The major landforms of Italy are mountains, volcanoes, beaches and islands. The shape of a boot that extends into the Mediterranean Sea is the country's most distinctive feature.
A:Italy is home to several poisonous snake species, including the asp viper and the horned viper. Like most snakes, these two viper species are not commonly seen and are likely just as afraid of humans as humans are of them.
A:Also called the Belltower of Pisa and the Tower of Pisa, the Leaning Tower of Pisa stands in the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) next to the Cathedral of Pisa in Pisa, Italy, about 50 miles west of Florence. According to a 2013 National Geographic article, with current restoration efforts and new technologies, the Tower may remain standing for at least another 200 years.
A:Rome is located in the central region of Italy, near the country's west coast. Nicknamed "The Eternal City," Rome is Italy's capital and largest city, with a 2014 population of 2,863,322. The Italian name for Rome is Roma.
A:Naples is known as the home of dazzling ancient artifacts, the birthplace of pizza and the location of a number of famous buildings. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the history of Naples dates back to 600 B.C., when it was founded as "Neapolis," or "New City." Today, Naples is a treasure trove of culture for travelers in southern Italy.
A:The city of Venice in northeast Italy is famous for its art and architecture, as well as the series of canals separating the 118 small islands on which it was built in the fifth century. Even the smallest building in Venice contains works by legendary artists, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
A:Because of the great variety of areas of relief in Italy, the climate varies considerably from the north to the south. In the northern part of Italy, between the Alps and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, winters are very cold and harsh, and summers are hot and humid.
A:The city of Venice, Italy is home to more than 200 interconnected canals, including the famous Grand Canal, which has an average depth of around 17 feet. The other smaller canals around the city are usually slightly shallower, with depths ranging from 10 to 15 feet.
A:Written by William Shakespeare between 1591 and 1597, “Romeo and Juliet” takes place in the cities of Verona and Mantua. The majority of the play is set in Verona because that is where the Montagues and Capulets live. In Act V, Scene 1, Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Mantua.
A:The depth of water canals in Venice can vary, but the Grand Canal is about 16 feet deep. The Grand Canal is the main canal that passes through Venice and is in the shape of a letter "S." It is 2.36 miles long and 100 to 300 feet wide.
A:One of the warmest countries in Europe, Spain enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate. For the most part, the coastal regions remain warm and moderate. However, the weather in the interior of the country can vary dramatically, ranging from freezing cold to exceptionally hot.
A:Italy has a varied climate, including a harsh climate in northern Italy, a milder climate in central and southern Italy. Italy typically faces thunderstorms in fall moving into a rainy winter.
A:The main religion in Italy is Roman Catholicism. According to the CIA's World Factbook, 80 percent of Italians are Christian, with the vast majority of those belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. The remaining 20 percent are non-believers or agnostics, and there is a small but growing population of Muslims, mostly from Africa.
A:Some of the most important Italian ports include Naples at the Thyrennian Sea, Genoa in Northern Italy, and the Port of Gioia Tauro in Southern Italy. Being a peninsula, Italy is home to dozens of seaports which form an important part of the economy.
A:The major landforms of Italy are mountains, volcanoes, beaches and islands. The shape of a boot that extends into the Mediterranean Sea is the country's most distinctive feature.
A:The city of Venice, Italy, is not actually under water, but on water instead. The city was built on a collection of small islands starting in the Fifth Century.
A:According to the World Population Review, most people in Italy live in Rome. As of 2014, the city has an estimated total population of 2,563,241. Milano follows with 1,306,661 people living there.
A:Italy's major cities in terms of population are Rome, which had 3.3 million residents as of 2011, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo and Bergamo. In 2011, the second most populous city, Milan, had a population of nearly 3 million people, while Bergamo, the sixth most populous city, had 784,000 residents.
A:Sicily, Italy is located in the Mediterranean climate zone, also called the dry summer subtropical climate. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by moderate temperatures, wet winters and dry summers.
A:Following Italy's unification in 1861, the nation suffered from a lack of raw materials, economic imbalance between the North and South, the absence of educational systems and the great cost of unification itself. Italy faced these challenges and made great advances over the fifty years that followed.
A:The Apennine Mountains are located in Italy. Stretching 830 miles in length, the Apennine Mountains compose the backbone of the country by spanning the entire Italian peninsula and ending in Sicily. These mountains are the source of the vast majority of rivers located in Italy.
A:The most densely populated parts of Italy include the Po Valley, Rome and Naples, where more than half of Italy's people reside. The population of Italy is nearly 61 million people as of 2014, which makes the country Europe's fifth most populous political division and the 23rd most populous country on Earth. The population density is 520 people per square mile.