Background : Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey. Greece joined the European Community or EC in 1981 (which became the EU in 1992); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.

Capital : Athens

Climate : temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Currency : euro (EUR)

Terrain : mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Natural Resources : lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

Population : 10,668,354 (July 2005 est.)

Languages : Greek 99% (official), English, French

Industries : tourism; food and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum

Government type : parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974

Crete Information

Name: nisos Kriti = island of Crete. Crete is the biggest island and the most southern one, except for the little island of Gavdos.

Description: Crete is 260 km (160 miles) long and 56 km (35 miles) at it\'s widest point. The area is 8,260 sq km (3,190 sq mi).

Population: close to 600,000. The population of Greece is 10,668,354 (July 2005 est.)

Language: Greek

Religion: Greek Orthodox

Currency: Euro is the new currency of Greece since 2001.

Main Cities and Towns:

North coast: Heraklion (200,000), Chania (80,000), Rethymnon (30,000), Agios Nikolaos, Sitia.

South coast: Ierapetra, Mires, Timbaki, Paleochora.

Airports: There are five airports in Crete but only three of them are used for passenger flights: the Heraklion airport, the Akrotiri airport close to Chania and the Sitia airport. The airports of Kastelli and Timbaki are military airports.

Harbours: In Crete there are two main harbours: the Heraklion harbour and the Souda Bay harbour. The harbours in Rethymnon, Agios Nikolaos and Sitia are much smaller. Along the south coast there are various fishing ports.

Mountains: Crete is a mountainous island and the island\'s historyhas been greatly affected by these mountains. In the west there are Lefka Ori (White Mountains): 2453m, in the centre there is Mt Idi Psiloritis: 2456m and in the east there is Mt Dikti: 2148m. Cretan mountains form a continuous chain from one end of the island to the other and they make Crete look much larger than it really is.

Rivers: Rivers in Crete are short and they dry up in the summer months. Rivers which flow year-round are the river at Preveli in southern Rethymnon district and the river at Vrisses in Chania district.

Lakes: the lake of Kournas, a small but beautiful lake with many taverns around it.

Islands: There are several small islands very close to Crete: Gavdos island is the most southerly border of Europe and it is populated. The islands of Hrissi or Gaidouronissi, Koufonisia, Dia, Paximadia, Gramvoutssa are much smaller and not populated. Most of them are popular destinations for one-day cruises from Crete.

The Cyclades island of Santorini or Thira is close to Crete also and there are daily cruises to it too.

Administration. Crete is one of the 13 administrative divisions of Greece. In Crete there are 4 Nomoi or Prefectures and many Dimoi (Municipalities). Each Dimos consists of various towns and villages.

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.

History. Cretan History starts at 6000 BC, when the island was first inhabited. The best known period is the Bronze Age (2600-1100 BC), the period of the Minoan Civilisation. During that period Cretans colonized Cyclades Islands and in Crete the palaces of Knossos, Festos and Zakros were built.

While Egyptians were afraid of the "Big Blue", Minoan ships used to travel and trade all around Mediterranean Sea. The cultural influence of the various nations Cretans came in contact with, gave birth to this civilization that we still admire and which is considered to be the first high-level civilization in Europe.

The Land: The north coast is the main tourist area of Crete and all cities are located there. The southern coast is the ideal place for the tourist who is in search of an isolated beach. Unfortunately as each year passes and their whereabouts become known, such beaches become a little more difficult to find. Naturism is a common practice on many isolated beaches.