Italy

predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

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

7,600 km

24,460 sq km (2021)

Europe

regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Etna (3,330 m) is Europe's most active volcano, and its flank eruptions pose a threat to nearby Sicilian villages; Etna, along with the famous Vesuvius, have both been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Stromboli, on its namesake island, has also been continuously active with moderate volcanic activity; other historically active volcanoes include Campi Flegrei, Ischia, Larderello, Pantelleria, Vulcano, and Vulsini

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

coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land

almost twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona

42 50 N, 12 50 E

a fairly even population distribution exists throughout most of the country, with coastal areas, the Po River Valley, and urban centers (particularly Milan, Rome, and Naples) attracting larger and denser populations