Crete is the 5th largest island in the Mediterranean sea and the 88th largest island in the world. The region of Crete has one of the 13 top-level administrative units of Greece and it is constituted by Crete and a number of islets and islands. The population of the region was 623,065 as of 2011 and Heraklion is the capital and the largest city of the region.
Crete has a strong heritage of cultural traits such as poetry and music. It a plays a very significant part in the culture and economy of Greece. Minoan civilization (c. 2700–1420 BC) is currently regarded as the earliest recorded civilization in Europe and Crete was once the center of this civilization.
