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Southern Europe: Italy Buon Giorno!. Chapter 12 / Section 2. A boot kicking a football. Italy is a 750-mile long peninsula (the Appenine Peninsula ) & islands ( Sicily & Sardinia ) It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on three sides - East : Adriatic Sea - South : Ionian Sea
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Southern Europe:ItalyBuon Giorno! Chapter 12 / Section 2
A boot kicking a football • Italy is a 750-mile long peninsula (the Appenine Peninsula) & islands (Sicily & Sardinia) • It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on three sides - East: Adriatic Sea - South: Ionian Sea - West: Tyrrhenian Sea (They are bodies of water that are part of the Mediterranean Sea.) - North: Monaco, France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia
The Land • Size: the states of FL & GA combined (113,351 sq mi.) • Three types of landforms: 1) Mountains 2) Lowlands 3) Coasts
1) Mountains • Alps: they form a natural border b/w Italy and the countries of France, Switzerland, and Austria in the north • Appennines: they run from the top of the peninsula to the “toe” of the boot (NW-SW direction) in the center of the country - They turn into hills in Southern Italy • Volcanic mountains: close to 20 volcanoes, 3 of which are still active today
Volcanic Mountains • Mount Etna (continuous eruptions): on the island of Sicily • Stromboli (continuous eruptions): one of the Aeolian Islands • Mount Vesuvius (last erupted in 1944): near the city of Naples - The only active volcano in mainland Europe - In A.D. 79, it destroyed the cities of Pompei & Herculaneum, killing 10,000-25,000 people
2) Lowlands • The largest & most important lowland is the Po River Valley in northern Italy • Italy’s largest river, the Po River, cuts through it from the border of Switzerland all the way to the Adriatic Sea
3) Coasts The most famous coasts: • Amalfi Coast • Italian Riviera
The Climate 3 types of climate (from N to S): • Highland: in the Alps = cold & cool temperatures year-round due to the high elevation (timberline & snowcaps!) • Humid subtropical: in the Po River Valley = hot, humid summers w/ plenty of rain & short, mild winters • Mediterranean: in the rest of Italy, including the islands of Sicily & Sardinia = hot, dry summers (sirocco!) & mild, rainy winters
Siroccos • Hot, dry winds blowing from North Africa in the spring & the summer • Cool, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean replaces the siroccos in the fall & the winter (they bring rain to Italy)
The Economy • Wealthy Southern European country • Its wealth is unevenly distributed b/w the industrialized, urban North & agricultural, rural South
The Prosperous North • Agriculture: • In the fertile Po River Valley: wheat, corn, rice, sugar beet • In the hills of N. Italy: wine grapes • Industry: • Hydroelectric power from the Alps & natural gas in the Po River Valley • Manufacturing of cars, machinery, chemical, clothing, & leather in Turin & Milan 3) Trade: in the port city of Genoa 4) Banking
The Developing South 1) Raising livestock: dry, rugged landscape used for pastureland grazing livestock 2) Agriculture: volcanic & clay soil used for growing citrus fruits, olives, & grapes 3) Tourism
The People • Capital: Rome • Population: 59.8 million • People only live on 25% of the land • Reasons: mountains & migration to Northern cities • Language: Italian • Religion: Roman Catholic • Type of Government: parliamentary democracy • Largest cities: Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence