The Greek island of Crete is the basis of mythology, the ancestral home of the Olympian omnipotent Zeus and one of the main places of appearance of large and small gods. Its capital was founded by Hestia herself, the goddess who unites the worlds of gods and people.
Kings of Crete also owned most of the neighboring islands. Sailors left the island on long voyages. They visited North Africa, Egypt, Syria. To the west, Cretan sailors knew Sardinia and Sicily. The pre-Achaean civilization revealed to the world those historical prerequisites that helped 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 very land of the island breathes myths, this Greek island breathes fabulousness and at the same time the amazing reality of images.
Basic information
An administrative-territorial unit of Greece, Crete is the largest of the Greek islands. To the south of it is only a small island of Gavdos. Crete stretches for 260 kilometers in length, the widest point 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, in relatively large cities - Chania, Rethymnon, Agios, Sitia, Ierapetra, Mires, Timbaki, Paleochora - almost the entire rest of the population of the island lives.
Three airports serve the flow of tourists, two more serve the army. Two major seaports - in Heraklion and Souda Bay - connect Crete with the mainland. In addition, there are fishing harbors along the entire coast. The entire Greek island is filled with mountains, which affected both mythology and the formation of the character of real inhabitants in the course of historical events. Almost all the rivers of Crete dry up in summer. The only freshwater lake - Kournas - is very picturesque, it is a favorite vacation spot for tourists and the local population. There are artificial lakes and small reservoirs that are not considered lakes, but are no less beautiful and popular.
Greek Islands
The map of the archipelago shows that the nearby small islands: Chrissi, Dia, Koufonisi, Gramvoussa, Paximadia are uninhabited. However, for tourists there are constantly excursions and one-day cruises. The larger Gavdos and Santorini are connected to Crete by sea and air.
Economy
This Greek island earns its main income through tourism. But in addition, it is there that the highest quality olive oil, excellent cheeses, honey are produced, 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. It mainly concentrated on the northern coast, in the same place where the largest cities are located.
That same Greek island
Southern shores - a place for those who love privacy. The roads there are extremely narrow and winding, in some places simply dangerous, but the impressions will remain brighter and sharper. People are extremely interesting: forty anxious centuries make themselves felt, the originality of the language and the main characteristic qualities, such as stubbornness and patience, courage, resourcefulness, love of freedom and a thirst for adventure, are preserved here.
