GEOGRAPHY
Italy is a long peninsula which stretches from the Alps into the Mediterranean Sea and includes a lot of islands of which‌
‌Sicily and Sardinia are the largest. It covers an area of over 300.000 sq. km.
Sea and Ports
Italy is rimmed by the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the south and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west‌
‌and it has a lot of ports including Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples, Brindisi, Ancona, Venice and Trieste. Coastal areas alternate rocky promontories.
Relief and Plains
The Alps, which straddle Italy’s frontier with its northern neighbours, rise in the west and reach the Slovenian border in the east.
They surround the northern plain, Italy’ s most extensive lowland and then give way to the Apennines which form the backbone of this boot-shaped peninsula.
Several peaks rise in the Alps , including Mount Rosa and Mount Cervino. A number of passes and tunnels ensure traffic to France, Switzerland and Austria.
Unlike the Alps, the Apennines are rarely very high.The highest peak is Gran Sasso.
Rivers and Lakes
The rivers, which have their source in the Alps or northern Apennines, generally flow into the Adriatic Sea.
The main rivers in the north are the Po, the Adige and the Brenta. Other rivers are the Arno and the Tiber. The Po is the longest river in Italy.
There are many lakes. Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and Lake Como are the largest in the north, whereas Lake Trasimeno is the most important in peninsular Italy.
The lakes are visited by many tourists because of their beautiful scenery.
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is dominated by the valley of the Po river, which is one of the most productive agricultural regions in Italy‌
‌ and the centre of Italy’s industrial output. The cities main of the region are Milan, Turin and Genoa.
Central Italy
Central Italy includes the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, the Marches and Latium. The cities of Florence, Pisa, Siena and Rome are all located in Central Italy.
This area is a famous destination for travellers interested in art, archaeology and religion.
Southern Italy
Southern Italy includes the regions of Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata and Campania, and is rich in sites of great natural beauty. It is largely dependent on tourism and agriculture.
Climate
Italy enjoys generally favourable weather conditions.
There are significant differences in climate owing to the latitude: long, cold winters with heavy snow and warm summers in the north, ‌
‌ milder winters and warm summers in the centre, warm winters and dry hot summers in the south.
Natural Resources
Italy has very few natural resources. Minerals include mercury, lead and bauxite. Hydrocarbons are present in fairly high quantity, ‌
‌especially, gas and some petroleum. Hydro-electricity is generated by the rivers.
Industry
The main sector are automobiles, machine tools, chemical and rubber processing, foodstuffs, textiles , footwear and furniture.
Agriculture
Farming is still in Italy today. Traditionally, grain constitutes the chief crop .The main foodstuffs are pasta, rice and cornmeal.
Other important agricultural products are sugar beet, tobacco, potatoes, olive oil, fruit and vegetables.