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Chapter One ITALY’S GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE

T he Italian peninsula , easily distinguishable on a map due to its well-known boot shape, encompasses 113,568 square miles (294,140 square kilometers) of land and 2,779 square miles (7,200 square kilometers) of water jutting out of Europe into the Mediterranean Sea. Italy’s 1,141 miles (1,836

kilometers) of borders are shared by San Marino, Vatican City, France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. Italy’s landscape is primarily rugged terrain, with less mountainous areas mostly near the coasts and around the large metropolitan areas. In fact, about three-quarters of Italy is mountainous or hilly, and the Italian Alps serve as a natural geographical barrier separating Italy from Slovenia, Austria, France, and Switzerland. The highest point in Italy is Monte Bianco de Courmayer, and the lowest point is the Mediterranean Sea. The Apennine Mountains run through the center of the country. As a peninsula, Italy is surrounded on three sides by water. The Adriatic Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the south, and the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian seas to the west (each of these seas are part of the larger Mediterranean Sea) surround the

ABOVE: The beautiful and sophisticated village Portofino, Liguria, is a holiday resort famous for its picturesque harbor and association with celebrities.

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