Crete [antikvár]

EiHznzI' I l'.'GEOGRAPHY 5GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION1. The famous beach of Vai on the NE shore of Crete.The LandCrete is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica. It has an area of 8261 sq. km. (8303 sq. km. when the islets of Gavdos and Dia are included) and a coastline 1046 km. long. Crete is in essence a mountain range which lies athwart the Aegean Sea to the south. At the same time it is a link between Asia and Europe. Its unique geographical position between Europe, Asia and Africa determined its historical course both throughout antiquity and in more modern times. It has an elongated shape; at its longest it is 260 km. from west to east and at its widest 60 km. The island is a good deal narrower at certain points, such as In the region of Hiera-petra where it is only 12 km. wide. To the south it is bordered by the Libyan Sea, to the west the Myrtoon Sea, to the east the Karpathion Sea and to the north the Cretan Sea. Its coastline, which consists of both sandy beaches and rocky shores, is framed by the small islets of Kou-phonisi, Gaidouronisi, Dia, Aghioi Pantes, Spi-nalonga, Gavdos, etc. Gavdos, which is in the Libyan Sea, is the southernmost point of Europe.According to the latest census (1981) Crete has 502,165 inhabitants. Administratively, the island is divided into four Prefectures (Nomes) which from west to east are: the Prefecture of Chania, with Chania as the capital, the Prefecture of Rethymnon, with Rethymnon as the capital, the Prefecture of Herakleion, with Herakleion as the capital, and the Prefecture of Lasithi, with Aghios Nikolaos as the capital. Herakleion is both the capital of the island and the largest town (101,634 inhabitants).The PeopleThe inhabitants of Crete belong to the so-called Mediterranean type. The population is mainly concentrated in the six large towns on the island the capitals of the four prefectures, Hierapetra and Siteia and employed in trade, handicrafts, tourism and the like. The remainder of its inhabitants are principally engaged in farming and livestock raising.Nearly all Cretans, but above all those who live in the market towns and the villages, maintain time-honoured customs and manners. In the countryside one encounters many elderly Cretan men dressed in the traditional outfit (baggy trousers and head-scarf). Women, on the other hand, no longer wear their splendidly embroidered tradi-I, ,mr'i Ii>. Ir 1 1 Pr 1 t\' . in' 1.i','.' 1; V'.my. 't I