Crete Periphery Περιφέρεια Κρήτης
Country:	Greece
Capital:	Heraklion
Prefectures:	Chania Heraklion Lasithi Rethymno
Population:	623,666 (2005)
Area:	8,336 km² (3,219 sq.mi.)
Density:	75 /km² (194 /sq. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Heraklion or Iraklion (Ηράκλειο Irákleio, iˈɾaklio̞ Candia is the largest city and capital of Crete. Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as Peripheries of Greece, which are further subdivided into 3 super-prefectures and 54 prefectures or nomes Chania prefecture is one of the four prefectures of Crete; it covers the westernmost quarter of the island Heraklion ( Greek Ηράκλειο - Irákleio or Iráklio) also Heraklio is a prefecture of Greece, one of the Lasithi ( Greek: Λασίθι is the easternmost prefecture on the island of Crete, to the east of the prefecture of Heraklion. Rethymno ( Greek Ρέθυμνο ˈreθimno is a prefecture in the island of Crete. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume mi. )
Website:	http://www.crete-region.gr www. crete-region. gr

Crete transliteration Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is one of the thirteen peripheries of Greece. There are several methods for the romanization of Greek, especially depending whether the language written with Greek letters is Ancient Greek or Modern Greek and The peripheries ( Περιφέρειες) are the official regional Administrative divisions of Greece. It is also the largest of the Greek islands at 8,336 km² (3,219 square miles) and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean. The Greek Islands are a collection of over 6000 Islands and Islets that belong to Greece. This is a list of Islands in the Mediterranean Sea: By area By country Croatia Croatian islands An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant

Crete is a location of significant ancient history and a popular tourist destination; its attractions include the Minoan sites of Knossos and Phaistos, the classical site of Gortys, the Venetian castle at Rethymno, and the Samaria Gorge, as well as many other natural sites, monuments, and beaches. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization which arose on the island of Crete. Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Greek Κνωσός kno̞ˈso̞s also known as the Knossos Palace is the largest Phaistos (Φαιστός also transliterated as Phaestos, Festos and Phaestus is an ancient city on the Island of Crete This article is about the ancient city in Crete another place with the same name is Gortyna Arcadia. Rethymno ( Greek: Ρέθυμνο ˈreθimno also Rethimno, Rethymnon, Réthymnon, and Rhíthymnos) a city of approximately Crete was the centre of the Minoan civilization (ca. The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization which arose on the island of Crete. 2600–1400 BC), the oldest form of Greek and hence European civilization. The 26th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2600 BC to 2501 BC A Civilization is a society in which large numbers of people share a variety of common elements For centuries it was known by its Italian name Candia, from the medieval name of its capital Heraklion, Chandax (Greek: Χάνδαξ or Χάνδακας, "moat"). In Classical Latin it was called Creta and in Turkish Kandiye or Girit. Classical Latin is the form of the Latin language used by the ancient Romans in what is usually regarded as "classical" Latin literature.

35°13′N 24°55′E / 35.21, 24.91

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 3 Cretan Culture 4 Economy 4.1 Tourism 4.2 Plans for a container port 5 Famous Cretans 6 Cities 7 Political organization 8 Expatriate E.U. Communities 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

History

Main article: History of Crete

The first human settlements on the island, dating to the aceramic Neolithic, used cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and dogs, as well as domesticated cereals and legumes; ancient Knossos was the site of one of these major Neolithic (then later Minoan) sites. The History of Crete encompasses the ancient Minoan civilization, which used its own system of script Linear A and B A settlement is a general term used in Archeology, Landscape history and other subjects for a permanent or temporary community in which people live which avoids being Aceramic is a classification of certain early human Civilisations implying the culture has not yet produced Pottery. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order A legume is a Plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae or a Fruit of these specific plants Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Greek Κνωσός kno̞ˈso̞s also known as the Knossos Palace is the largest ^[1] Crete was the center of Europe's most ancient civilization; the Minoan. The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization which arose on the island of Crete. Little is known about the rise of ancient Cretan society, as very limited written records remain, and many are written in the undecipherable script known as Linear A. Linear A is one of two linear scripts used in ancient Crete before Greek Mycenaean Linear B. This contrasts with the superb houses, palaces, roads, paintings and sculptures that do remain. Early Cretan history is replete with legends such as those of King Minos, Theseus, Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus passed on orally via poets such as Homer. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the In Greek mythology, Minos ( Ancient Greek:) was a mythical king of Crete son of Zeus and Europa. For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( Greek:, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull. This article is about the mythological character For other uses see Daedalus (disambiguation. Icarus ( Greek:, Latin: Íkaros, Etruscan: Vicare) is a character in Greek mythology. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Crete was involved in the Mithridatic Wars, initially repelling an attack by Roman general Marcus Antonius Creticus in 71 BC. There were three Mithridatic Wars between Rome and Pontus in the first century BC Marcus Antonius Creticus (flourished 2nd century BC & 1st century BC) was a Roman politician member of the Antonius family 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 BC, earning for Metellus the title "Creticus". The Caecilii Metelli were one of the most important and wealthiest families in the Roman Republic. Gortyn was made capital of the island, and Crete became a Roman province, along with Cyrenaica. This article is about the ancient city in Crete another place with the same name is Gortyna Arcadia.

Crete was under Byzantine empire's, control when it fell into at hands of Iberian Muslims led by Abo Hafs Omer Al-Baloty ^[2] who established an emirate on the island. Abo Hafs Omer Al-Baloty ( Arabic أبو حفص عمر البلوطي) was a Muslim Clergy ( Shaikh Arabic شيخ and leader of group of Iberian Muslims who were exiled by Al-Hakam In 960 Nicephorus Phocas reconquered the island and held it under Byzantine control till 1204, when it fell into the hands of the Venetians at the time of the Fourth Crusade. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. During Venice's rule, - more than four centuries long - Renaissance swept through the island as is evident from the plethora of artistic works dating to that period. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere The most notable fruits of the Cretan renaissance were El Greco and Vitsentzos Kornaros. El Greco' ("The Greek " 1541 &ndash April 7 1614 was a painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance Vitsentzos Kornaros (Βικέντιος or Βιτσέντζος Κορνάρος or Vincenzo Cornaro ( March 29 1553 – 1613/1614 was a Cretan In 1669 after a 21-year siege Candia fell to the Ottoman empire. The Siege of Candia (modern Heraklion, Crete) was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian -ruled city and were ultimately The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

Cretan participation in the Greek War of Independence was extensive. The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829 also commonly known as the Greek Revolution (Ελληνική Επανάσταση Elliniki Epanastasi; Ottoman Uprising by Christians were met with fierce response from the Ottoman authorities who several times executed bishops, regarded as ringleaders. Between 1821 and 1828, the island was the scene of repeated hostilities. Crete eventually was left out of the modern Greek state by the London Protocol of 1830, and soon it was yielded to Egyptian Khedivate by the Ottoman sultan. London Protocol is a name used to describe several different documents The history of Egypt under the Muhammad Ali Pasha dynasty was a period of rapid reform and modernization that led to Egypt becoming one of the most developed states Egyptian rule was short-lived and sovereignty was returned to the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of London on July 3, 1840. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

Several more Christian uprisings between 1833 and 1897 took place, granting eventually in 1898, Crete a complex autonomous state under Ottoman suzerainty, nevertheless garrisoned by an international military force, and with a High Commissioner provided by Greece. During these years Cretan volunteers played an important role in the Greek struggle for Macedonia and in Balkan wars, forming highly acclaimed army bands. The Greek Struggle for Macedonia 1904-1908 (in Greek language: Μακεδονικός Ἀγῶν " Macedonian Struggle " is how the Greeks describe Finally, in the aftermath of Balkan wars Crete joined Greece on 1 December 1913. The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Muslim presence in the island started with the Arab but was cemented by the Ottoman conquest. Many natives albeit sharing a Greek language, culture and ancestry as the Christians, converted either voluntarily or forcefully to Islam, thus regarded by the rest as Turks. It must be noted that many Cretan Muslims didn't even know Turkish, something evident especially to those who fled to Syria during the turmoil in the island. Cretan Turks ( Turkish: Giritli or Girit Türkleri or Türk Giritliler) came about as a consequence of the Ottoman rule in Contemporary estimates vary, but on the eve of the Greek War of Independence a minority of not more than 40% may have been Muslim. Many among them were crypto-Christians who converted back to Christianity in the years to come while many others fled Crete because of the unrest, settling in Turkey, Rhodes, Syria and elsewhere. Crypto-Christianity commonly refers to the secret practice of the Christian Religion, usually while attempting to camouflage it as another faith or observing the rituals By 1900, 11% of the population was Muslim. Those remaining were forced to leave in 1924 as part of the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey. The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey is the first large-scale population exchange, or agreed mutual expulsion in the 20th century

During World War II, the island of Crete was the scene of the famous Battle of Crete where in May 1941, German paratroopers, meeting fierce resistance by the locals and the British Commonwealth force -commanded by General Sir Bernard Freyberg- sustained almost 7,000 casualties, subsequently forcing Adolf Hitler to forbade further large scale airborne operations during the war. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Battle of Crete ( German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II Lieutenant General Bernard Cyril Freyberg 1st Baron Freyberg VC, GCMG, KCB, KBE, DSO and three Bars (21 March 1889 Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately

Geography

Crete Κρήτη
Cretan ports of entry for yachts
Geography
Coordinates:	35° N 24° E
Total Isles:	25
Area:[3]	8,336 km² (3,219 sq.mi.)
Highest Mountain:	Mt. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Psiloreitis (2,456 m (8,058 ft))
Government
Greece
Periphery:	Crete
Prefecture:	Chania Heraklion Lasithi Rethymno
Capital:	Heraklion
Statistics
Population:	623,666 (as of 2005)
Density:	75 /km² (194 /sq. Chania prefecture is one of the four prefectures of Crete; it covers the westernmost quarter of the island Heraklion ( Greek Ηράκλειο - Irákleio or Iráklio) also Heraklio is a prefecture of Greece, one of the Lasithi ( Greek: Λασίθι is the easternmost prefecture on the island of Crete, to the east of the prefecture of Heraklion. Rethymno ( Greek Ρέθυμνο ˈreθimno is a prefecture in the island of Crete. Heraklion or Iraklion (Ηράκλειο Irákleio, iˈɾaklio̞ Candia is the largest city and capital of Crete. mi. )
Postal Code:	72x xx, 70x xx, 71x xx, 73x xx, 740 55, 74x xx
Area Code:	284 x0, 2810, 289x0, 282x0, 28310, 283x0
License Code:	AN, HK, HP, XN, PE
Website
www.crete-region.gr

Crete is one of the 13 regions into which Greece is divided. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία It forms the largest island in Greece and the second largest (after Cyprus) in the East Mediterranean, with a population of 650,000 (2005). Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía The island has an elongated shape : it spans 260 km from east to west and 60 km at its widest, although the island is narrower at certain points, such as in the region close to Ierapetra , where it reaches a width of only 12 km. Crete covers an area of 8,336 km², with a coastline of 1046 km ; 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. The Sea of Crete' (Κρητικό Πέλαγος Kritiko Pelagos) is the sea south of the Aegean Sea, north of the island Crete, and south of the The Libyan Sea is a portion of the Mediterranean Sea situated north of the country of Libya and generally southerly of the island of Crete. The Myrtoan (Mirtoan Sea is a subdivision of the Mediterranean Sea that lies between the Cyclades and the Peloponnesos. It lies approximately 160 km south of the Greek mainland.

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);
• the Idi range (Psiloritis (35.18° N 24.82° E) 2,456 m);
• the Dikti mountains (2,148 m);
• Kedros (1,777 m);
• Thripti (1,489 m)

These mountains gifted Crete with fertile plateaus, such as Lasithi, Omalos and Nidha ; caves, such as Diktaion and Idaion ; and gorges such as the famous Gorge of Samaria. Lefka Ori ( Greek: Λευκά Όρη meaning " White Mountains " or “Madares” is a mountain range located in Western Crete, in Chania Mount Ida, known variously as Idha, Ídhi, Idi, Ita and now Psiloritis, is the highest Mountain on Crete The protected area of the Samaria Gorge is the home of kri-kri, while Cretan mountains and gorges are refuges for the endangered vulture Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus). The Kri-kri ( Capra aegagrus creticus) sometimes called the Cretan goat, Agrimi, or Cretan Ibex, is considered a Subspecies of The Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus ("Bearded Vulture-Eagle" is an Old World vulture, the only member of the genus

There are a number of rivers on Crete including the Ieropotamos River on the southern part of the island. The Ieropotamos River is a watercourse in southern Crete in Greece.

Climate

Crete straddles two climatic zones, the Mediterranean and the North African, mainly falling within the former ; as such, the climate in Crete is primarily temperate. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan 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 at 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), with maxima touching the upper 30s to mid 40s.

The south coast, including the Messara 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-long, without migrating to Africa. The Date Palm ( Phoenix dactylifera) is a palm in the genus Phoenix, extensively cultivated for its edible Fruit. The swallows and martins are a group of Passerine Birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial

Cretan Culture

For centuries Crete has held intact its own distinctive rich and proud culture. Cretan Greek has been maintained as the spoken language, and Cretan wine is a traditional drink. Cretan Greek ( Cretan dialect &mdash in Greek, Kritikí diálektos &ndash Κρητική διάλεκτος or Kritiká Κρητικά Cretan wine is wine from the Greek island of Crete. It has a long history since wine was certainly being made by the Minoans before 1600 BC The Island is known for the Music of Crete, and there are many indigenous dances to the Island, the most noted of which is probably the Pentozali. The music of Crete is a traditional form of Greek Folk music called κρητικά (kritika The Pentozali or Pentozalis is a Dance from Crete. It takes its name from its five (pente basic steps and its sprightly and ultimately very fast pace

Economy

The economy of Crete, which was mainly based on farming, 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%, half 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 Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern The Greek Citron variety of citrus medica was botanically classified by Adolf Engler as the "variety Etrog

The island has three significant airports, Nikos Kazantzakis at Heraklion, the Daskalogiannis airport at Chania and a smaller in Sitia. Heraklion or Iraklion (Ηράκλειο Irákleio, iˈɾaklio̞ Candia is the largest city and capital of Crete. Chania International Airport "Ioannis Daskalogiannis" is an international Airport located near Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete Chaniá ( Greek: Χανιά xaˈɲa also transliterated Hania and Khania, older form Chanea and Venetian: Canea Sitia ( Greek: Σητεία refers both to a port town with 8900 inhabitants ( 2001) and a municipality with 14338 inhabitants ( 2001) in the far 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 Iraklion last year made up 20% of all charter flights in Greece. Heraklion or Iraklion (Ηράκλειο Irákleio, iˈɾaklio̞ Candia is the largest city and capital of Crete. 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 to 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. Chaniá ( Greek: Χανιά xaˈɲa also transliterated Hania and Khania, older form Chanea and Venetian: Canea Rethymno ( Greek: Ρέθυμνο ˈreθimno also Rethimno, Rethymnon, Réthymnon, and Rhíthymnos) a city of approximately Agios Nikolaos or Ayios Nikolaos ( Greek: Άγιος Νικόλαος meaning " Saint Nicholas " is a common place name in Greece and

Plans for a container port

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. Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, Regions, and Themes DP World is a subsidiary of Dubai World, a holding company owned by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Containerization (or containerisation) is a system of Intermodal freight transport Cargo Transport using standard ISO containers A free trade zone ( FTZ) or export processing zone ( EPZ) is one or more special areas of a country where some normal Trade barriers such as Tympaki or Timbaki (Τυμπάκι is a municipality in Heraklion Prefecture, Crete, Greece. 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. ^[4]

Famous Cretans

• Minos, an ancient, legendary King of Crete
• Idomeneus, an ancient, legendary King of Crete
• Epimenides 6th century BC seer, philosopher and poet
• Nearchus (4th century BC) officer in the army of Alexander the Great
• Aenesidemus 1st century BC philosopher
• Saint Eumenes 7th century bishop of Gortyna
• Pope Alexander V (1339-1410)
• Marcus Musurus (1470-1517) scholar and philosopher
• Francesco Barozzi (1537-1604) mathematician and astronomer
• El Greco (1541-1614) Greek-Spanish painter
• Vitsentzos Kornaros (1553-1613) poet of the Greek Renaissance
• Giritli Ali Aziz Efendi 18th century author, diplomat
• Daskalogiannis (?-1771) rebel against Ottoman rule
• Dimitri Kalergis (1803-1867) statesman
• Giritli Sırrı Pasha (1844-1895) author, statesman
• Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936) politician, Prime Minister of Greece
• Evangelos Sarris (1881-1917) army officer
• Emmanouil Tsouderos (1882-1956) economist and politician
• Nikos Kazantzakis (1885-1957) poet and author
• Alexis Minotis (1898-1990) actor
• Sapfo Notara (1907-1985) actress
• Manos Katrakis (1909-1984) actor
• Odysseas Elitis (1911-1996) poet
• Stylianos Pattakos (1912) member of Greek military junta
• Konstantinos Mitsotakis (1918) politician, Prime Minister of Greece
• Rena Kyriakou (1918-1994) pianist
• George Psychoundakis (1920-2006) World War II resistance fighter, poet and translator
• Thanasis Skordalos (1920-1998) singer and musician
• Kostas Mountakis (1926) singer and musician
• Terpsichori Chryssoulaki-Vlachou (1926-1944) member of the Greek resistance
• Michalis Kounelis (1928-1999) musician
• John Aniston (1933) actor, father of actress Jennifer Aniston
• Rika Diallina (1934) actress
• Nana Mouskouri (1934) singer and politician
• Nikos Xilouris (1936-1980) composer and singer
• Konstantinos Volanakis (1937) painter
• Giannis Markopoulos 1939 composer
• Yoryis Yatromanolakis (1940) author
• Manolis Mavrommatis (1941) sports journalist and politician
• Psarantonis (1942) musician and singer
• Christoforos Liontakis (1945) poet
• Yannis Smaragdis (1946) film director
• Maro Douka (1947) author
• Giannis Dragasakis (1947) politician
• Fotis Kafatos biologist
• Joseph Sifakis (1946) computer scientist
• Nikolaos Sifounakis (1949) politician
• Mimis Androulakis (1951) author and politician
• Maria Damanaki (1952) politician
• Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki (1955) business woman
• Manolis Kefalogiannis (1959) politician
• Kostas Hatzidakis (1965) politician
• Nikos Machlas (1973) footballer
• Andreas Glyniadakis (1981) basketball player
• Eleni Daniilidou (1982) tennis player
• Maria Spiridaki (1984) fashion model and TV presenter
• Georgios Samaras (1985) footballer

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)

Political organization

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

• Chania
• Heraklion
• Lasithi
• Rethymno

For amateur radio purposes it is considered to be a separate "entity," ITU prefix SV9. In Greek mythology, Minos ( Ancient Greek:) was a mythical king of Crete son of Zeus and Europa. In Greek mythology, Idomeneus was a Cretan warrior father of Orsilochus, son of Deucalion, grandson of Minos and king of Crete Epimenides of Knossos ( Crete) (Greek) was a semi- mythical 6th century BC Greek seer and Philosopher - poet Nearchus (or Nearchos) (c 360 - 300 BC was one of the officers a Navarch, in the army of Alexander the Great. Aenesidemus ( Ancient Greek: Αἰνησίδημος Ainêsidemos was a Greek sceptical philosopher born in Knossos on the island of Crete Saint Eumenes (Eumenius was a Bishop of Gortyna in Crete during the 7th century (some sources say 3rd century) Alexander V (also Peter of Candia or Peter Phillarges, ca 1339 &ndash May 3, 1410) was Antipope during the Western Schism Marcus Musurus ( Greek: Μάρκος Μουσούρος c 1470&ndash1517 was a Greek scholar and philosopher born in Rethymno, Crete. Francesco Barozzi (in Latin Franciscus Barocius) ( August 9, 1537 - November 23, 1604) was an Italian mathematician El Greco' ("The Greek " 1541 &ndash April 7 1614 was a painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance Vitsentzos Kornaros (Βικέντιος or Βιτσέντζος Κορνάρος or Vincenzo Cornaro ( March 29 1553 – 1613/1614 was a Cretan Giritli Ali Aziz Efendi was a Turkish author of the 18th century notable for his Sefaretname relating his mission as the ambassador of the Ottoman Empire Ioannis Vlachos (Ιωάννης Βλάχος better known as Daskalogiannis (Δασκαλογιάννης (?- June 17 1771) was a Cretan rebel Dimitri Kalergis ( Demitrios) (1803-1867 Greek statesman was a Cretan by birth studied medicine at Paris and on the outbreak of the War Giritli Sırrı Pasha ( Sırrı Pasha the Cretan) was a 19th century Ottoman administrator and man of letters of Turkish Cretan origin Eleftherios Venizelos (full name Elefthérios Kyriákou Venizélos, Greek: Ελευθέριος Κυριάκου Βενιζέλος ( Mournies Evangelos Sarris (1881-1917 was an officer of the Cretan Gendarmerie and one of the leaders of the National Defence movement in Greece. Emmanouil Tsouderos (1882 - 1956 was a political and financial figure of modern Greece, serving as Prime Minister-in-exile during World War II. Nikos Kazantzakis ( Νίκος Καζαντζάκης) ( February 18, 1883, Heraklion, Crete, Ottoman Empire - Alexis Minotakis, known as Alexis Minotis, was born 8 August 1898 or 1899 in Chania, Crete and died on 11 November Sapfo Notara, Σαπφώ Νοταρά, (1907 Crete – c June 11, 1985) was a legendary Greek thespian, known for supporting Manos Katrakis ( August 14, 1908 in Kastelli Kissamou - September 2, 1984) was a Greek theatrical actor Odysseas Elytis (Οδυσσέας Ελύτης (November 2 1911—March 18 1996 is a legendary Greek poet,regarded as one of the most important representatives Stylianos Pattakos ( Greek: Στυλιανός Παττακός) (born November 8, 1912) was a Greek military man and one of the Constantine Mitsotakis (Κωνσταντίνος Μητσοτάκης or Konstantinos Mitsotakis) (born October 18, 1918) Greek politician Rena Kyriakou ( February 25, 1918 - August 1994 was a Pianist and Composer born in Herakleion, Greece. George Psychoundakis ( Greek Γεώργιος Ψυχουντάκης, November 3 1920 &ndash January 29 2006) was a Thanassis Skordalos (Θανάσης Σκορδαλός was a musician from Crete, noted for playing the Cretan lira. Kostas Mountakis (Κώστας Μουντάκης (born 10 February 1926 Alfa in Mylopotamos, Rethymno Prefecture) is a Greek musician who popularized the Terpsichori Chryssoulaki-Vlachou, (Τερψιχόρη Χρυσουλάκη-Βλάχου born in Sitia, (Σητεία was a Greek female radio operator working Michalis Kounelis (b December 21 1928 in Karfiana of Polyrrhnia in the province of Kissamos - September 8, 1999) was a John Aniston (born Yannis Anastassakis; July 24, 1933) is a Greek-American Actor and the father of Actress Jennifer Rika Diallina (Ρίκα Διαλυνά also spelled Dialina and Dialyna, born in Heraklion, Crete in 1934 won the Miss Star Hellas Nana Mouskouri (in Greek Nάνα Μούσχουρη) born as Ioanna Mouskhouri on October 13 1934, in Chania, Crete, Nikos Xylouris (Νίκος Ξυλούρης 7 July, 1936 - 8 February, 1980)nicknamed Psaronikos (Ψαρονίκος was a Greek Konstantinos Volanakis (Κωνσταντίνος Βολανάκης ή Βολονάκης (b Giannis Markopoulos (born 18 March 1939) is a Cretan - Greek Composer. Manolis Mavrommatis (born August 15 1941) is a Greek politician and Member of the European Parliament for New Democracy, belonging Christoforos Liontakis (Χριστόφορος Λιοντάκης (b Yannis Smaragdis is a Greek Film director. He was born in Crete in 1946 and studied film in Greece and Paris France Maro Douka ( Μάρω Δούκα) (b 1947, Chania, Crete, Greece) is an acclaimed Greek novelist Giannis Dragasakis (Γιάννης Δραγασάκης (born 1947 in Lasithi) is a Greek Politician and member of the Greek Parliament for Fotis C Kafatos (born in Heraklion, Crete, Greece) is a prominent Greek Biologist. Joseph Sifakis (Ιωσήφ Σηφάκης is a Greek Computer scientist, laureate of the 2007 Turing Award, along with Edmund M Nikolaos Sifounakis (Νικόλαος Σηφουνάκης (born 21 December 1949 in Rethymno) is a Greek politician former Minister for Dimitris (Mimis Androulakis (Δημήτρης (Μίμης Ανδρουλάκης (born November 24, 1951 in Agios Nikolaos Crete) is a Greek Maria Damanaki (Μαρία Δαμανάκη is a Greek politician former president of the Synaspismos party of the radical Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki (born Gianna Daskalaki on December 12, 1955 in Heraklion, Crete) is a Greek politician and business Manolis K Kefalogiannis (born May 25 1959) is a Greek politician from Heraklion, Crete and former Minister for Mercantile Marine Konstantinos Hatzidakis (born April 20 1965 in Rethymno) is a Greek politician and current Minister for Transport and Communications (Greece Nikolaos Machlas (Νίκος Μαχλάς (born 16 June 1973 in Heraklion, Crete) is a Greek ex- footballer. Andreas Glyniadakis, also spelled Andreas Gliniadakis ( in Greek: Ανδρέας Γλυνιαδάκης; born 26 August, 1981 in Eleni Daniilidou ( Greek: Ελένη Δανιηλίδου born September 19, 1982) is a Greek Tennis player born in Chania Maria Spiridaki (Μαρία Σπυριδάκη born and raised on the island of Crete, is a Greek fashion model actress and television presenter Georgios Samaras (Γιώργος Σαμαράς born 21 February 1985 in Heraklion) is a Greek footballer who currently plays as a Striker for Heraklion or Iraklion (Ηράκλειο Irákleio, iˈɾaklio̞ Candia is the largest city and capital of Crete. Chaniá ( Greek: Χανιά xaˈɲa also transliterated Hania and Khania, older form Chanea and Venetian: Canea Rethymno ( Greek: Ρέθυμνο ˈreθimno also Rethimno, Rethymnon, Réthymnon, and Rhíthymnos) a city of approximately Ierapetra (Ιεράπετρα meaning Holy Stone ancient name Hierapytna) is a municipality and a town in the east of the Greek island of Crete, Agios Nikolaos (or Aghios Nikolaos Greek: Άγιος Νικόλαος is a Coastal town on the Greek island of Crete, lying east of the Sitia ( Greek: Σητεία refers both to a port town with 8900 inhabitants ( 2001) and a municipality with 14338 inhabitants ( 2001) in the far The peripheries ( Περιφέρειες) are the official regional Administrative divisions of Greece. Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as Peripheries of Greece, which are further subdivided into 3 super-prefectures and 54 prefectures or nomes Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Chania prefecture is one of the four prefectures of Crete; it covers the westernmost quarter of the island Heraklion ( Greek Ηράκλειο - Irákleio or Iráklio) also Heraklio is a prefecture of Greece, one of the Lasithi ( Greek: Λασίθι is the easternmost prefecture on the island of Crete, to the east of the prefecture of Heraklion. Rethymno ( Greek Ρέθυμνο ˈreθimno is a prefecture in the island of Crete. Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a Hobby and a service in which participants called "hams" use various types of Radio communications The International Telecommunication Union (ITU allocates call sign prefixes for radio and television stations of all types

Expatriate E. U. Communities

Crete's mild climate is attracting growing interest from Northern Europeans to have a holiday home or residence on the island. E.U. citizens have the right to freely buy property and reside with little formality. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in ^[5] 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. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well

The British expatriates are concentrated in the western prefectures of Chania and Rethymno and to a lesser extent in Heraklion and Lassithi. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Chania prefecture is one of the four prefectures of Crete; it covers the westernmost quarter of the island Rethymno ( Greek Ρέθυμνο ˈreθimno is a prefecture in the island of Crete. Heraklion ( Greek Ηράκλειο - Irákleio or Iráklio) also Heraklio is a prefecture of Greece, one of the Lasithi ( Greek: Λασίθι is the easternmost prefecture on the island of Crete, to the east of the prefecture of Heraklion. Some 40% of Britons in late 2006 said they were planning to live outside the United Kingdom or retire abroad due to socio-economic changes in the country. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located One in ten Britons do so already. ^[6]

See also

• Cretan Greek
• Cretan Turks
• Cretan wine
• Former countries in Europe after 1815
• History of Crete
• List of Greek islands
• Minoan civilization
• Minoan eruption
• Music of Crete
• OFI Crete
• Technical University of Crete
• TEI of Crete
• University of Crete
• Ottoman Navy
• List of novels set in Crete

References

External links

• Crete travel guide from Wikitravel
• Region of Crete
• Crete is at coordinates 35°13′N 24°55′E / 35.21, 24.91 (Crete)Coordinates: 35°13′N 24°55′E / 35.21, 24.91 (Crete)

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.

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