Geography

We all know Italy from the recognisable boot shape. The country is surrounded by the Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas, all of which form part of the Mediterranean Sea. The islands of Elba, Sardinia, Ischia, Capri, the Aeolians and Sicily lie offshore.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea with active volcanoes and earthquakes. Sardinia is basically mountains rising out of the ocean. Italy also has two independent countries within its borders. Vatican City is the center for the Roman Catholic Church and is the world's smallest country. San Marino, on the north east coast of Italy, is an independent republic.

Mountains feature prominently in Italy's topography and support its landlocked borders all the way from Genoa in the west to Trieste in the east. These mountains are called the Dolomite Mountains and are part of the Alps mountain range.

Italy's backbone is formed by the Apennines, extending from Genoa right down to Calabria: Sicily. The area around the Po River in the northeast is the largest fertile area and is heavily populated and industrialized as a result.

Underground activity is evident from the country's three active volcanoes, Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, Vesuvius near Naples and Etna on Sicily, and the devastation caused by earthquakes, especially intense in 1908 and 1980.

Italy's nature is beautiful, but unfortunately there is also a lot of pollution, especially in the cities and along the coast.

The country's flora is Mediterranean. You can find three broad classifications of evergreen trees in Italy: ilex (or evergreen oak), cork and pine. Especially in the south of Tuscany you'll be able to find many olive and cyprus trees as a result of ancient imports. Much of the country is covered by macchia (maquis), a broad term that covers all sorts of vegetation ranging from two meters to as much as six meters in height.

Due to human occupation and hunting lovers, many animal species have extinguished, which were once endemic to Italy. If you're lucky, you still might spot a brown bear or a lynx and the mountaineous regions are still home to wolves, marmots, chamois and deer. On the island of Sardinia you'll be able to find some other special animals, like the Mouflon sheep and wild boars, cats and birds of prey like falcons, hawks and golden eagles.

Italy's climate varies from north to south and from lowland to mountain top. Winters are long and very cold in the Alps, with snow falling as early as mid-September. The northern regions experience chilly winters and hot summers, while conditions become milder as you head south. The sirocco, the hot and humid African wind that affects regions south of Rome, produces at least a couple of hot weeks in the summer.