Italy

Relief and rivers of Italy:

Italy is mostly covered by a relief of mountains and hills, some of them with volcanic origins. In the northern part are the better known Alps Mountains and more exactly the Dolomites Alps, called like this because of the peaks covered with dolomite formations. Going to the south of the country, starting from the border with France is the chain of the Apennine Mountains which are extended also on Sicily Island in south-west of Italy, where the relief is volcanic with peaks over 3.000 m height.

Among the most famous volcanoes in the world are Etna on Sicily Island and Vesuvius near the city of Napoli. The rest of the relief is composed by plains where the inhabitants practice the agriculture. The largest Italian plain is the Plain of Pad or Po River, situated between the two mountain massive. It is the most important river of Italy with a length of more than 650 km. The highest peak is Mont Blanc situated at the border with France and with its 4.807 m height is also the highest point in Europe.

Climate, agriculture, islands, resources and population:

The climate of Italy is very diverse according to the complex relief and to the elevation. In the mountain area, summers are chilly and winters are tough with snow but in the coast areas and plains, summers are warm and winters are mild. Winter temperatures are between 0 and 12º C and the summer ones are between 20 and 30º C. The largest island from the Mediterranean Sea is Sicily, separated from the continental Italy by Messina Strait. Up to the north of it, it’s Sardinia another important Italian island. Italians are working in agriculture cultivating olive trees, vine, citrus, cereals and even tobacco, but they take care about the exploitation of coal, brimstone (among the firsts in the world), iron, copper, zinc, plumb and salt resources.

Geographically and economically, Italy is split in the northern region very industrialized where millions of cars are produced every year, but also chemical products, iron, steel, electrics and electronics, textiles and others, and the southern poorer region. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) The majority of the population lives in cities and in Torino and Milano a big part of the people are working in Fiat, Ferrari or Olivetti factories.

Tourism and lakes:

Like Spain, Italy is one of the first countries in the world as the number of tourists. It attracts millions of tourists with the beautiful mountain landscapes, with the splendid Como, Garda and Maggiore lakes which are oasis of silence and relaxation, with the rich history and culture but also with the multitude of cities which seem unchanged for centuries. Many of the more than 40 millions of tourists that visit annually the country, come here for the uncommon wines (on the 2nd place in the world as production) and for the delicious and impeccable gastronomy, products like pizza and pastas adopted everywhere in the world.

Tourist objectives and attractions and cities from Italy

Because this country was the center of a great Roman empire, but also the cultural center of Renaissance, nowadays tens of thousands of great tourist objectives and attractions are visited annually by millions of people. Italy brought to the world famous painters, navigators, architects, writers and authors and here was the birthplace of the opera music. The country is one of the members which founded the European Union. Besides the capital Rome, other important cities are Milano, Napoli, Torino, Palermo, Genoa, Venice or Florence. Visit Italy!

Seaside Beach Holidays in Italy please visit our Italy Seaside Holiday Offers

Mountain Holidays in Italy please visit our Italy Mountain Holiday Offers

City Breaks in Italy please visit our Italy City Breaks

VIllas and Homes in Southern Europe please visit our Southern Europe Villas Offers

Panorama of Venice, Italy, one of the world’s most beautiful cities