Crete

kret, the most important island in the Turkish Empire. The inhabitants are chiefly Greeks. It is situated in the eastern Mediterranean, eighty-one miles south of Greece. It is 160 miles long and from 7 to 35 miles broad. Area, 3,326 square miles. The highest peak attains 8,060 feet in altitude. It is a country of valleys and springs, luxurious vegetation, and a mild climate. The present inhabitants are engaged largely in the raising of goats and in producing olives, olive oil, soap, wool, fish, figs, acorns, wine, wheat, oranges, lemons, silk, and honey. The ordinary yield of olive oil is 10,000,000 gallons. In 1821 Crete rose with the rest of the Greeks, but did not obtain independence. In 1868 and again in 1896, there were uprisings. Crete had been in an uproar for seventy years. Great Britain, Russia, France, and Italy intervened; as a result of which semi-independence was granted the Cretans. They are tributary nominally to Turkey, but they enjoy a national assembly and a regular constitution. In 1908 Crete took advantage of the disturbance in Turkey and proclaimed a union with Greece. The four powers intervened again, however. A combined fleet required the Cretans to haul down the Greek flag.

Crete has passed under the rule of Rome, Constantinople, the Saracens, the Venetians, Turkey. The island has never been an important factor in history. In ancient times, however, it was credited with a population of 1,200,000.

The population of Crete in 1900 was 310,185. Of these about seven-eighths were members of the Greek Church. The rest of the people, with the exception of a few Jews and foreigners, are Mohammedans. There are about 3,500 Greek churches and chapels and about fifty-five Mohammedan mosques. All of the inhabitants of the island speak Greek. Canea, the capital, had in 1900 about 25,000 inhabitants.

In Greek mythology, Crete is the alleged scene of many of the adventures of the gods and heroes. Saturn reigned here. Minos, who built the fabled labyrinth, dwelt in Crete. The ancient world derived its supply of chalk from Crete, whence the name Cretan earth.