(the ancient Crete), an island in the Mediterranean, S.W. from the Morea, and extending from 34° 55' to 35° 42° N. Lat., and from 23° 30' to 26° 20' E. Long. Its extreme length is about 160 miles; in breadth it varies from 6 to about 45 miles. It is traversed from east to west by a range of hills, the highest of which, Psilorati (the ancient Ida), rises to an elevation, according to Sieber, of 7674 feet, and is capped with snow till midsummer. Its sides are steep and cavernous. On the S.W. are the White Mountains, which descend almost to the coast, and are infested by the Sphakiotes, a tribe of native banditti and pirates, who have defied all the efforts of the Turks to exterminate or subdue them. The northern coast of the island is deeply indented with bays, which are protected by the headlands of numerous offshoots from the central chain, and afford tolerably good anchorage. The ports and principal towns of Candia are ranged along this coast at the entrance of the valleys, which form the only accessible points from the sea. The southern coast is precipitous and inaccessible. The climate in the uplands of Candia, where the rain is rapidly drained off by the mountain torrents, is exceedingly good; but the low grounds in autumn are often flooded and rendered unhealthy by exhalations. The mountains on the north are covered with forests, and afford pasture for sheep, goats, and black cattle, besides being abundantly stocked with game. The soil of the valleys, though highly fertile, is too light for the cultivation of grain, which the inhabitants are obliged to import in considerable quantities from Egypt and Barca. The principal source of profit to the inhabitants is derived from the culture of the olive, and the extensive manufacture of oil and soap, which form the staple of their exports. There is an inconsiderable trade in wine, silk, flax, and cotton; but the oppressive exactions of the Turkish government are gradually diminishing the industrial resources of the island. Linen, woollen, and cotton stuffs, are generally manufactured only for domestic use. The peasantry are a rude and uncultivated race, and their mode of agriculture barbarous in the extreme. No trace has been found of the iron mines which are said to have existed here. The island is divided into eight bishoprics, belonging to the Greek church; the metropolitan resides at the capital. For the purposes of administration, it is divided into the three provinces of Candia, Retimo, and Canea, which are governed by distinct civil officers under the Turkish viceroy of Egypt. The population of Candia is estimated at 168,000, of which by far the greater part consists of Greek Christians.

The golden age of Candia, if we except the fabled reign of Saturn in the island, was during its subjection to the Venetians, to whom it was sold by the Byzantines in 1204. Notwithstanding the prolonged and vexatious resistance of the Sphakiotes to the Venetian governors, the inhabitants were placed under a popular administration, and enjoyed for nearly four centuries the greatest political and religious freedom. With very little foreign aid, they continued to repel the hostile invasions of the Genoese and Turks till the middle of the seventeenth century. In 1644 began the contest between the Venetians and Turks for the occupation of Candia, which lasted for nearly 25 years, and resulted in the transference of the island into the hands of the latter. The Candiots were assisted by grants of money from the Western powers, and reinforced by bands of French, German, and Maltese crusaders, who sallied out against the Turks at the especial command of the pope. The resources of so small an island could not, however, long hold out against the overwhelming numbers of the besiegers; but it was not till nearly 31,000 Christians had been slain on the ramparts and in sorties, and the fortifications were crumbling to pieces under the severe cannonade, that the town of Candia was surrendered to the enemy in 1669. Since that time Candia has never regained its commercial prosperity, and the inhabitants have been involved in perpetual contests with the Turkish government. In 1830 the Turks were compelled by the European powers to cede it to the pasha of Egypt, but it was again restored to Turkey in 1840; and the improvements in the island, which in the interval Mehemet Ali had projected and begun, were frustrated by an unsuccessful rebellion, which broke out in the following year.

the capital of the above island, is situated about the centre of its northern shore, in N. Lat. 35° 20', E. Long. 23° 9'. It was once a strongly fortified seaport, but its de- fences have been allowed to fall into disrepair, and the harbour, which was formed by a mole, is so choked with sand as to be inaccessible to vessels drawing more than 8 feet of water. The houses of the Turkish residents are well-built and pleasantly adorned with gardens, but the rest of the town is somewhat dilapidated and ruinous. The principal buildings are the pasha's palace, the bazaars, the mosques, and the public baths. Candia is the residence of a Greek archbishop, and contains a large cathedral which was founded by the Venetians. Its principal trade is in oil and soap; its exports and imports are conveyed almost exclusively in Greek and Turkish bottoms. Pop. 12,000.