The Apennines, backbone of the country
There are two main mountain ranges in Italy: the Alps and the Apennines. The Apennines are the backbone of the country, stretching for almost 1,000 km. Unlike the Alps, which do not constitute an impassable obstacle and have numerous passes and valleys that form very busy communication routes, the Apennines can be considered a natural barrier. In fact, the presence of this mountain range complicates somewhat the north-south and east-west communications in the country, from the Tyrrhenian coast to the Adriatic coast, and deviates the road axes. The Apennines are divided into several massifs, several parts that are distinguished by their climate and vegetation. The Tuscan-Romagna Apennines, between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, rarely rise above 2,000 m; the Abruzzo Apennines are more mountainous, reaching 2,914 m at the Gran Sasso; finally, in the south of the country, the Lucanian Apennines and the Calabrian Apennines have peaks approaching 2,000 m or even exceeding it, notably at Mount Pollino at 2,271 m.
Northern Italy, from the Alps to the Po Valley
In the north of the country, the arched Alps run from east to west and connect the peninsula to the mainland. They surround the Po plain and the Ligurian coasts, which stretch from the Gulf of Genoa to Friuli. It is in Piedmont that the Alpine peaks are the narrowest and highest, several even exceed 4,000 m in altitude: Mount Blanc at 4,809 m, Mount Rose at 4,368 m, the Matterhorn at 4,478 m and Gran Paradiso at 4,061 m. The mountain range then extends eastward into Trentino-Alto Adige, and then, as far as Veneto, the pre-Alpine massifs of the Dolomites take their place. Near these mountains there are also important valleys, such as the Aosta Valley and the Adige Valley, and large lakes such as Lake Maggiore, Lake Garda and Lake Como, all of glacial origin. It is this hydrographic network and the numerous glaciers that make the Alps the primary water reservoir of the country and the nearby Po Valley.
The northern Italian territory is, in fact, divided between its Alpine relief and its very large Po plain - nearly 50,000 km². Nestled between the Alpine arc to the north and the first foothills of the Tuscan Apennines, the Po Plain is Italy's main agricultural and economic region: its flat surface offers an ideal setting for crops. The Po is the most important Italian river, 652 km long, with its main tributaries being the Ticino and the Adda, and it flows into the Adriatic. The Po plain is marked by its landscape of cultivated fields that stretch as far as the eye can see, and its irrigation canals that allow for the development of intensive farming. It is the largest rice-growing region in Europe and Italy is the continent's largest rice producer. This rice cultivation is concentrated in Lombardy in the provinces of Pavia (Lomelline, mainly) and in Piedmont, in Novara and Verceil.
The south, a well exploited coastline
Italy being a peninsula, its coastline is, by definition, very extensive (7,400 km!). And it is in the south that the coastline is the longest: Sicily and Sardinia alone account for 3,700 km of coastline, followed by Puglia and Calabria. Although the Mediterranean Sea reigns supreme over all of Italy, it is divided into several parts: the Adriatic Sea, the Ionian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea. In Salento, south of Puglia, stop at Santa Maria di Leuca to admire the meeting point of the Ionian and Adriatic Seas.
Historically, the extent of the Italian coasts was a source of insecurity, given the difficulty of defending them, so the population often preferred the interior. Today, however, the situation is different and Italy (especially in the south) relies heavily on its coastline, which is very popular with tourists. Among the areas that are clearly promoted are the Salento - the heel of the boot - in Puglia, the unavoidable Amalfi Coast in Campania or the Costa degli dei in Calabria, where cities such as Tropea and Pizzo Calabro are restoring the image of this region, which is too often tarnished. Such a success that in summer it is difficult to find a place to put your towel as the beaches are so crowded! Many of them have private and paying lidos which certainly help the good maintenance of the beaches, but they take away their natural character. The two large islands are also very busy during the summer. Sardinia is an agricultural land with a rich and green nature, while Sicily, the largest Italian and Mediterranean island, is mainly composed of mountains - think of Etna in particular. It also has some plains, where the cities are concentrated, and an important coastline.
Natural hazards to deal with
Italy is home to several volcanoes, active or not. Sicily, a volcanic land if ever there was one, has two main ones: Etna and Stromboli, located on the Aeolian island of the same name. In Campania, it is Vesuvius that watches over us. The latter is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, mainly because of its proximity to populated villages. Located a little over 10 km from Naples, its last major eruption dates back to 1944. It is this volcano that, in 79, completely destroyed Pompeii. In addition to this real but contained volcanic activity, the Italian territory is also seismic. Among the regions where seismicity is highest, we find Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania and Calabria. The latter has experienced the most deadly earthquake in Italian history, that of Reggio Calabria and Messina (Sicily), in 1908. Both cities were razed to the ground and more than 80,000 people lost their lives. More recently, we also remember the tragedies of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo (2009), and Amatrice, in Lazio (2016).
