Italy is a country located in Southern Europe. Its territory includes the Apennine Peninsula , Sicily , Sardinia and other islands, with a total area of about 300,000 square kilometers and a population of about 60 million.
Italy has a long history. According to statistics, Italy now has 55 UNESCO world heritage sites, making it one of the countries with the most world heritage sites. These historical relics were mainly built during the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire in history had a vast territory, spanning three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, turning the Mediterranean Sea into a lake. Italy is now an economically developed country, and its overall strength ranks among the top in Europe.
Within the EU , Italy is a major manufacturing power. Italy's automobile manufacturing, metallurgy, machinery, clothing, furniture and other fields are very competitive in the world. However, the regional development of Italy is not balanced. The northern region has developed industry and commerce, while the southern region is far less developed than the north.
Italy is a peninsular country, with its main land located in the Apennine Peninsula. The Apennine Peninsula is one of the three major peninsulas in Europe, alongside the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkan Peninsula , with a north-south span of 960 kilometers.
The southern part of Italy goes deep into the Mediterranean Sea, has a long and winding coastline, and is close to the main channel of the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Sea is an inland sea between Asia, Europe and Africa. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. It is an important waterway for trade between Asia and Europe.
The southern part of Italy is close to the main channel of the Mediterranean Sea and its location is very advantageous. However, southern Italy is not as developed as the northern part. So what is going on?
First, geographical reasons. The terrain of Italy is dominated by mountains and hills, with the Alps in the north and the Apennines in the central and southern parts. Among them, the Apennine Mountains are the main mountain range of Italy, running through the entire territory of Italy, extending from the north to the south of Italy. It is more than a thousand kilometers long from north to south and about 40 to 200 kilometers wide from east to west. The farther south, the wider the mountains are.
Northern Italy is surrounded by the Alps, forming a natural barrier. Between the Apennines and the Alps is Italy's Po River Plain. The Po River Plain is formed by the alluvial of the Po River . It covers an area of about 46,000 square kilometers and is the largest plain in Italy.
The Po River Plain has fertile land and a large population. It has always been the industrial center of Italy and has a very developed economy. Major Italian economic cities including Milan, Turin, Venice, are all located in the Po River Plain. Southern Italy is the widest area of the Apennine Mountains, with rugged terrain, and mainly develops planting and animal husbandry.
Second, historical reasons. After the demise of the Western Roman Empire, northern Italy gradually became part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the rule of the Holy Roman Empire in Italy collapsed, and multiple countries gradually formed in Italy.
15th century, after the Renaissance began, places such as Venice, Milan, Genoa in northern Italy have developed rapidly. Among them, the Milan area has gradually become the commercial center of Italy, and the textile industry is very developed. Until now, Milan It is also known as the international fashion center, with many cutting-edge fashion designs and trendy works appearing here.
In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Sardinia in northern Italy gradually emerged and gradually unified the entire Italy from north to south. It can be seen that northern Italy developed earlier and has a stronger economic and industrial foundation than southern Italy. For these reasons, southern Italy is deep into the Mediterranean Sea, but is not as developed as the north.
