Crete is the largest island of Greece and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean. It has an area of about 8300 sq.km.
A mountainous island, it lies south of the Aegean Sea, a link
between Europe, Africa and Asia. This geographical position, being
at the junction of major civilizations and cultural currents, has
influenced its history throughout the past 6000 years
The island has an elongated shape, 260 km long from east to west
and between 15 and 60 km wide. The coastline is over 1000 km long
and consists of both sandy beaches and rocky shores. The high mountains
are a characteristic of the Cretan landscape. They form three mountain
complexes, each with its own 'personality'. Between the ranges
lie semi-mountainous zones which cover the greater part of the
island. There are also a few low lying plains as well as a number
of high plateaux.
Crete has about 600.000 inhabitants, of which over a third live in the towns
of Iraklion, Chania and Rethymnon. The rest of the island is sparsely populated,
with large tracts of mountainous areas frequented only by shepherds