Geography Of Italy

  Extreme points of Italy. 

Location:

Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia.

Geographic coordinates:

Map references:

Europe

Area:

• Total: 301,230 km²

• Land: 294,020 km²

• Water: 7,210 km²

• Note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Land boundaries:

• Total: 1,932.2 km

• Border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km

Coastline:

7,600 km

Maritime claims:

• Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

• Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles

Climate:

Predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Terrain:

Mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Elevation extremes:

• Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

• Highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) 4,810 m

Natural resources:

Mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal, arable land

Land use:

• Arable land: 31%

• Permanent crops: 10%

• Permanent pastures: 15%

• Forests and woodland: 23%

• Other: 21% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

27,100 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:

Regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice

Environment--current issues:

Air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities

Environment--international agreements:

• Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

• Signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography--note:

Strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

<< Previous Word Browser Next >>
communications in indonesia transportation in indonesia military of indonesia foreign relations of indonesia islands of indonesia iran history of iraq geography of iraq demographics of iraq politics of iraq economy of iraq	transportation in iraq military of iraq foreign relations of iraq geography of the republic of ireland demographics of the republic of ireland politics of the republic of ireland economy of the republic of ireland communications in ireland transport in ireland foreign relations of the republic of ireland israel	geography of israel demographics of israel economy of israel declaration of the establishment of the state of israel demographics of italy politics of italy economy of italy communications in italy transportation in italy military of italy foreign relations of italy	italian language ice t iron age efnet undernet dalnet bitchx mirc x chat ircii irc takeover war