Culture & Identity of Malta
Introduction
Boats near Marsaxlokk
Life in Malta is somewhat isolated, but the people are quite educated and in touch with the world, particularly Europe, much of which is thanks to technology. The daily way of life in Malta is based on this island life, but history has also tied the islands to Europe and today the people have a way of life closely tied to that of Europe.
Having a long history, the islands of Malta are essentially a large city with sprawling urban development as today nearly everyone in the country is considered to be living in an urban setting. The lands are limited and today the farm lands are essentially non-existent as most people live and work in close quarters. In fact, nearly three quarters of the people work in the services sectors, with tourism being one of their largest industries.
For many people work offers a regular routine as most working people in the country work from about 8:30 am to about 5:00 pm, although many people in the tourist industry have different hours, as do many people that work in restaurants or bars. Likewise, schools have fairly regular hours, often times from about 8:30 am to either noon or as late as 2:30 pm. Schools run from about late September to late June.