CRETE (Lat. Greta, Gk. Kpiirl, Krete, Kplri, Kriti, Turk. Kiret), or r.4 NDIA. An island in the Mediterranean, situated south of Greece, considered the most southerly part of Europe. It lies between latitudes 34° 57' and 35° 41' N., and between longitude3 23° 30' and 20° 20' E. (Slap: Greece. F (I). It is oblong in shape, hav ing a length of about 150 miles, and varying 6 to 35 miles in width, with an area of 3326 square miles. Its mountainous surface hears some resemblance to that of Greece. The western part of the island is the more elevated. and con tains the large mountain range of the White, or Madams, Mountains, which rise to a height of ever 8000 feet. The central mountain of Ida, or Psiloriti, reaches about the same altitude. The eastern part is lower, but there are several peaks between 5000 and 7000 feet high. The northern coast is well indented, and abounds in good harbors, that of the Bay of Soda on 11w northwest coast being one of the best in the Levant. The southern coast is mainly un broken and inaccessible. There are several riv ers, but they run dry (hiring the summer season. There are numerous springs throughout the island. The climate of Crete is one of the most salubrious in Europe. In spite of its mountain ous surface, Crete has a soil of remarkable fer tility, producing most of the southern fruits and grains. The thick forests which formerly cov ered the mountains have entirely disappeared, hut there are still found sonic trees, such as the cypress, the chestnut, and the olive, cultivated mostly in the lowlands.
The chief products are olive oil, grapes, oranges, lemons, and other southern fruits. The vine of Crete, which enjoyed such fame in the Middle Ages, has greatly deteriorated. One of the chief manufactured products exported is soap, which is made of olive oil. The commerce of Crete is chiefly with Greece and Turkey, to which it exports olive oil, chestnuts, and silk. The total value of the trade of Crete for 1899 1900 amounted to about $3,300.000, of which about two-thirds represented imports. The prin cipal ports are Khania. Retimo, and Candia.
The Bank of Crete was founded in 1899, with a capital of $1,930,000. and obtained the privilege of issuing notes for thirty years.
Crete is an autonomous State under the suzer ainty of Turkey. In accordance with the Consti tution of 1899, the executive authority is vested in a High Commissioner, a post now occupied by Prince George of Greece. who is assisted by a council of three nominated members, who also hold portfolios and sit in the Assembly, but have no votes. The Assembly consists of Deputies elected for two years at the rate of one for every 5000 inhabitants, and ten Deputies nominated by the High Commissioner. The foreign affairs of Crete are under the control of the representatives at Rome of the four Powers which are responsible for its autonomy—Russia, Great Britain, France, and Italy. The revenue is derived chiefly from direct and indirect taxes. For 1900-01 the budget balanced at nearly $1,200,000. The public debt amounted in 1900 to nearly $460,000. Accord ing to a decision rendered by the four Powers in August, 1901, the island is to pay the sum of about $290,000 and concede the salt monopoly to the Ottoman Public Debt for twenty years, in return for the relinquishment on the part of Turkey of all privileges in Crete. For adminis trative purposes Crete is divided into five depart ments, which are subditided into sub-prefectures and parishes. These is no standing army. but militia service is obligatory on all male Cretans. Education is compulsory between the ages of six and nine. and the 326 educational institutions of the island had in 1900-01 an attendance of over 36,000.
The population of Crete, according to the cen sus of 1900, numbered 301,273, consisting of 267.260 Greeks, 33,2S1 Mussulmans, and 726 Jews. As compared with the figures of 1881, the total population shows an increase of nearly 23,000, while the Mussulman element has de cread by nearly 40.000. The foreign popula tion, which is not included in the above figures, numbered in 1900 over 0000. Greek is spoken by the inhabitants of the island. The capital is Caiwa (q.v.).