Italy
Geography of Italy
The geography of Italy is very determined by its location in the center of the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Europe and surrounded to the north by the Alps; Likewise, this location greatly influences its relief and hydrography. Italy limits to the north with Switzerland, to the northwest with France, to the South with the Mediterranean Sea and the Ionian Sea, to the west with the Ligurian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Tyrrhenian Sea; and to the east with the Adriatic Sea and with Slovenia.
Characteristics of Geography in Italy
Relief: The relief is divided into four large units: the Alps, the Apennines, the Volcanic Islands, and the Padana Plain. The presence of Alps mountain chain in Italy is the southern part, and they are at least 233 thousand km2, of which 1,300 km are long and between 120 km and 225 km wide; The Alps are divided into 3: the Piedmontese Alps, the Venetian Alps, and the Lombard Alps.
The Apennines are 1,500km long, varying between 30km and 150km wide. Volcanic accidents and earthquakes are commonplace due to their proximity to a plate.
Furthermore, precisely between the Alps and the Apennines appears the Panada Plain with an extension of 46 thousand km2, making it the most extensive plain in Italy; that is characterized by having numerous plains but of little extension. This plain is the Po Plain, which is the longest river in Italy at 652km and rises in the Andes to flow into the Adriatic Sea.
Hydrography: The most important hydrographic basin in Italy is Po, which runs from west to east and crosses Switzerland and France. In addition to being the longest river in Italy, it is also the largest, an important characteristic since, in general, Italian rivers are short and fast.
Other important rivers in the geography of Italy are the Adige river which is 409 km long, the Tiber with 405 km, the Adda with 313 km long, the Oglio with 280 km, the Arno which is 241 km long, the Piave with 220 km in length, the Reno River that has 212 km, among others.
Climate: The main Italian climate is the Mediterranean, characterized by dry summers, both temperate and hot, and rainy and temperate winters, and with spring and summer seasons that can have variable temperatures and rainfall.
Although the prevailing climate is the Mediterranean, there are regional variations; for example, in the north, there is a continental climate, in the center, there is a warm Mediterranean climate and towards the coasts; Although it is also a Mediterranean climate, the summers are very warm and the winters mild.