Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica. It bounds the southern border of the Aegean Sea. Crete rests approximately 160 km (99 mi) south of the Greek mainland. It has an area of 8,336 km2 (3,219 sq mi) and a coastline of 1,046 km (650 mi).

Cyprus, officially called the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean, and is located north of Egypt; northwest of Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel; west of Syria; southeast of Greece; and south of Turkey.