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Italy 2 Essay, Research Paper

Italy (Italian Italia), republic in southern Europe, bounded on the

north by Switzerland and Austria; on the east by Slovenia and the

Adriatic Sea; on the south by the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea;

on the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, and the

Mediterranean Sea; and on the northwest by France. It comprises, in

addition to the Italian mainland, the Mediterranean islands of Elba,

Sardinia, and Sicily and many lesser islands. Enclaves within mainland

Italy are the independent countries of San Marino and Vatican City; the

latter is a papal state mostly enclosed by Rome, the capital and largest

city of Italy. The area of Italy is 301,302 sq km (116,333 sq mi).

Land and Resources

More than half of Italy consists of the Italian Peninsula, a long

projection of the continental mainland. Shaped much like a boot, the

Italian Peninsula extends generally southeast into the Mediterranean

Sea. From northwest to southeast, the country is about 1145 km (about

710 mi) long; with the addition of the southern peninsular extremity,

which extends north to south, it is about 1360 km (about 845 mi) long.

The maximum width of the mainland portion of Italy is about 610 km

(about 380 mi) in the north; the maximum width of the peninsula is

about 240 km (about 150 mi). On the northern frontiers are the Alps,

which extend in a wide arc from Ventimiglia on the west to Gorizia on

the east, and include such high peaks as Monte Cervino (4478 m/14,692

ft) and Monte Rosa, which rises to its highest point (4634 m/15,203 ft)

in Switzerland just west of the border. The highest point in Italy is near

the summit of Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco), on the border of Italy,

France, and Switzerland; the peak, located in France, is 4807 m (15,771

ft). Between the Alps and the Apennines, which form the backbone of

the Italian Peninsula, spreads the broad Plain of Lombardy, comprising

the valley of the Po River. The northern Apennines project from the

Maritime Alps along the Gulf of Genoa to the sources of the Tiber

River. Monte Cimone (2163 m/7097 ft) is the highest summit of the

northern Apennines. The central Apennines, beginning at the source of

the Tiber, consist of several chains. In the eastern portion of this rugged

mountain district is Monte Corno (2914 m/9560 ft), the highest

Apennine peak. The southern Apennines stretch southeast from the

valley of the Sangro River to the coast of the Gulf of Taranto, where

they assume a more southerly direction. High peaks of the Apennine

ranges of the Calabrian Peninsula, as the southern extremity of the

Italian Peninsula is known, include Botte Donato (1929 m/6329 ft) and

Montalto (1957 m/6422 ft). The Apennines form the watershed of the

Italian Peninsula. The main uplifts are bordered by less elevated districts,

known collectively as the sub-Apennine region.

Only about one-third of the total land surface of Italy is made of plains,

of which the greatest single tract is the Plain of Lombardy. The coast of

Italy along the northern Adriatic Sea is low and sandy, bordered by

shallow waters and, except at Venice, not readily accessible to

oceangoing vessels. From a point near Rimini southward, the eastern

coast of the peninsula is fringed by spurs of the Apennines. Along the

middle of the western coast, however, are three stretches of low and

marshy land, the Campagna di Roma, the Pontine Marshes, and the

Maremma.

The western coast of Italy is broken up by bays, gulfs, and other

indentations, which provide a number of natural anchorages. In the

northwest is the Gulf of Genoa, the harbor of the important commercial

city of Genoa. Naples, another leading western coast port, is situated on

the beautiful Bay of Naples, dominated by the volcano Mount Vesuvius.

A little farther south is the Gulf of Salerno, at the head of which stands

the port of Salerno. The southeastern end of the peninsula is deeply

indented by the Gulf of Taranto, which divides the so-called heel of Italy

(ancient Calabria) from the toe (modern Calabria). The Apennine range

continues beneath the narrow Strait of Messina and traverses the island

of Sicily, where the volcano Mount Etna, 3323 m (10,902 ft) high, is

located. Another active volcano rises on Stromboli, one of the Lipari

Islands, northwest of the Strait of Messina. In addition to volcanic

activity, Italy is also plagued by frequent minor earthquakes, especially in

the southern regions.

Principal Cities

The capital and largest city of Italy is Rome (population, 1991,

2,775,250), which is a famous cultural and tourist center. Other cities

with populations of more than 300,000 in the 1991 census include

Milan (1,369,231), an important manufacturing, financial, and

commercial city; Naples (1,067,365), one of the busiest ports in Italy;

Turin (962,507), a transportation junction and major industrial city;

Palermo (698,556), the capital and chief seaport of Sicily; Genoa

(678,771), the leading port in Italy and a major trade and commercial

center; Bologna (404,378), a major transportation center and

agricultural market; Florence (403,294), a cultural, commercial,

transportation, and industrial center; Bari (342,309), a major

commercial center; Catania (333,075), a manufacturing and commercial

city of Sicily; and Venice

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