Population on 1 January by NUTS 2 region". Statistics Eurostat. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Fielding, J. and Turland, N. "Flowers of Crete", Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, ISBN 978-1842460795, 2008 a rundown of Crete’s quieter resorts and villages – the best places to stay for couples, families and nature For those on a smaller budget, have a look at the small and friendly Nostos Hotel which is a few minutes from the main harbour. Or the clean and modern Central City Hotel and Aeolios Design Hotel. During Easter of 1770, a revolt against Ottoman rule in Crete was started by Daskalogiannis, a shipowner from Sfakia who was promised support by Orlov's fleet which never arrived. Daskalogiannis eventually surrendered to the Ottoman authorities. Today, the airport at Chania is named after him.

River crabs include the semi-terrestrial Potamon potamios crab. [86] Edible snails are widespread and can cluster in the hundreds waiting for rainfall to reinvigorate them. Goddess clay figurine. Neolithic, 5300–3000 BC. Pano Chorio, Ierapetra region, Crete. Archaeological Museum of HeraklionVarieties of birds include eagles (can be seen in Lasithi), swallows (throughout Crete in the summer and year-round in the south of the island), pelicans (along the coast), and common cranes (including Gavdos and Gavdopoula). The Cretan mountains and gorges are refuges for the endangered lammergeier vulture. Bird species include: the golden eagle, Bonelli's eagle, the bearded vulture or lammergeier, the griffon vulture, Eleonora's falcon, peregrine falcon, lanner falcon, European kestrel, tawny owl, little owl, hooded crow, alpine chough, red-billed chough, and the Eurasian hoopoe. [87] [88] The population of griffon vultures in Crete is the largest insular one of the species in the world and consists of the majority of the griffon vulture population in Greece. [89] Reptiles and amphibians [ edit ]

Private investments by non-fishers for the sustainable development of fisheries areas (eco-tourism, accommodation facilities, services for the benefit of small fisheries communities etc.) During the Greek war of independence, Sultan Mahmud II granted rule over Crete to Egypt's ruler Muhammad Ali Pasha in exchange for his military support. Crete was subsequently left out of the new Greek state established under the London Protocol of 1830. Its administration by Muhammad Ali was confirmed in the Convention of Kütahya of 1833, but direct Ottoman rule was re-established by the Convention of London of 3 July 1840. One of the most beautiful cities in all of Greece, Chania is unsurprisingly a popular tourist destination. The coastline is developed on either side, but it was the introduction of budget flights to Chania airport that really put it on the map. Most visitors won’t venture far outside the old town, the nexus of which is the pretty 14th-century Venetian harbourfront, but surrounding it is a decent-sized modern university city with a year-round population of 60,000 people. Sea turtles include the green turtle and the loggerhead turtle which are both threatened species. [90] The loggerhead turtle nests and hatches on north-coast beaches around Rethymno and Chania, and south-coast beaches along the gulf of Mesara. [92]The White Houses are traditional waterfront houses decorated in local antiques and cool whites and blues. But the highlight is the peaceful and picture-perfect sugar cube village of Loutro, with its whitewashed walls and electric blue seas. Newspapers have reported that the Ministry of Mercantile Marine is ready to support the agreement between Greece, South Korea, Dubai Ports World and China for the construction of a large international container port and free trade zone in southern Crete near Tympaki; the plan is to expropriate 850ha (2,100 acres) of land. The port would handle twomillion containers per year, but the project has not been universally welcomed because of its environmental, economic and cultural impact. [41] As of January 2013, the project has still not been confirmed, although there is mounting pressure to approve it, arising from Greece's difficult economic situation. There is the standard selection of resort hotels in the surrounding coastal areas – stylish Cretan Malia Park is one of the best, with beachfront access, boho chic decor, and family-friendly facilities. So many people make a beeline for Rethymnon that its surrounding villages are something of a hidden gem. Panormos has a quiet and authentic atmosphere and a well-sheltered beach – it’s one of the best places in Crete for families with small children.