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ITALY TRAVEL: Research your Italy vacation travel plans with us!
Facts About Italy
Location: Italy is located in the south-central part of the European mainland, and is famous geographically for it's "boot-shaped" peninsula that begins in the Alps and extends for over 700 miles to the southeast into the Mediterranean Sea,with the "toe" of the boot about to "kick" the island of Sicily. To the east of the Italian peninsula is the Adriatic Sea, to the southeast the Ionian Sea, and to the west the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italy is a 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 301,323 sq km (116,341 sq mi).
The climate of Italy is highly diversified, with extremes ranging from frigid in the higher elevations of the Alps and Apennines, to semitropical along
the coast of the Ligurian Sea and the western coast of the lower peninsula. The average annual temperature, however, ranges from about 11° to 19°C
(about 52° to 66°F); it is about 13°C (about 55°F) in the Po Valley, about 18°C (about 64°F) in Sicily, and about 14.5°C (about 58°F) in the coastal
lowlands. Climatic conditions on the peninsula are characterized by regional variations, resulting chiefly from the configurations of the Apennines,
and are influenced by tempering winds from the adjacent seas.
Italy is poor in natural resources, much of the land being unsuitable for agriculture due to mountainous terrain or unfavorable climate. Italy, moreover,
is seriously deficient in basic natural resources such as coal. The most important mineral resources are natural gas, petroleum, lignite, sulfur,
and pyrites. Other mineral deposits include lead, manganese, zinc, mercury, and bauxite.
Places to go in Italy:
- Rome: Most of the city's major sights are in the centro storico (historic center), which lies between the long, straight Via del Corso and
the Tiber River, and the adjacent area of Roma antica (ancient Rome), site of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. The best way to discover the city is
to wander, taking time to notice the layers of history that make Rome unique.
- Venice: Sooner or later you will become lost in Venice, a city of more than 100 separate islands divided by roughly 150 canals and
crossed by 400 bridges. You walk everywhere in Venice, and where you cannot walk you go by water. While the city has hundreds of bridges, the
Grand Canal can only be crossed on foot at three points: Ponte degli Scalzi, near the train station (Ferrovia); Ponte di Rialto, at the Rialto;
and at Ponte dell'Accademia.
- Florence: The cultural and historical impact of Florence is overwhelming. Close up, however, the city is one of Italy's most atmospheric
and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval centre that contributed so much to the cultural and political development
of Europe.
- Verona: Verona is an interesting stop on the Milano to Venice train line. Many people treat it as a day trip, but the attractions are
numerous and the town quite attractive. It's worth a couple days if you're on a leisurely trip.
Islands of Italy: Italy also encompasses two of the largest islands in the Mediterranean - Sardinia (to the west across the Tyrrhenian Sea), and Sicily to the southwest (across the narrow Strait of Messina), as well as several other minor offshore island groups. The island of Sicily lies very close to the African continent, and has for centuries provided mainland Italy with a stepping stone to Africa, and also served to bring Imperial Rome into contact with the peoples of Asia.
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