Editing Crete (section)

{{Short description|Largest Greek island}}
{{About|the Greek island}}
{{Redirect|Creta|the car|Hyundai Creta}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox islands
| name               = Crete (Kriti)
| native_name        = {{nobold|Κρήτη}}
| native_name_link   = Greek language
| native_name_lang   = el
| sobriquet          = <!-- or |nickname= -->
| image_name         = Island of Crete, Greece.JPG
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = [[NASA]] photograph of Crete
| image_alt          = Island of Crete, Greece
| map_image          = Kriti in Greece.svg
| map_alt            = 
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = 
| coordinates        = {{Coord|35|12.6|N|24|54.6|E|region:GR-M_scale:5000000|display=inline,title}}
| etymology          = 
| location           = [[Eastern Mediterranean]]
| archipelago        = 
| waterbody          = 
| total_islands      = 
| major_islands      = 
| area_km2           = 8450
| area_footnotes     = 
| rank               = 88
| length_km          = <!-- or |length_m= -->
| length_footnotes   = 
| width_km           = <!-- or |width_m= -->
| width_footnotes    = 
| coastline_km       = <!-- or |coastline_m= -->
| coastline_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 2456
| elevation_footnotes = 
| highest_mount      = [[Mount Ida (Crete)|Mount Ida]] (Psiloritis)
| country            = {{Flag|Greece}}
| country_admin_divisions_title = [[Administrative regions of Greece|Region]]
| country_admin_divisions = [[#Administration|Crete]]
| country_capital    = [[Heraklion]]
| country_largest_city = Heraklion
| country_largest_city_population = 144,442<ref>{{Cite web|title=CensusHub2|url=https://ec.europa.eu/CensusHub2/intermediate.do|access-date=2021-03-22|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref>
| demonym            = [[wikt:Cretan|Cretan]], archaic ''[[wikt:Cretian|Cretian]]''
| population         = 624,408
| population_as_of   = 2021
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2021census">{{cite press release |title=Census 2021 GR|url=https://elstat-outsourcers.statistics.gr/Census2022_GR.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719155252/https://elstat-outsourcers.statistics.gr/Census2022_GR.pdf |archive-date=2022-07-19 |url-status=live|publisher=[[Hellenic Statistical Authority]]|date=2022-07-19|access-date=2022-09-12}}</ref>
| population_rank    = 73
| population_rank_max = 
| density_km2        = 74.9
| density_rank       = 
| density_footnotes  = 
| ethnic_groups      = [[Greeks]];<br/>historically, [[Minoan civilisation|Minoans]],<br/>[[Eteocretan language|Eteocretans]],<br/> Cydonians and [[Pelasgians]]
| timezone1          = GMT +2
| utc_offset1        = 
| timezone1_DST      = 
| utc_offset1_DST    = 
| additional_info    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2022) '''0.882'''<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2021-07-20}}</ref><br/>{{color|#090|very high}} · [[List of Greek regions by Human Development Index|3rd of 13]]
| website            = 
| iso_code           = GR-M
}}

'''Crete''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ɹ|iː|t}} {{respell|KREET}}; {{langx|el|Κρήτη|translit=}}, <small>[[Modern Greek|Modern]]:</small> {{Lang|el-Latn|Kríti}} {{IPA|el|ˈkriti|}}, <small>[[Ancient Greek|Ancient]]:</small> {{Lang|grc-Latn|Krḗtē}} {{IPA|grc|krɛ̌ːtεː|}}) is the largest and most populous of the [[Greek islands]], the [[List of islands by area|88th]] largest island in the world and the [[List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area|fifth largest island]] in the [[Mediterranean Sea]], after [[Sicily]], [[Sardinia]], [[Cyprus]], and [[Corsica]]. Crete is located about {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of the [[Peloponnese]], and about {{convert|300|km|mi|abbr=on}} southwest of [[Anatolia]]. Crete has an area of {{convert|8450|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} and a coastline of 1,046&nbsp;km (650&nbsp;mi). It bounds the southern border of the [[Aegean Sea]], with the [[Sea of Crete]] (or North Cretan Sea) to the north and the [[Libyan Sea]] (or South Cretan Sea) to the south. Crete covers 260&nbsp;km from west to east but is narrow from north to south, spanning three longitudes but only half a latitude.

Crete and a number of islands and islets that surround it constitute the Region of Crete ({{langx|el|Περιφέρεια Κρήτης|links=no}}), which is the southernmost of the 13 [[Modern regions of Greece|top-level administrative units of Greece]], and the fifth most populous of Greece's regions. Its capital and largest city is [[Heraklion]], on the north shore of the island. {{As of|2021}}, the region had a population of 624,408.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Population on 1 January by NUTS 2 region|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00096/default/table?lang=en|url-status=live|website=Statistics Eurostat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121060511/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00096/default/table?lang=en |archive-date=21 January 2021 }}</ref> The [[Dodecanese]] are located to the northeast of Crete, while the [[Cyclades]] are situated to the north, separated by the [[Sea of Crete]]. The [[Peloponnese]] is to the region's northwest.

Crete was the center of [[Europe]]'s first advanced civilization, the [[Minoan civilization|Minoans]], from 2700 to 1420 BC. The Minoan civilization was overrun by the [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean civilization]] from mainland Greece. Crete was later ruled by Rome, then successively by the [[Byzantine Empire]], [[Al-Andalus|Andalusian]] Arabs, the [[Byzantine Empire]] again, the [[Republic of Venice|Venetian Republic]], and the [[Ottoman Empire]]. In 1898 Crete, whose people had for some time wanted to join the Greek state, achieved independence from the Ottomans, formally becoming the [[Cretan State]]. Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.

The island is mostly mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range crossing from west to east. It includes Crete's highest point, [[Mount Ida (Crete)|Mount Ida]], and the range of the [[Lefka Ori|White Mountains]] (Lefka Ori) with 30 summits above {{Convert|2000|m|ft}} in altitude and the [[Samaria Gorge]], a [[World Biosphere Reserve]]. Crete forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own [[Mantinada|poetry]] and [[Cretan music|music]]). The [[Heraklion International Airport, "Nikos Kazantzakis"|Nikos Kazantzakis]] airport at Heraklion and the [[Chania International Airport|Daskalogiannis]] airport at [[Chania]] serve international travelers. The [[Minoan palace]] at [[Knossos]] is also located in Heraklion.<ref name="Ancient Crete">[http://oxfordbibliographiesonline.com/display/id/obo-9780195389661-0071 Ancient Crete] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530225110/http://oxfordbibliographiesonline.com/display/id/obo-9780195389661-0071 |date=30 May 2020 }} Oxford Bibliographies Online: Classics</ref>