What Are the Major Bodies of Water in Italy?
Some major bodies of water in Italy are the Po River, Arno River, Tiber River, Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. The bodies of water that border the country include the Mediterranean Sea, Ionian Sea, Ligurian Sea, Adriatic Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea.
The Po River is the longest river in Italy, flowing 405 miles. The Alps bordering France provide its source, while it deposits its water in the Adriatic Sea. It forms the Po Valley plain. Rivers that drain into the Tyrrhenian Sea include the Arno and Tiber Rivers. The Drava River is a tributary to the Danube River. The largest lake in the country, Lake Garda, is 142 square miles. Lake Maggiore is second largest with 82 square miles, followed by Lake Como with 56 square miles, Trasimeno Lake with 48 square miles and Lake Bolsena with a size of 44 square miles. Italy’s contiguous zone is 27.6 miles, with its continental shelf extending at least 660 feet down. It has 13.8 miles of territorial sea claims. The Malta Channel separates the island of Malta from Italy’s southern tip of Sicily. The city of Venice is located in the Venetian Lagoon and is made up of 118 tiny islands separated by canals. It is located between the Piave River and the Po River.
