Crete, Greece
City
Crete is the largest island in Greece, and the fifth largest one in the Mediterranean Sea (1). Crete is 260 km (160 miles) long and 56 km (35 miles) at its widest point. The area is 8,260 sq km (3,190 sq mi) (2).
Education
Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education in Crete, is a large educational organization in Greece which is responsible for schools and teachers in four Prefectures, Heraklion, Rethimnon Chania and Lasithi (4).
Culture & Tourism
Crete has a fascinating culture and its people can boast an amazingly varied heritage of influence from advanced cultures and civilizations in the ancient world (5).
Crete itself is renowned for being the home of one of the earliest, if not the earliest, civilizations of the world. A civilization named "Minoan" by the pioneer archaeologist Arthur Evans who unearthed the fabled Minoan Palace at Knossos (5).
The north coast of the island is the most populated area, and most well-known to tourists. Heraklion (or Iraklion) is the island’s capital and main entry point (6).
The interior is home to the White Mountains, which soar to over 2,000m in the western part of the island, and offer some spectacular hikes and drives. The mountains are a bit gentler to the east, and in their midst, they hide the extraordinary basin of the Lasithi plateau dotted with white windmills (6).
The south coast is much more rugged and less visited than the north. It is crisscrossed with gorges and dotted with isolated villages and coves. It is also the stepping off point for the isolated islets to the south of Crete (6).
Transportation
There are five airports in Crete but only three of them are used for passenger flights: the Heraklion airport, the Chania airport in Akrotiri and the Sitia airport. The airports of Kastelli and Timbaki are military airports (3).
In Crete there are two main harbors: the Heraklion harbor and the Souda Bay harbor. The harbors in Rethymnon, Agios Nikolaos and Sitia are much smaller. Along the south coast there are various fishing ports (3).
Economy
The main sources of wealth in Crete are agriculture and tourism. The cultivation of the olive tree is very important in Crete and excellent virgin olive oil is produced here. Other important products include oranges, grapes and vegetables from greenhouses. Honey, cheese and herbs are of excellent quality also. Finally, big numbers of sheep and goats are raised in Crete (3).
View the Crete agreement: