Crete

Crete (Cretica, Greek Κρητη) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea.

It has an area of 8,300 square kilometres, a coastline of 1,040 kilometres, and a population of over 500,000. It is divided administratively in four prefectures: Chania, Rethimno, Heraklion and Lasithi. It has two significant airports, Nikos Kazantzakis at Heraklion, and Daskalogiannis at Chania.

Among its principal cities are Heraklion (Iraklion), Chania, Rethimno, Agios Nikolaos.

Tourist attractions: archeological site at Knossos, archeological site at Festos (Phaistós), the Venetian castle Fortetsa in Rethimno, the Samaria Gorge and many other minor gorges (Agia Irini, Aradena, etc).

Crete was the location of Minoan civilization (3000-1400 BC) one of the first civilizations in Europe.

See also:

• Geography of Crete, History of Crete

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Crete is also the name of a place in the State of Illinois in the United States of America. See Crete, Illinois.