Italy is a beautiful country covering 116,300 square miles area in total. Italy separates from Switzerland, France, Slovenia, and Austria to the north with the Alps. Italy is also surrounded by the Adriatic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, and the Ionian […]

Geography

Italy is a beautiful country covering 116,300 square miles area in total. Italy separates from Switzerland, France, Slovenia, and Austria to the north with the Alps. Italy is also surrounded by the Adriatic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, and the Ionian Sea. Plain areas are practically limited to the Po valley’s great northern triangle.

Plain areas cover only 1/5th of the total area of Italy. The remaining area is roughly divided between mountainous and hilly land and provides variations in the temperate climate.

A quick geographical overview of Italy

Italy’s most prominent geographical features include the Italian Peninsula, which is 50 miles long. This has a boot-like shape that extends southeast into the Mediterranean Sea from Europe.

  • The Apennine Mountains here have formed the peninsula’s backbone. Po River Valley lies in the Apennine range’s North serving as the breadbasket and center of industry in Italy.
  • However, the Alps’ foothills are located in the north of Po Valley, where the lake district of Italy lies.
  • The Sicily and Sardinia islands are situated southwest and west of the Italian peninsula. Both of these are the Mediterranean’s largest islands.

The Sicily and Sardinia islands, along with multiple other smaller islands, hosted trading colonies of Italy for longer.

Rivers in Italy

Rivers in Italy correspond to some of the most popular destinations in the country. The Po River flows from Turin city and ends at Po Delta.

While the Arno River flows from Pisa and Florence and empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Similarly, the Tiber River flows from the Apennines, goes through the south of Rome, and empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Mountain ranges of Italy

Approx. 40% of Italy’s area contains mountainous land. Therefore, Italy offers a wide range of great places for hiking in summer and skiing in winter. The Alps and the Appennino are two major mountain ranges of Italy.

The Alps are divided into different regions, including the Orientali, the Central, and the Occidental, from east to west. These are on the borders of Austria, Switzerland, and France.

The north-south Appennino chain forms the backbone of Italy. The Dolomites are also part of South Tyrol, Belluno, and Trentino Alps.

Mont Blanc is the highest point of Italy, situated on the French border in the Alps.

Lakes in Italy

Italy has about 1500 lakes, particularly in the country’s northern part. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy.

Elevated, small Alpine Lake is the most common type here. Some lakes, such as Albano and Bolsena in Lazio, occupy the extinct volcanos’ craters.

However, the most popular Italian lakes are:

  • Lake Garda
  • Lake Como
  • Lake Lugano
  • Lake Iseo
  • Lake Maggiore

Volcanos in Italy

Mount Vesuvius is the only active volcano on European Mainland, situated in southern Italy. It was Vesuvius that suppressed the popular Pompeii Roman City. The ruins of Pompeii are now considered one of the popular tourist attractions in Italy.

On the other hand, Mount Etna is also one of the largest volcanoes in the world. This volcano is situated on Sicily Island and is still active.

Verdict

So, that’s all for the geographical overview of Italy. You certainly have gotten a better idea of Italy’s geography here.