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{{About||the former (smaller) province|Lasithi Province|the electoral district|Lasithi (constituency)}}
{{Infobox Greece place
| name                    = Lasithi
| name_local              = <small>Περιφερειακή ενότητα</small><br>Λασιθίου
| type                    = regional unit
| image_skyline           = 2010 Dimi Lasithiou numbered.svg
| caption_skyline         = Municipalities of Lasithi
| image_map               = Nomos Lasithiou.png
| map_caption             = Lasithi within Greece
| coordinates             = {{coord|35|05|N|25|50|E|display=inline,title}}
| periph                  = [[Crete]]
| seat                    = [[Agios Nikolaos, Crete|Agios Nikolaos]]
| area                    = 1823
| elevation               = 
| population              = 77819
| population_as_of        = 2021
| demonym                 = 
| postal_code             = 72x xx
| area_code               = 284x0
| licence                 = ΑΝ
| website                 = {{URL|www.lassithi.gr}}
}}
'''Lasithi''' ({{langx|el|Λασίθι}}) is the easternmost [[regional units of Greece|regional unit]] on the island of [[Crete]], to the east of [[Heraklion]]. Its capital is [[Agios Nikolaos, Crete|Agios Nikolaos]], the other major towns being [[Ierapetra]] and [[Sitia]]. The mountains include the [[Dikti]] in the west (reaching 2,148 metres) and the [[Thrypti]] in the east (reaching 1,476 metres). The [[Sea of Crete]] lies to the north and the [[Libyan Sea]] to the south.

To the east of the village of [[Elounda]] lies the island of [[Spinalonga]], formerly a [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] fortress and a [[leper colony]]. On the foot of Mount Dikti lies the [[Lasithi Plateau]], famous for its [[windmill]]s. [[Vai (Crete)|Vai]] is well known for its [[datepalm]] forest.

Thanks to its beaches and its mild climate year-long, Lasithi attracts many tourists. Mass tourism is served by places like Vai, Agios Nikolaos and the island of [[Ierapetra#Chrysi|Chrysi]]. More off-beat tourism can be found in villages on the south coast like [[Myrtos]], Makrys Gialos or Makrigialos, Xerokambos and [[Koutsouras]].

Lasithi is home to a number of ancient remains. [[Vasiliki, Lasithi|Vasiliki]], [[Fournou Korifi]], [[Myrtos Pyrgos|Pyrgos]], [[Zakros]] and [[Gournia]] are ruins of [[Minoan Civilization|Minoan]] date, [[Lato]] and [[Itanos]] were Doric towns.

==History==
The history of Lasithi can be traced over at least three millennia.<ref>Livingston Vance Watrous, ''Lasithi, a History of Settlement on a Highland Plain in Crete'', 1982, 89 pages</ref> The region has considerable ancient history antecedents, including the [[Dorians|Dorian]] era settlement of [[Olous]] and [[Lato]].<ref>[http://themodernantiquarian.com/site/10847/lato.html#fieldnotes C.Michael Hogan, ''Lato Fieldnotes'', The Modern Antiquarian, Jan 10, 2008]</ref>

{{anchor|Etymology|Toponymy}}
==Name==
It has been speculated that ''ra-su-to'', found in [[Linear B]], corresponds to an unattested ancient ''Lasynthos''.<ref>Fred Woudhuizen, ''The Earliest Cretan Scripts'', '''2''':99</ref> There is also a [[Lyttos|Lyttian]] tribal name ''Lasynthioi'', presumably reflecting the same name.<ref>Angelos Chaniotis, "The Great Inscription, its Political Institutions, and the Common Institutions of the Cretans" in E. Greco, M. Lombardo, eds., ''La Grande Iscrizione di Gortyna. Centoventi anni dopo la scoperta'', ''Atti del I Convegno Internazionale di Studi sulla Messarà'', Athens 2005 p. 182 and ''passim'' {{cite web|url= http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/propylaeumdok/747/1/Chaniotis_The_great_inscription_2005.pdf|title=Chaniotis, The Great Inscription}}</ref>

Earlier proposals that it is derived from a Venetian 'la' preposed to derivatives of ''[[Lyttos]]'' (''Lyttus'' > ''Tselyttus''<ref>''cf.'' [[Rebracketing#In Greek 2|Rebracketing of se- + noun]]</ref> > ''Tselethe'' > ''Xeethe'' > ''La Xeethi'' > ''Lasithi'')<ref>[[Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt]], ''Travels and Researches in Crete'', 1865, chapter XIX, [https://books.google.com/books?id=OzMbAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA201 p. 201]</ref> or ''[[Sitia]]'' (''Sitia'' > ''La Sitia'' > ''Lasithi'') are unlikely, as the name Lasithi was attested as early as 1211, whereas the Venetians only first [[Kingdom of Candia|arrived in Crete in 1205]].<ref name="betancourt"/> Another unlikely etymology derives it from ''lakkos'' 'hole or basin' (''Lakkos'' > ''Lakkidion'' > ''Latsidi'' > ''Lasidi'' > ''Lasithi'').<ref name="betancourt">Philip Betancourt, ''Hagios Charalambos: A Minoan Burial Cave in Crete'' '''1''':9, 2014 {{isbn|1623033934}}</ref>

The area was known as '''Laşid''' ({{langx|ota|الشيد}}) under [[Turkish Crete|Turkish rule]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.devletarsivleri.gov.tr/varliklar/dosyalar/eskisiteden/yayinlar/genel-mudurluk-yayinlar/osmanli_yer_adlari.pdf |title=Osmanlı Yer Adları |language=tr |page=509 }}.</ref>

==Administration==

The regional unit Lasithi is subdivided into four municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):<ref name=Kallikratis>{{Cite web|url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL8-SrPzKAEPjjtIl9LGdkF53UIxsx942CdyqxSQYNuqAGCF0IfB9HI6hq6ZkZV96FIukI0UzcPsWCK0LpLhpa7rhiWB4R5ntTnoWw7U8E1Amg.|title=ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text|language=el|publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]]}}</ref>

*[[Agios Nikolaos, Crete|Agios Nikolaos]] (1)
*[[Ierapetra]] (2)
*[[Oropedio Lasithiou]] (3)
*[[Siteia]] (4)

===Prefecture===

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Lasithi was created out of the former [[prefectures of Greece|prefecture]] of Lasithi ({{langx|el|Νομός Λασιθίου}}), which was created while Crete was still an [[Cretan State|autonomous state]] and was retained after the island joined Greece in 1913. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit, except Viannos area that belonged to Lasithi but was annexed to Heraklion prefecture in 1932. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.<ref name=Kallikratis/>

{| class="wikitable"
! New municipality !! Old municipalities !! Seat 
|-
| rowspan=3|[[Agios Nikolaos, Crete|Agios Nikolaos]] || [[Agios Nikolaos, Crete|Agios Nikolaos]] || rowspan=3|Agios Nikolaos
|-
| [[Vrachasi]] 
|-
| [[Neapoli, Crete|Neapoli]] 
|-
| rowspan=2|[[Ierapetra]]|| [[Ierapetra]] || rowspan=2|Ierapetra
|-
| [[Makry Gialos]] 
|-
|[[Oropedio Lasithiou]] || [[Oropedio Lasithiou]] ||Tzermiado
|-
| rowspan=3|[[Siteia]]|| [[Sitia|Siteia]] || rowspan=3|Siteia
|-
| [[Itanos]] 
|-
| [[Lefki, Lasithi|Lefki]] 
|}

===Provinces===

Before 2006, Lasithi was divided into 4 [[provinces of Greece|provinces]]: 
*Province of [[Mirambelos]] - Neapolis
*[[Lasithi Province|Province of Lasithi]] - Tzermiado
*Province of [[Ierapetra]] - Ierapetra
*Province of [[Sitia]] - Sitia

==Transport==
*[[Greek National Road 90|GR-90]]/[[European route E65|E65]], NW, Cen., E, NE
*[[Greek National Road 99|GR-99]], Cen., S

==See also==
*[[Ieropotamos River]]
*[[2021 Lasithi earthquake]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Lasithi Regional Unit}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041204212312/http://interisk.imbc.gr/reg_crete.html Geographical profile of Lasithi]

{{Kallikratis-Crete}}
{{Prefectures of Greece}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lasithi| ]]
[[Category:Prefectures of Greece]]
[[Category:Regional units of Crete]]