home » europe » Italy » geography

geography Italy

Geography of Italy

Italy Geography The Republic of Italy is situated in the southern part of Europe, on the Italian Peninsula and Sardinia and Sicily, two islands set on the Mediterranean Sea. Italy borders Switzerland, France, Slovenia and Austria, and hosts two independent states within the peninsula, San Marino and Vatican City. The capital of Italy is Rome, which is considered the cradle of Western civilization and the seat of the Catholic Church.

Italy has an impressive number of cultural and historical sights, and is famous for its great cuisine and fashion. Italy is a developed democratic republic and a founding member of the European Union, as well as a member of NATO and G8. Set on a peninsula shaped like a boot, the country is surrounded by the Sardinian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, the Sicilian and Ionian Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea, as well as the Adriatic Sea. Italy has a diverse ladscape featuring mountains like the Alps and the Apennies ranges. The largest lake is Garda, while the main river is the Po. Italy is a volcanic country, with several active volcanoes like Etna, Stromboli and Vesuvius.

Italy has a typical Mediterranean climate to the south and a Continental climate to the north. The coastal areas have warm, dry summers and mild winters. The winters in the north can be cold. The best time to visit Italy is during the spring and autumn. Avoid coming to Italy in July or August, as it's very hot and sightseeing can only be done in the morning and late afternoon. Italy is divided into twenty regions, five of which have an autonomous status, and it's subdivided into 109 provinces. Its population comes to 59.4 million, making it the largest population in the European Union. Italy attracts immigrants from all over the world, and the number of foreigners living in Italy has reached five percent of the population. In some cities, like Milan and Padua for example, this percentage reaches up to ten.

The widest spread religion in the country is that of Roman Catholicism, and almost 88% of Italians identify themselves as Roman Catholics. The other religious groups include the Eastern Orthodox Christians, Greek Orthodox, and Evangelicals. The oldest religious minority in Italy is that of the Jews. The official and most largely spoken language in Italy is Italian, but several distinct dialects can be distinguished throughout the country. The standardization of the Italian language expanded during the 1950s and especially during the 1960s with the rise of television and mass media. In some parts of Italy, certain Romance languages that aren't considered dialects are spoken. These include Neapolitan, Sardinian, Venetian and Sicilian.