Today I’m going to talk about the
geography of Italy. (http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/italy/itland.htm) Most people know that Italy is a peninsula- its boot shape
is pretty famous. This peninsula has created several bodies of water, including
the Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea. I had heard of
the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, but not the other two.
Northern Italy is dominated by
the Alps, and Italy’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, is shared with France. Northern
Italy also has a beautiful Lake District with many mountain lakes. The Apennine
Mountains, which are a range of the Alps, form the backbone of the Italian
peninsula. Several rivers rise in the Alps, including the Arno and Tiber. Italy’s
longest river, the Po River rises in the Alps and runs to Venice, with the
valley it dissects being Italy’s most fertile farmland.
Mont Blanc
Plains make up about 30% of Italy’s
land area, and some areas along the Adriatic Sea are low and marshy. Italy’s
coastline consists of numerous bays and gulfs. The Amalfi Coast south of Naples
and the Cinque Terra have spectacular, rugged coastal scenery.
Amalfi Coast
In addition to the mainland
peninsula, Italy has many famous islands, most of which are of volcanic origin.
Sardinia and Sicily are two well-known islands. In fact, much of Italy is volcanic
in origin, and Mt. Vesuvius near Naples is constantly monitored since it could
potentially erupt at any time.
With such a wide variety of
terrain, you can see why Italy has such a varied climate, as we saw yesterday. I
would love to explore the coastline – it looks amazing! Which part of Italy’s
geography appeals to you the most?
More on Italy tomorrow!
Xoxo,
Diana
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