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The inhabitants of Crete belong to the so called Mediterranean
type.
The population is mainly concentrated in the six large towns
on the island - the capitals of the four prefectures, Ierapetra and
Sitia - and employed in trade, handicrafts, tourism and the like. The
remainder of its inhabitants are principally engaged in farming and
livestock raising.
Nearly all Cretans, but above all those who live in the market towns
and the villages, maintain time-honored customs and manners.
In the countryside one encounters many elderly Cretan men
dressed in the traditional outfit (baggy trousers and head-scarf).
Women, on the other hand, no longer wear their splendidly
embroidered traditional costumes, although they do continue to
weave folk embroideries distinguished for their decorative wealth
and colorful compositions.
In Crete, more than any other region of
Greece, familial and kinship bonds remain close, and Cretan
hospitality is renowned.
Many other traditions are also preserved,
such as the music, which is played on the ancient Cretan lyra (a
three-stringed instrument), the dances (pendozalis, chaniotikos,
ortses, siteiakos, malevyzytikos and sousta) and the songs called
mandinades.
The Cretans are famous for their indomitable spirit
and their love of freedom and independence. That is why they
played a leading role in all the struggles of the Greek nation,
writing brilliant pages of heroic history.
Those who travel to the
towns and villages of Crete will come to know the outstanding
beauty of its people.
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