Geography of Crete
Crete consists of the Prefectures of Heraklion, Lasithiou, Rethymnon and Chania, the city of Heraklion being the capital. Crete is in the Aegean, in the north is washed by the Cretan sea (Pelagos) and in the south surrounded by the Lybian sea.
The island has an area of 8.335 m2 covering 6.3% of the total land mass of Greece. Crete encompasses also the following small islands: Gavdos, Dia, Koufonissi, Gaiduronissi, Chryssi, Dionysades, Spinalogga and Paximadi most of which are uninhabited.
The morphology of Crete is characterized by 3 basic zones: The zone with an altitude of up to 400m and above, the zone from 200-400m and the low altitude zone extends from sea-level up to 200m. The first two zones take up about 3/5 of the island, which incorporates a continuos mountain range starting from the west towards the East, interrupted by small valleys and gorges. This mountain has 6 peaks the altitudes of which exceed 2000m.
Crete consists of the Prefectures of Heraklion, Lasithiou, Rethymnon and Chania, the city of Heraklion being the capital. Crete is in the Aegean, in the north is washed by the Cretan sea (Pelagos) and in the south surrounded by the Lybian sea.
The island has an area of 8.335 m2 covering 6.3% of the total land mass of Greece. Crete encompasses also the following small islands: Gavdos, Dia, Koufonissi, Gaiduronissi, Chryssi, Dionysades, Spinalogga and Paximadi most of which are uninhabited.
The morphology of Crete is characterized by 3 basic zones: The zone with an altitude of up to 400m and above, the zone from 200-400m and the low altitude zone extends from sea-level up to 200m. The first two zones take up about 3/5 of the island, which incorporates a continuos mountain range starting from the west towards the East, interrupted by small valleys and gorges. This mountain has 6 peaks the altitudes of which exceed 2000m.