Crete Island

About Crete Island:

• It is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest one in the Mediterranean Sea.
• It is located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea).
• It is bordered by the Sea of Crete in the north, the Libyan Sea in the south, the Myrtoan Sea in the west, and the Carpathian Sea in the east. 
• It covers an area of 8,336 sq. km.
• It is relatively long and narrow, stretching for about 260 km east-west and about 60 km at its widest point. 
• The island is dominated by rugged mountains that crisscross from west to east.
  • The highest point on the island is Mt. Ida, also known as Psiloritis, at 2,456 m.
• History:
  • The island of Crete has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age by early hominids.
  • The earliest advanced European civilization, the Minoan Civilization, started on the island around 2700-1420 BCE.
  • The Minoan civilization ended after a major earthquake, and thereafter, the island’s rule was taken over by the Mycenaean civilization.
  • The island was then subsequently ruled by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Andalusians, the Venetians, and the Ottomans.
  • After the island’s independence from Ottoman rule, Crete became a part of Greece.
  • During the Second World War, the island was occupied by the Nazi German forces and also served as the battleground of the famous “Battle of Crete.”

Q1: Which countries border the Mediterranean Sea?

22 countries and one territory (Gibraltar - a British Overseas Territory) have coasts on the Mediterranean Sea. The European Countries are Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece. The West Asian (Middle Eastern) countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestine Gaza Strip and the divided island of Cyprus. Five North African nations have coasts on the Mediterranean Sea: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

Source: A Big, Round, 4,000-Year-Old Stone Building Discovered on a Cretan Hilltop