At a glance:
Size: Crete is the largest island in Greece and the fifth-largest in the Mediterranean after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica – covering an area of around 8,300 km², 260 km long and between 18 and 60 km wide.

Highest peaks: The highest peak is Timios Stavros in the Ida Mountains (Central Crete), at 2,456 m, followed by Pachnes in the Lefka Ori (Western Crete), which is a mere 4 m lower.

Plains: The largest plain is the Messara Plain in the south of Central Crete, covering 140 km². Other large plains are situated around Chania and Rethymno.

Population:
Transport: Crete has two major ports, namely Heraklion and Souda Bay (near Chania), as well as other ports in Kastelli, Rethymno, Agios Nikolaos and Sitia. There are three civil airports – Heraklion, Sternes (on the Akrotiri Peninsula near Chania) and Sitia. International flights only serve Heraklion and Chania.

Economy: Just over 30 per cent of the land area is suitable for agriculture; grapes and olives are the main export commodities. Industry exists on a small scale only around Heraklion. Tourism is of immense importance and already dominates the economy in large parts of the island. The Heraklion district accounts for 53% of all tourist accommodation on Crete, Lassithi for 24%, Rethymno for 12% and the Chania district for a mere 11%.

Administration: The island is divided into four administrative districts, known as ‘Nomi’: Chania (capital: Chania), Rethymno (capital: Rethymno), Heraklion (capital: Heraklion) and Lassithi (capital: Agios Nikolaos).

University: The University of Crete comprises six faculties in Rethymno (Languages, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Education and Economics – approx. 3,000 students) and four in Heraklion (Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Medicine – approx. 5,000 students). The Polytechnic University is located in Chania.