View from space of the island of Crete. - Stockfoto

July 22, 2011 - View from space of the island of Crete. The rugged terrain of Crete includes mountains, plateaus, and several deep gorges. The largest city on the island, Heraklion, sits on the northern coastline. Several smaller islands ring Crete. Two of the largest of these, Dia and Gavdos, are sparsely populated year-round. The western and central parts of Crete appear surrounded by quicksilver. This phenomenon is known as sunglint, caused by light reflecting off of the sea surface directly toward the observer.