The Greek island of Crete is the basis of mythology, the ancestral home of the Olympic almighty Zeus and one of the main places for the appearance of large and small gods. Its capital was founded by Hestia herself , a goddess uniting the worlds of gods and people.
The kings of Crete also owned most of the neighboring islands. Mariners left the island for long voyages. They visited
North Africa, Egypt, Syria. In the west,
Cretan sailors knew Sardinia and Sicily. Pre-Ahean civilization revealed to the world those historical prerequisites that helped to create the genealogies of deities, mythological demons, titans and various monsters. It was Crete that became the abode of Europe stolen by Zeus, where his famous sons were born, including Minos, the great king of Crete. There Daedalus built a labyrinth for the Minotaur. The land of the island itself breathes myths, this Greek island breathes fabulousness and at the same time the amazing reality of images.
Basic information
The administrative and territorial unit of Greece, Crete is the largest of the Greek islands. South of it is only the small island of Gavdos. Crete extends 260 kilometers in length, the widest place is 56 kilometers. The total area of the island is 8260 square kilometers. Among the population of 600,000 people, the language is predominantly Greek, the religion is Christianity, the Greek Orthodox Church. The capital - Heraklion - has 200,000 inhabitants, in addition, almost the rest of the island's population lives in relatively large cities - Chania, Rethymnon, Agios, Sitia, Ierapetra, Mires, Timbaki, Paleochora.
Three airports serve the flow of tourists, two more - the army. Two major seaports - in Heraklion and the Gulf of Suda - connect Crete with the mainland. In addition, there are fishing harbors throughout the coast. The whole Greek island is flooded with mountains, which affected mythology and the formation of the character of real inhabitants during historical events. Almost all the rivers of Crete dry up in the summer. The only freshwater lake - Kournas - is very picturesque, it is a favorite vacation spot for tourists and local people. There are artificial lakes and small reservoirs that are not considered lakes, but no less beautiful and popular.
Greek islands
The map of the archipelago shows that the nearby small islands: Chrysi, Dia, Koufonisi, Gramvussa, Paksimadia - are uninhabited. However, tourists constantly have excursions and day cruises. The larger Gavdos and Santorini communicate with Crete by sea and air.
Economy
This Greek island receives the main income through tourism. But in addition, it is there that the highest quality olive oil is made, excellent cheeses, honey, a variety of fruits and vegetables are grown. The number of goats and sheep is quite large, which also helps economic activity. The tourism industry, however, is the main source of income. Basically, she concentrated on the north coast, in the same place as the largest cities.
The same Greek island
The southern shores are a place for those who love privacy. The roads there are extremely narrow and winding, sometimes just dangerous, but the experience will remain brighter and sharper. People are extremely interesting: forty alarming centuries make themselves felt, the originality of the language and the main characteristic qualities, such as stubbornness and patience, courage, resourcefulness, freedom and desire for adventure, are preserved here.