Country Italy. The provinces of Italy. The capital of Italy

Each of us has his own images when it comes to Italy. For someone, Italy is historical and cultural monuments, such as the Forum and the Colosseum in Rome, the Palazzo Medici and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, St. Mark's Square in Venice and the famous leaning tower in Pisa. For others, this country is associated with the directorial works of Fellini, Bertolucci, Perelli, Antonioni and Francesco Rosie, the musical creativity of Morricone and Ortolani, the incomparable works of Juliette Masina, Monica Bellucci, Sophia Loren, Michele Placido, Adriano Celentano. Someone, after hearing about Italy, immediately remember the famous Italian pizza, pasta, fritttu and minestrone. Country Italy - is one of the oldest in the world, although it appeared on the political map of the world just a little over a hundred years ago.

A bit of history

Italy has had a great impact on the social and cultural development not only of European countries, but of all mankind.

In this country, archaeological artifacts have been found proving the fact of the settlement of the territory by ancient people. It can be argued that ancient Italy was the starting point in the development of human civilization. The Roman Empire managed not only to conquer large territories and create a powerful state, but also brought its cultural and economic traditions and knowledge to the conquered lands.

Under the onslaught, the Western Roman Empire was ready in 476, as a result of which many small specific states were formed on the Apennine peninsula.

Modern Italy emerged only in 1871 thanks to the efforts of Giuseppe Garibaldi and his associates. It was in this year that Rome was declared the capital of the state, which included small kingdoms and duchies.

The twentieth century proved to be quite complex and tragic for the Italian Republic. In the period from 1922 to 1945, the country was under the rule of the fascists led by Benito Mussolini and was involved in the Second World War. In 1946, the last king of Italy - Umberto - abdicated, followed by a rather long crisis. The decline of industry and agriculture, a period of failed reforms - all this has been experienced by Italy. Europe, like the rest of the world, was surprised to see the transformation and the so-called Italian economic miracle. The development of the country was accompanied by a number of high-profile political scandals, trials of members of mafia groups, as well as terrorist actions of the "Red Brigades".

Today, Italy is one of the highly developed European countries that export to most countries of the world. Movies, cars, fashionable clothes and shoes, excellent wines created in this country, are in demand all over the world. Hospitality and hospitality of Italians, coupled with the beautiful nature and developed hotel business, contribute to the fact that tourism thrives here. Italy annually receives many tourists from all over the world.

Geographical position

The state of Italy, located in the south of Europe, thanks to its outlines, is one of the most recognizable in the world on a geographical map. The mainland part of the Italian "boot" occupies the Apennine peninsula and a small part of the Balkan and points "toe" to the west, towards the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. In addition to these islands, the Italian Republic includes the islands of Capri, Ischia and Elba. It has borders with countries such as Austria, Slovenia, France and Switzerland. The Vatican and San Marino are two miniature countries that are enclaves and are on the territory of the state of Italy. The sea is washed by this country on three sides: from the south - the Mediterranean and Ionian, from the east - the Adriatic, from the west - the Tyrrhenian and the Ligurian.

Relief

Most (almost ¾ of the entire territory of Italy) is occupied by hills and mountains. From the south to the north stretched the Apennine mountains with the summit of the Korn. The mountain range of the Alps is located in the northern region of the country. The highest mountain of this massif - Mont Blanc - has a height of 4807 meters. Country Italy - one of the few in Europe, where the seismic activity of the earth's crust is fixed and active volcanoes are located, such as Stromboli, Vesuvius and Etna.

Plains occupy only 1/5 of its total area, which is 300 thousand square meters. Km. The largest in the area is the Padanskaya Plain, located between the Apennine Mountains and the Alps. Small plains are also on the sea coast.

Rivers and lakes

The rivers of Italy are concentrated mainly in its northern region. The largest of them - Po - flows from the slopes of the Kotsk Alps and ends its journey in the Adriatic Sea. The Tiber River is the second largest, and it is connected with the Arno River through a duct and a canal system. Both these rivers, Arno and Tiber, are unpredictable and notorious for their devastating floods.

Most Italian rivers are short mountain streams that form small river systems or flow directly into the sea. Only Northern Italy can "boast" a developed river system, which is fed year-round by a large amount of precipitation and melting snow from the glaciers.

Most Italian lakes are located on the Adriatic coast, in the foothills and mountain alpine areas. The largest Lake Garda, the area of which is almost 370 km ² , is located in the Alpine suburbs. Lakes such as Albano, Bracciano, Bolsena, Vico and Nemi, located in the central region of Italy, formed as a result of the filling of extinct volcano craters with water. The Lazin, Varano, and Valli de Comacchio lakes were formed as a result of the closure of the lagoon's waters by sand barriers. Their depth is small, and the water is salty.

Administrative division

The whole country can be conditionally divided into three main regions: north, south and center. Officially, as it is spelled out in the Constitution of the Italian Republic in Art. 116 of December 11, 1947, it is divided into 20 regions, each of which is divided into provinces. Five of the 20 regions are autonomous entities, where ethnic and linguistic minorities live. In Sardinia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sicily, Valle d'Aosta and Trentino-Alto Adige, in addition to the official Italian language, other official languages are used.
The provinces of Italy are divided into communities (communes), the total number of which is 8101. The communes, like the provinces, vary considerably in the territory and in the number of people who inhabit them. The largest commune community is Rome, located in the Lazio region, which is also the capital of the entire state. It is located almost in the center of the western region of the Apennine peninsula, on the banks of the Tiber River, not far from its confluence with the Tyrrhenian Sea. Rome in Italy is not only the capital, but also a political, historical, cultural, tourist center of world significance.

Economic and geographical differences

It is rare in which capitalist countries you can see such dramatic differences in the level of economic development that the South and North of Italy show.

The most industrialized region of Italy is the so-called northern triangle, which includes such cities as Genoa, Milan and Turin. Milan, which is the business, commercial and industrial center of the country and the second most populous city in Italy, is often called the business capital of the country. Turin is famous for its automobile plant Fiat and its manufacturing facilities. In Genoa is the largest port of Italy, and in the city and its suburbs there are many industrial enterprises. In addition, the Genoese coast is an important resort center.

The north-eastern region of the North is much less developed. The most developed city in this region is Venice, most of which comes from tourism. Italy is also trying to develop other cities in the region, but at the same time, the problem of pollution of the Venetian lagoon with industrial and municipal waste arises.

The south of Italy is characterized by a low level of industrial development. Despite the fact that in the post-war years several petrochemical enterprises were built in this region, nuclear power plants and a metallurgical plant, industrial potential increased insignificantly. In this area of Italy, agriculture is conducted on inefficient technologies, which leads to low yields. Naples is the most important cultural and economic center of the South of Italy. It is the second largest and most important cargo and passenger port of the country.

Northern Areas

This beautiful country is unique and unique, like every province in its composition. The north of Italy includes the following regions:

• Trentino-Alto-Adige;
• Valle d'Aosta;
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia;
• Veneto;
• Emilia-Romagna;
• Lombardy;
• Liguria;
• Piedmont.

Valle d'Aosta

This area is located on the border of Switzerland and France, surrounded by the highest European mountains - Gran Paradiso, Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. Valle d'Aosta is known for its ski centers and resorts, such as La Thuile, Cervinia, Pyla, Monte Rosa and Courmayeur.

Veneto

Recognized as the brightest and most colorful, this northeastern Italian region, washed by the Adriatic Sea, includes provinces such as Rovigo, Verona, Venice, Padua, Vicenza, Treviso and Belluno. In each of them there are many cities that are rightly considered the cultural and historical heritage of the country. It is here that the pearl of Italy is located, a city built on the islands - Venice.

Liguria

From the border of the French Côte d'Azur to Tuscany, this Italian region is located. On the one hand it is washed by the Ligurian Sea, and on the other - surrounded by a ring of mountains. It consists of four areas: Savona, Empire, La Spezia and Genoa. Liguria is the land of flowers, where the sun shines for about 300 days a year, and the slopes of the mountains are covered with groves of olive trees. The Principality of Monaco can be reached by car in just 20 minutes.

Lombardy

This area in the north of Italy is located between the Po River and the Alps mountain range. It includes such provinces as:

• Bergamo;
• Sondrio;
• Brescia;
• Pavia;
• Varese;
• Monza-e-Brianza;
• Cremona;
• Milan;
• Como;
• Lecco;
• Lodi;
• Mantua.

Lombardy is famous for its nature reserves and nature parks, thermal springs and ski resorts. This is one of the richest regions of Italy.

Piedmont

At the foot of the mountains, on the border of Switzerland and France, at the sources of the largest Italian river Po, this area is located, famous not only for its historical, natural and cultural attractions. Piedmont is famous throughout the world for such wines as Moscato d'Asti, Barolo, Nebbiolo and Barbaresco, as well as unique Novar biscuits and white truffles.

Trentino-Alto Adige

This autonomous region, known for its magnificent landscapes and ski resorts, is located on the territory bordering with Austria and Switzerland. In the south, this region adjoins Veneto, in the west - with Switzerland and Lombardy, and in the north - with Austria, and the border runs along the Alpine mountain range. In this region, two provinces - Bolzano and Trento. The region is interesting because in each of its provinces culture, traditions and even the main language are different. In Bolzano, the official language is German, and most of the inhabitants of Trent speak only Italian. The main income for the region is tourism. Trentino-Alto Adige is famous for its ski resorts, for example, Madonna di Campiglio.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

This is the most eastern region of Northern Italy, bordering Croatia, Austria and Slovenia. Friuli Venezia Giulia is located on the Adriatic coast and has the status of an administrative region, consisting of two historical provinces - Venice-Giulia and Friule, which, due to various circumstances, had to unite. Despite a fairly long existence together, each of the regions has retained its own characteristics and individuality. Today there are four provinces in this region: Gorizia, Pordenon, Udine and Trieste. It is here that the most famous white wine is produced by Pinot Grigio.

Emilia-Romagna

It is considered one of the richest Italian regions. It borders on the south with the Apennine mountains, in the east it is washed by the Adriatic Sea, and in the north it is bounded by the Po River. The region is divided into two parts - northwestern Emilia and southeastern Romagna, which borders the Republic of San Marino. The region is famous not only for such popular cities as Modena, Ravenna, Reggio, Rimini and Ferrara. In this area are located the enterprises of such famous automobile concerns as Dallara, Ducati, De Tomaso, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Morini and Malaguti. And on local autodromes the largest international competitions are regularly held.

Center of Italy

The central regions of Italy are:

• Abruzzo;
• Lazio;
• Marche;
• Molise;
• Tuscany;
• Umbria.

Abruzzo

This Italian region is located in the center of the country, between the Adriatic coast and the Apennine mountain range. It borders on such areas as Molise, Marche and Lazio. The structure of Abruzzo includes the provinces of Teramo, Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila.

Abruzzo is distinguished by a high standard of living and economic stability, which became possible due to the attention of the authorities both to the development of tourism and to the support of the agricultural sector. In this area they will find a holiday for themselves as fans of mountaineering and skiing, and fans of beach holidays.

Lazio

This central Italian region is also a metropolitan area. It is in Lazio that Rome is located, which is also the main city of this region. In this area are five provinces: Viterbo, Latina, Rome, Rieti, Frosinone. This region belongs to a small group of volcanic islands in the center of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Marche

In the heart of Italy, on the Adriatic coast is the Marche region. It consists of six provinces: Ancona, Macerata, Ascoli Piceno, Pesaro, Urbino and Fermo.

Attract tourists to this Italian region primarily beaches, small and cozy in Sinigalia or spacious and wide in San Benedetto del Tronto. This region is also interesting for fans of speleology: a lot of caves, such as Frasassi, are accessible for visits.

Molise

It is located in the south of Italy, between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains. Molise borders on the Campania in the south, Abruzzi in the north, with Lazio in the west and with Apulia in the east. In this area there are only two provinces: Isernia and Campobasso. Molise is one of the most underdeveloped in the industrialized regions of Italy. The exception is the Termoli region, in which there is a small enterprise of the company "FIAT" and a factory for the production of bells in Agnone. There are no big cities in the Molise region, and not very large settlements are located mainly in the foothills.

Tuscany

This region of central Italy is washed by the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian seas in the west, and in the east it is bounded by the Tosko-Emilian Apennines. Tuscany borders on the east with Umbria and Marche, in the north - with Emilia-Romagna, and in the south - with Lazio. Not far from the coast of Tuscany there are several islands forming the Tuscan archipelago: Gorgona, Giglio, Giannuti, Montecristo, Pianosa, Sapraia and Elba.

Tuscany consists of 10 provinces: Arezzo, Grosseto, Lucca, Livorno, Massa Carrara, Prato, Pisa, Pistoia, Siena and Florence, each of which has its own capital of the same name.

This Italian region, in addition to the picturesque landscapes, has many cultural and historical monuments, the most famous of which are concentrated in such provinces as Florence, Siena, Livorno and Pisa. It was in Tuscany that such famous personalities as Leonardo da Vinci and Petrarca, Dante Alighieri and Michelangelo and many others were born and worked.

Umbria

This is a unique Italy. There is no sea or seacoast. It borders only with Marche, Lazio and Tuscany. Umbria has only two provinces: Terni and Perugia.

Most of the whole territory is made up of hills and mountains. Plains can be found only in valleys of such rivers as Velino, Nera and Tiber. On the Velino River, near the town of Terni, is the most famous man-made waterfall Marmore, built by the ancient Romans.

Large industry in the region is poorly developed, with the exception of the city of Terni, where there are metallurgical, chemical and machine-building enterprises. In Perugia, there are small food, textile and handicraft factories.

Southern regions of Italy

These regions of Italy are located in the southern region of the Apennine peninsula and include such large islands as Sardinia and Sicily, which occupy about 40% of the country's area. These are the regions:

• Apulia;
• Sardinia;
• Basilicata;
• Sicily;
• Campaign;
• Calabria.

Apulia

Washed by the Ionian and Adriatic seas, Puglia is the most eastern Italian region. In this area are five provinces: Brindisi, Bari, Lecce, Tarento and Foggia. This is traditionally the agricultural region of Italy, which ranks first in the production of olive oil and wine.

In the territory of this region, many traces and monuments of various civilizations are concentrated, from the Paleolithic times to the end of the Renaissance.

Basilicata

This southern Italian region in the southeast is washed by the Ionian, and in the southwest by the Tyrrhenian Sea. In the south, Basilicata borders on Calabria, and in the east and north - with Apulia. The region is divided into two provinces: Potenza and Materu. Basilicata is a rather harsh region, and almost half of its territory is mountainous, only 1/10 of the whole area is plains. The whole flat part is crossed by rivers, which swamped it. Today most of the marshes have already been drained.

This southern region of Italy is not spoiled by the attention of holidaymakers, since the development of tourism began only in the last few years. Now Pollino National Park and resorts with thermal waters in Rappola are already operating. A lot of interesting historical and cultural artifacts can be seen in the natural archaeological park of Murjah, as well as in the museums of Metaponto, Venozo and other cities of the region.

In addition, Basilicata has many ski resorts with the main tourist center in La Selata Perfaone.

Calabria

This area is located on the very "toe" of the Italian "boot", mostly on the peninsula of the same name. It borders on Calabria in the north with Basilicata, in the west it is washed by Tyrrhenian, and in the east and south by the Ionian Sea. From the island of Sicily, this region is separated by the Straits of Messina. There are five provinces: Vibo-Valentia, Catanzaro, Crotone, Cosenza and Reggio Calabria.

The region has long been known as the agrarian region, and today it is actively developing as a tourist region. For this there is everything necessary: beautiful nature and warm seas, as well as numerous historical monuments left after the Greeks, Romans and Normans.

Among other things, Calabria is also the most seismically active region in Italy. The greatest number of earthquakes in the last three hundred years occurred in this region.

Campaign

From the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea and to the borders with the regions of Basilicata and Lazio extends the southern Italian region - Campania. This entire region is divided into the following provinces: Avellino, Caserta, Benevento, Naples, Salerno. For the region, the most characteristic spheres of activity are agriculture, winemaking and fishing. Port cities are actively developing shipbuilding. In this area, the tourism business is also represented. The Campania region, in terms of its pace and level of development, is in the top ten and is considered one of the most promising Italian regions.

Sicily

Sicily is located on the island of the same name, as well as on the adjacent Lipari, Pelagi, Aegadian islands. The territory of the region is divided into nine provinces: Agrigento, Catania, Messina, Caltanissetta, Ragusa, Palermo, Trapani, Syracuse, Enna. Sicily is separated from mainland Italy by the Strait of Messina.

Today, only Sicily in the entire Italian Republic has its own parliament, located in Palermo, the capital of the island. There are a lot of historical and cultural Greek and Byzantine monuments and sights. But the main object of tourist interest is the active volcano Etna, in addition, the beautiful beaches of Pozzallo and Isola Bella and the magnificent landscapes and landscapes.

Sardinia

The island of Sardinia, the second largest, lies between Corsica and Sicily. Sardinia is an autonomous region of Italy, very different as the main language - the Sardinian, and the ethnic composition of the population. On the western side, the island is washed by the Sardinian Sea, and from all the others by the Tyrrhenian Sea.

In the autonomy eight provinces: Medio-Campidano, Cagliari, Nuoro, Carbonia-Iglesias, Sassari, Ogliastri, Oristano and Olbia-Tempio. The main port and capital of Sardinia is Cagliari. There is no industry on the island, which favors the preservation of nature.

The capital of Italy

"Eternal City" - this is the name of Rome. It was founded on April 21, 753 BC. E. In the heart of the Apennine peninsula. It stands on seven hills: Aventine, Viminale, Quirinale, Palantina, Celia, Esquiline and, of course, the most famous - Capitoline. It was Rome who was destined to become the center of one of the greatest civilizations of mankind.

From the Roman civilization came to us the right and architecture, philosophy and management principles, the Latin language, which is the basis of a whole group of languages. According to legends, the very first village was built by Romulus on Palantine Hill. Romulus is one of two twin brothers, sons of the god Mars, whom the wolf rescued and nurtured. On the history, ups and downs of Rome written a lot of books and scientific research. Its modern status as the capital of Italy was given to the city in 1861, but in fact it became in December 1870.

The center of modern Rome is Venice Square, located at the foot of Capitoline Hill. In the very center of this square is a monument to the first king, who came to the head of the united Italy, Victor Emmanuel II. Italians call this monument a "wedding cake", for a huge number of various details and ornaments.

The western part of the square is decorated with the Palace of Venice, built in 1455. Today it houses the National Museum of the Palais de Venice and the Chere Museum. In Cher there are wax figures of famous political and historical figures, cultural figures and artists. The National Museum of the Palais de Venezia exhibits a collection of works by artists from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as various household items and weapons.

The Venice Square gives rise to all the main Roman streets: the Plebiscite, the Fourth November (going to the Colosseum), the avenue of Victor Emmanuel (leading to Saint Peter's Basilica), Via del Corso. If you walk along Via del Corso, then along Condotti Street, then you will go to the Plaza of Spain.

In order to describe all the monuments, squares, palaces and sights of Rome, there is not enough and a multi-volume encyclopedia. Remembering the wisdom of the people, what is better to see once than hear a hundred times, not to look at Rome and all Italy with your own eyes?