ITALY in 1996 (History and Geography)

Area : 301 277 km2 Highest point : Monte Bianco of Courmayeur 4 765 m In addition to the Italian peninsula, the territory includes the two largest islands in the Mediterranean sea, Sardinia and Sicily. The importance of geographical contours, with the Alps in the North and the dorsal spine of the peninsula, the Apennines, characterise the countryside. The largest plain is the very fertile Po plain. Earth tremors and landslides are frequent in the Centre and South, an active volcano in Sicily and in the Naples region shapes the landscape.