the North African climatic zone, and thus enjoys significantly more sunny days and high temperatures throughout the year. In southern Crete, date palms bear fruit, and swallows remain year-round rather than migrate to Africa. The region around Ierapetra is renowned for its exceptional all-year-round agricultural production.

-Human geography

Periphery of Crete

Περιφέρεια Κρήτης

Country: Greece

Capital: Heraklion

Prefectures:

Chania

Heraklion

Lasithi

Rethymno

Regional Governor: Athanasios Karountzos

Population: 623,666 (2005)

Area: 8,336 km² (3,219 sq.mi.)

Density: 75/km² (194/sq.mi.)

ISO 3166-2: NA

Website: http://www.crete-region.gr

Crete, with a population of 650,000 in year 2005, is one of the 13 regions into whichGreece is divided.[1]

-Administrative divisions

The island of Crete is a Region ("periphereia")of Greece, consisting of four prefectures(Greek: νομοί):

Chania

Heraklion

Lasithi

Rethymno

For amateur radio purposes Crete is considered to be a separate "entity," ITU prefix SV9.

Cities

Crete's principal cities are:

Heraklion (Iraklion or Candia) (137,711 inhabitants)

Chania (Haniá) (53,373 inhabitants)

Rethymno (31,687 inhabitants)

Ierapetra (23,707 inhabitants)

Agios Nikolaos (19,462 inhabitants)

Sitia (14,338 inhabitants)

Culture

The Greek language spoken on the island has a distinctCretan Greekdialect with an extended vocabulary that is Crete-specific. Cretan wine and tsikoudia, a potent distillate, are the traditional drinks. Crete has its own distinctive Mantinades poetry. The island is known for its Mantinades-based music (typically performed with the Cretan lyra and the laouto) and has many indigenous dances, the most noted of which is probably the Pentozali. Cretan authors have made important contributions to Greek Literature throughout the modern period; major names include Vikentios Kornaros, creator of the 17th century epic romance Erotokritos(Greek Ερωτόκριτος), and in the 20th centuryNikos Kazantzakis. In the Renaissance, Crete was the home of the Cretan School of icon painting, which influenced El Greco and through him subsequent European painting.

Cretans are fiercely proud of their island and customs, and men often don elements of their traditional dress in everyday life: knee-high black riding boots, black shirts and black headdress consisting of a fishnet-weave kerchief worn wrapped around the head or draped on the shoulders. Black is the color of mourning, and since Cretan families are notionally considered so extended as to include greatgrandparents or second cousins (although they may have little actual contact) as well as all their respective in-laws, one is theoretically justified to be in continuous mourning for some relative or other, however distant. On festive occasions those who are not in mourning wear white.

-Economy

The economy of Crete, which was mainly based on farming, and fishing, began to change visibly during the 1970s. While an emphasis remains on farming and stock breeding, due to the climate and terrain of the island, there has been a drop in manufacturing and an observable expansion in its service industries (mainly tourism-related). All three sectors of the Cretan economy (agriculture, processing-packaging, services), are directly connected and interdependent. The island has a per capita income close to 100% of the Greek average, while unemployment is at approximately 4%, ½ of that of the country overall. As in other regions of Greece, olive growing is also a significant industry; a small amount of citrons are still cultivated on the island.

The island has three significant airports, Nikos Kazantzakis at Heraklion, theDaskalogiannis airport at Chania and a smaller one in Sitia. The first two serve international routes, as the main gateways to the island for travellers.

-Tourism

Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. Fifteen percent of all arrivals in Greece come through the city of Heraklion (port and airport), while charter journeys to Heraklion last year made up 20% of all charter flights in Greece. Overall, more than two million tourists visited Crete last year, and this increase in tourism is reflected on the number of hotel beds, rising by 53% in the period between 1986 and 1991, when the rest of Greece saw increases of only 25%. Today, the island's tourism infrastructure caters to all tastes, including a very wide range of accommodation; the island's facilities take in large luxury hotels with their complete facilities, swimming pools, sports and recreation, smaller family-owned apartments, camping facilities and others. Visitors reach the island via two international airports in Heraklion and Chania, or by boat to the main ports of Heraklion, Chania, Rethimno and Agios Nikolaos. Popular tourist attractions include the archaeological sites of the Minoan civilisation, the Venetian old city and port of Chania, the Venetian castle at Rethymno, the gorge of Samaria, the islands of Chrysi, Elafonisi, Gramvousa, andSpinalonga.

-Archaeological sites

There are a large number of archaeological sites which include the Minoan sites of Knossosand Phaistos, the classical site of Gortys, and the diverse archaeology of Koufonisi, Cretewhich includes Minoan, Roman and World War II ruins.

-Environmentally protected areas

There are a number of environmentally protected areas. One such area is located at the island of Elafonisi on the coast of southwestern Crete. Also, the palm forest of Vai and theDionysades islands, close to the coast of northwestern Crete, have diverse animal and plant life. Vai has a palm beach and the largest natural palm forest in Europe. The island ofChrysi, 15 km south of Ierapetra, has the largest naturally grown Lebanon Cedar forest in Europe.

-Development

Newspapers have reported that the Ministry of Mercantile Marine is ready to support the agreement between Greece, South Korea, Dubai Ports World and China for the construction of a large international container port and free trade zone in southern Crete near Tympaki; the plan is to expropriate 850 ha of land. The port would handle 2 million containers per year, while as of 2007, there has been no official announcement of a project not universally welcomed due to its environmental, economic and cultural impact.[2] As of January 2009, it appears the project has been canceled, in part due to the strong opposition from the local population, mostly on environmental grounds.[3]

-Holiday homes and immigration

Crete's mild climate attracts interest from northern Europeans who want a holiday home or residence on the island. EU citizens have the right to freely buy property and reside with little formality.[4] A growing number of real estate companies cater to mainly British expatriates, followed by German, Dutch, Scandinavian and other European nationalities wishing to own a home in Crete. The British expatriates are concentrated in the western prefectures of Chania and Rethymno and to a lesser extent in Heraklion and Lasithi.

-History

Main article: History of Crete

Under the Minoans, Crete had a highly developed, literate civilization. Since the arrival of the Mycenaeans, Crete has formed part of the Greek culture area. It has been ruled by theRoman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Emirate of Crete, the Republic of Venice, and theOttoman Empire. After a brief period of autonomy (1897–1913), it joined the Kingdom of Greece. It was occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

-Neolithic settlements

Ruins of the Minoan Palace at Knossos.

Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Minoan rhyton in form of a bull.

The firsthuman settlementson the island, dating to theaceramicNeolithic, used cattle,sheep, goats,pigs anddogs as well as domesticated cereals and legumes; ancient Knossos was the site of one of these major Neolithic (then later Minoan) sites.[5]

-Minoan civilization

Crete was the center of Europe's first advanced civilization, the Minoan (c. 2700-1420 BC).[6] This civilization wrote in the undeciphered script known as Linear A. Early Cretanhistory is replete with legends such as those of King Minos, Theseus, Minotaur, Daedalusand Icarus passed on orally via poets such as Homer. Beginning in 1420 BC, the Minoan civilization was overrun by the Mycenean civilization from mainland Greece. The oldest samples of writing in the Greek language is the Linear B archive from Knossos, dated approximately to 1425-1375 BC.[7]

-Roman rule

Crete was involved in the Mithridatic Wars, initially repelling an attack by Roman generalMarcus Antonius Creticus in 71 BCE. Nevertheless, a ferocious three-year campaign soon followed under Quintus Caecilius Metellus, equipped with three legions and Crete was finally conquered by Rome in 69 BCE, earning for Metellus the title "Creticus". Gortyn was made capital of the island, and Crete became a Roman province, along with Cyrenaica.

-Byzantine Empire

The venetian harbour of Chania.

Crete was part of the Byzantine Empire, but then was captured by Iberian Muslims led byAbu Hafs[8] who established a piratical Emirate of Crete in 820's. In 960, Nikephoros Phokasreconquered the island, which remained under Byzantine control until 1204, when it fell into the hands of the Venetians at the time of theFourth Crusade. During Venice's rule, which lasted more than four centuries, a Renaissanceswept through the island as is evident from the plethora of artistic works dating to that period. The most notable representatives of this Cretan renaissance were the painter El Greco and the writers Nicholas Kalliakis[9] (1645–1707) and Vitsentzos Kornaros.

-The Black Death

The Black Death of 1348 hit Crete particularly hard. Plagues followed in 1398, 1419, 1456, 1523, 1580, 1592, 1678, 1689, 1703 and 1816, and some of these were credited with killing ⅓ of the population.[10] Many Cretans migrated overseas during difficult periods on the island, some even seeking great fortune abroad, such as Constantine Corniaktos[11] (c. 1517-1603) who became one of the richest people in Eastern Europe.[12]

-Venetian rule

Main article: Kingdom of Candia

Venetian map of Crete.

Under the rule of the Catholic Venetians, the city of Candia was reputed to be the best fortified city of the Eastern Mediterranean.[13]The three main forts were located atGramvousa, Spinalonga, and Fortezza. Other fortifications include the Kazarma fortress. In 1492, Jews expelled from Spain settled on the island.[14] In 1627, there were 800 Jews in the city of Candia, about seven percent of the city's population.[15] In 1574–77, Crete was under the rule of Giacomo Foscarini as Proveditor General, Sindace and Inquistor. According to Starr (1942), the rule of Giacomo Foscarini was a dark age for Jews and Greeks. Under his rule, non-Catholics had to pay high taxes with no allowances.

-Ottoman rule

Statue of Cretan revolutionary in Chania.

After the Ottomans conquered Crete in 1669, after a 21-year siege of Candia and Cretans were subjected to Ottoman rule it was then that non-Muslims who could not afford to pay their taxes had the choice of converting to Islam or being decapitated. DuringOttoman rule, many churches and monasteries were converted to mosques. However, freedoms and rights were limited. Church attendance by Christians was only permitted in the late 19th Century after several Cretan insurgencies. Prior to that Cretans had to secretly attend churches hidden in caves, in the mountains, or on islands. Christians converted to Islamwhen they could not afford to pay their taxes or if they needed to get a job. The most popular job for the poorly-educated man was mercenary, the better educated could find careers as civil servants of the Ottoman Empire and the most loyal were promoted up the ranks all the way to the top.

Flag of the revolutionaries during the 1866 Cretan Uprising.

Islamic presence on the island, aside from the interlude of the Arab occupation, was cemented by the Ottoman conquest. MostCretan Muslims were local Greek converts who spoke Cretan Greek, but in the island's 19th century political context they came to be viewed by the Christian population as Turks.[16] Contemporary estimates vary, but on the eve of the Greek War of Independence, as much as 45% of the population of the island may have been Muslim.[17] A number of Sufiorders were widespread throughout the island, the Bektashi order being the most prevalent, possessing at least five tekkes. Many amongst them were crypto-Christians who converted back to Christianity in subsequent years, while many others fled Crete because of the unrest, settling in Turkey, Rhodes, Syria and elsewhere. By 1900, 11% of the population was Muslim. Those remaining were relocated in the 1924 Population exchange between Greece and Turkey.

Uprisings by Christians were met with a fierce response from the Ottoman authorities who executed bishops, regarded as ringleaders on several occasions.[citation needed].

Revolutionaries during the Theriso revolt(1905).

During Easter of 1770, a notable revolt against Ottoman rule, in Crete, was started byDaskalogiannis, a shipowner from Sfakia who was promised support by Orlov's fleet which never arrived. Daskalogiannis eventually surrendered to the Ottoman authorities who skinned him alive. Today, the airport at Chania is named after him.

Crete was left out of the modern Greek state by the London Protocol of 1830, and soon it was yielded to Egypt by the Ottoman sultan. Egyptian rule was short-lived and sovereignty was returned to the Ottoman Empire by the Convention of London on July 3, 1840.

Heraklion was surrounded by high walls and bastions and extended westward and southward by the 17th century. The most opulent area of the city was the northeastern quadrant where all the elite were gathered together. The city had received another name under the rule of the Ottomans, "the deserted city".[13] The urban policy that the Ottoman applied to Candia was a two-pronged approach.[13] The first was the religious endowments. It made the Ottoman elite contribute to building and rehabilitating the ruined city. The other method was to boost the population and the urban revenue by selling off urban properties. According to Molly Greene (2001) there were numerous records of real-estate transactions during the Ottoman rule. In the deserted city, minorities received equal rights in purchasing property. Christians and Jews were also able to buy and sell in the real-estate market.

Between 1833 and 1897, several more Christian uprisings took place, and in 1898, Crete, a complex autonomous Cretan State under Ottoman suzerainty. During Ottoman rule, due to circumstances, some insurgents were compelled to make a living from piracy, such as those at Gramvousa.

-Provisional government

Crete was garrisoned by an international military force, with a High Commissioner(Armostis) appointed by the government of Greece, Alexandros Zaimis. Crete was partitioned in to four quarters by the four main powers jostling for power at that time. Crete was divided between Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France who controlled Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion, and Lasithi respectively.

-Union of Crete with Greece

Crete was joined with Greece on 1 December 1913.

-Battle of Crete

During World War II, the island was the scene of the famous Battle of Crete where, in May 1941, German paratroopers sustained almost 7,000 casualties, meeting fierce resistance from both locals and the British Commonwealth force, commanded by General Sir Bernard Freyberg. As a result, Adolf Hitler forbade further large scale airborne operations.

-Mythology

Crete has a rich mythology mostly connected with the ancient Greek Gods but also connected with the Minoan civilization. The labyrinth of the palace of Knossos has the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur where the Minotaur was slayed by Theseus. The Paximadiaislands are believed to be the birthplace of the goddess Artemis and the god Apollo. Their mother, the goddess Leto, was worshipped at Phaistos. Europa and Zeus made love atGortys and conceived the Kings of the Minoan civilization. King Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The goddess Athena bathed in Lake Voulismeni. The ancient Greek godZeus launched a lightning bolt at a giant lizard that was threatening Crete. The lizard immediately turned to stone and became the island of Dia. The island can be seen from Knossos and it has the shape of a giant lizard. The islets of Lefkai were the result of a musical contest between the Sirens and the Muses. After losing the contest the Sirens were so distraught that their wings fell off, turned white, and fell into the sea at Souda Bay where they formed the islets.

-Famous people:

Dominikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco).

Eleftherios Venizelos.

Internationally famous people from Crete include:

Ross Daly, a World music musician who has lived in Crete for most of his life, originally from Ireland.

Eleni Daniilidou, an international tennis player, born in Chania.

El Greco, a Renaissance artist, born in Fodele.

Nana Mouskouri, an international singer, born in Chania.

Georgios Samaras, an international football player, born in Heraklion.

Eleftherios Venizelos, an internationally renowned former Greek Prime Minister, born in Chania Prefecture.

Nikos Kazantzakis, an internationally-published author, born in Heraklion.

-See also

^ Π.Δ. 51/87 “Καθορισμός των Περιφερειών της Χώρας για το σχεδιασμό κ.λ.π. της Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης” (Determination of the Peripheries of the Country for the planning etc. of the development of the Region, Efimeris tis Kyverniseos ΦΕΚ A 26/06.03.1987

^ "No Container Transshipment Hub in Timbaki", retrieved 27 May 2007.

^ No-container-port-in-timabik.net

^ On the Rights of Citizens of the Union, EC Directive 2004/58 EC (2004) Eur-lex.europa.eu

^ C. Michael Hogan. 2007 Knossos fieldnotes, The Modern Antiquarian

^ See entry on "Ancient Crete" in Oxford Bibliographies Online: Classics, for a scholarly guide to the academic literature on this topic.

^ Shelmerdine, Cynthia. "Where Do We Go From Here? And How Can the Linear B Tablets Help Us Get There?" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-03-27.

^ Reinhart Dozy, Histoire des Mussulmans d'Espagne: jusqu'à la conquéte de l'Andalousie par les Almoravides (French) pg. 711–1110, Leiden, 1861 & 1881, 2nd edition

^ Tiepolo, Maria Francesca; Tonetti, Eurigio (2002). I greci a Venezia. Istituto veneto di scienze. p. 201. ISBN 8888143076, 9788888143071. "Cretese Nikolaos Kalliakis"

^ The making of the Cretan landscape. Manchester University Press. 1996. p. 98.ISBN 9780719036477.

^ Vasylʹ Mudryĭ, Naukove tovarystvo im. Shevchenka, Shevchenko Scientific Society (U.S.) (1962). Lviv: a symposium on its 700th anniversary. New York. p. 175. OCLC 3999247. "Foreign merchants who chose Lviv as their second home, repaid the city a hundredfold: the Greek from Crete, called Koreto de Candia, whose name was popularly abbreviated into Korniakt, was the most prominent Ukrainian patrician leader in Lviv in the late 16th and early 17th century, erected a beautiful bell-tower on the pattern of Renaissance campaniles attached to the church of Assumption."

^ I︠A︡roslav Dmytrovych Isai︠e︡vych (2006). Voluntary brotherhood: confraternities of laymen in early modern Ukraine. Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press. p. 47.ISBN 1894865030. "…the Greek merchants Constantine Korniakt and Manolis Arphanes Marinetos are added. This second redaction appeared no earlier than 1589, as wealthy Greeks began to join the confraternity at a later date, once it had expanded its activities. Korniakt was actually the wealthiest man in Lviv: he traded in Eastern, Western, and local goods, collected customs duty on behalf of the king, and owned a number of villages."

^ a b c M. Greene. 2001. Ruling an island without a navy. A comparative view of Venetian and Ottoman Crete. Oriente moderno, 20(81), 193–207

^ A.J. Schoenfeld. 2007. Immigration and Assimilation in the Jewish Community of Late Venetian Crete (15th–17th Centuries). Journal of Modern Greek Studies, 25(1), 1–15

^ Starr,J. (1942). Jewish Life in Crete Under The Rule Of Venice.Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research, Vol. 12, pp. 59–114.

^ Demetres Tziovas, Greece and the Balkans: Identities, Perceptions and Cultural Encounters Since the Enlightenment; William Yale, The Near East: A modern history Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1958)

^ William Yale, The Near East: A modern history by (Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan Press, 1958)

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