Editing Geography of Italy (section)

==General features==
[[File:Satellite image of Italy in March 2003.jpg|thumb|left|[[Satellite imagery|Satellite image]] of [[Italy]].]]
[[Italy]] is joined to the central-western section of the [[European continent]] by the [[Alps]]. Due to its position, it constitutes a bridge between [[Europe]] and [[Africa]]. In particular, the [[Italian peninsula]] is located in the center of the [[Mediterranean Sea]], between the [[Balkans]] and [[Greece|Hellenic peninsula]] to the east, the [[Iberian peninsula]] to the west, [[North Africa]] to the south and [[continental Europe]] to the north separated by the Alps.

Italy also separates the western basin of the Mediterranean Sea from the eastern basin — that is, the [[Tyrrhenian Sea]] from the [[Ionian Sea]] — extending towards the west with [[Calabria]] and [[Sicily]], which together geologically form a peninsular extension. Only {{convert|140|km|abbr=on}} separate Sicily and Africa (the [[Tunisia|Tunisian peninsula]]), by the [[channel of Sicily]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ilmanifesto.it/un-mega-ponte-da-140-chilometri-che-collega-la-tunisia-alla-sicilia/|title=Un mega-ponte da 140 chilometri che collega la Tunisia alla Sicilia|date=12 December 2016 |access-date=30 January 2022|language=it}}</ref>

To the east, [[Salento]] is {{convert|70|km|abbr=on}} from the [[Albania]]n coast,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.leccenews24.it/turismo/viaggi-itinerari/un-gigante-nel-mare-di-otranto-le-montagne-dell-albania-incantano-i-turisti.htm|title=Un gigante nel mare di Otranto, le montagne dell'Albania incantano i turisti|access-date=30 January 2022|language=it}}</ref> at the narrowest point of the [[Strait of Otranto]]. It is [[Capo d'Otranto]] (also called ''Punta Palascìa''), located at 40° 7' north [[latitude]] and 18° 31' east [[longitude]]. To the north of Salento lies the long and narrow inlet of the [[Adriatic Sea]].
[[File:Italy Köppen.svg|thumb|Map of the [[climate of Italy]]]]
The islands of [[Sardinia]] and [[Corsica]] then divide the Tyrrhenian Sea from the [[Sardinian Sea]].
[[File:Pfaffenschneide.jpg|thumb|[[Vetta d'Italia]], until 1997 considered the northernmost point of Italy, is now located 400 m further north in the [[Testa Gemella Occidentale]]]]
[[File:Porta_di_Lampedusa_-_Porta_d'Europa.jpg|thumb|[[Punta Pesce Spada]] in [[Lampedusa]], the southernmost point]]
[[File:Otranto faro Punta Palascia.jpg|thumb|The lighthouse of Punta Palascìa, better known as [[Capo d'Otranto]], the easternmost point of the Italian territory]]
[[File:Rocca_Bernauda_e_Punta_Baldassarre.jpg|thumb|[[Rocca Bernauda]], the westernmost point of the Italian territory]]
The coastal development of the Italian peninsula and islands is vast; about {{Convert|8,000|km|mi|abbr=}},<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ilfaroonline.it/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/WWF-Dossier-Coste-2016.pdf|title=Coste italiane|access-date=28 January 2022|language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mit.gov.it/mit/mop_all.php?p_id=06441|title=Sviluppo costiero italiano|access-date=28 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306044436/https://www.mit.gov.it/mit/mop_all.php?p_id=06441|archive-date=6 March 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref> which is much larger than that of the Iberian peninsula, but much less than that of the Balkans.

Italy has a prevalence of hilly areas (41.6% of the territory) compared to mountainous areas (35.2% of the territory), or flat areas (23.2%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mininterno.net/eledom2.asp?ida=3492&let=D|title=Elenco in ordine alfabetico delle domande di Geografia|access-date=30 January 2022|language=it}}</ref>

The Italian soil today is the result of [[anthropization]] and is partly mountainous, partly hilly, partly volcanic, partly endolagunar with bumps, polesine, islands, dried up by reclamation (Bonifiche Circeo, Ferraresi, Comacchio, Ostiense, Pisana and so on) with ever greater raising of embankments (for example the withdrawal of 1.7 billion cubic meters per year of fresh water, from 20 consortia from [[Veneto]] alone).

No inhabited center in Italy is more than {{convert|294|km|abbr=on}} from the sea and the [[Comune|Italian municipality]] farthest from the sea is [[Madesimo]] ([[province of Sondrio]]) which is {{convert|294|km|abbr=on}} from the [[Ligurian Sea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://siviaggia.it/idee-di-viaggio/madesimo-valchiavenna-piste-sci/215467/|title=Madesimo Valchiavenna: tra giochi d'acqua, marmotte e piste da sci|date=27 October 2018 |access-date=30 January 2022|language=it}}</ref>

===Boundaries===
Italy borders [[Switzerland]] ({{convert|698|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[France]] ({{convert|476|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[Austria]] ({{convert|404|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and [[Slovenia]] ({{convert|218|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}). [[San Marino]] ({{convert|37|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and [[Vatican City]] ({{convert|3.4|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}) are [[enclave]]s. The total border length is {{convert|1836.4|km|abbr=on}}. Including islands, Italy has a coastline of {{convert|7,900|km|abbr=on}} on the [[Adriatic Sea]], [[Ionian Sea]], [[Tyrrhenian Sea]], [[Ligurian Sea]], [[Sea of Sardinia]] and [[Strait of Sicily]].

===Latitude and longitude===
* Northernmost point &mdash; [[Testa Gemella Occidentale]], [[Prettau]] (Predoi), [[South Tyrol]] at {{coord|47|5|N|12|11|E|type:landmark_region:IT_source:frwiki|name=North: Testa Gemella Occidentale}}
* Southernmost point &mdash; [[Punta Pesce Spada]], [[Lampedusa]], [[Sicily]] at {{coord|35|29|N|12|36|E|type:landmark_region:IT_source:frwiki|name=South: Lampedusa}} (whole territory); [[Capo Spartivento]], [[Palizzi]], [[Calabria]] at {{coord|37|55|N|15|59|E|region:IT_type:landmark|name=South: Capo Spartivento}} (mainland)
* Westernmost point &mdash; [[Rocca Bernauda]], [[Bardonecchia]], [[Piedmont]] at {{coord|45|6|N|6|37|E|region:IT_type:landmark_source:frwiki|name=West: Rocca Bernauda}}
* Easternmost point &mdash; [[Capo d'Otranto]], [[Otranto]], [[Apulia]] at {{coord|40|6|N|18|31|E|region:IT_type:landmark_source:frwiki|name=East: Capo d'Otranto}}

The distance that separates the Testa Gemella Occidentale from Punta Pesce Spada is {{convert|1,291|km|abbr=on}}; the maximum distance between the eastern and western borders is about {{convert|600|km|abbr=on}}. The municipalities at the ends of Italy are:

* [[Predoi]], the northernmost municipality
* [[Lampedusa e Linosa]], the southernmost municipality
* [[Otranto]], the easternmost municipality
* [[Bardonecchia]], the westernmost municipality

===Elevation===
* Highest point: [[Mont Blanc]] ([[Aosta Valley]]) {{Convert|4,810.90|m|ft|abbr=}} at {{coord|45|50|N|6|51|E|region:IT_type:mountain_source:frwiki|name=Mont Blanc (highest)}}
* Lowest point: [[Jolanda di Savoia]] ([[province of Ferrara]]) {{Convert|−3.44|m|ft|abbr=}} at {{coord|44|53|N|11|59|E|region:IT_type:landmark|name=Le Contane (lowest)}}
* Highest settlement: [[Trepalle]], [[Livigno]] {{Convert|2,209|m|ft|abbr=}} at {{coord|46|32|N|10|11|E|region:IT|name=Trepalle }}

===Maritime claims===
* Territorial sea: {{convert|12|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}}
* Continental shelf: {{convert|200|m|ft|adj=mid|depth}} or to the depth of exploitation
* [[Exclusive economic zone of Italy|Exclusive Economic Zone]]: {{convert|541,915|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}

===Geographical centre===
Although the [[Istituto Geografico Militare]] of [[Florence]] has repeatedly declared that it is impossible to uniquely determine the center of a non-geometric shape such as that of Italy,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rietilife.com/2015/03/02/petrangeli-il-centro-ditalia-non-si-tocca-siamo-noi/|title=PETRANGELI: "IL CENTRO D'ITALIA NON SI TOCCA. SIAMO NOI!"|publisher=RietiLife|date=2 March 2015|access-date=22 May 2016|quote=The Military Geographic Institute denied my offices the fact that the prestigious Army structure carried out a study on central Italy. The IGM not only knows nothing about it but has also reiterated, and will formally do so in the coming days, an information already known: the boot is not a geometric figure and it is therefore impossible to determine the exact location of central Italy.|language=it}}</ref> there are several locations that, depending on the measurement criteria adopted, compete for the primacy of the [[geographical centre]] of Italy:
*[[Monteluco]] ([[province of Perugia]]);<ref name="corriere">{{cite web|url=https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/15_marzo_02/narni-centro-geografico-d-italia-ma-spodestata-rieti-non-ci-sta-688ae620-c0eb-11e4-b2c9-4738a8583ea9.shtml|title="Narni è il centro geografico d'Italia" - Ma la spodestata Rieti non ci sta|date=2 March 2015 |access-date=30 January 2022|language=it}}</ref>
*[[Narni]] ([[province of Terni]]);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utecnarni.altervista.org/centro_geografico_ditalia.html|title=Gruppo speleologico Narni|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309112851/http://www.utecnarni.altervista.org/centro_geografico_ditalia.html|archive-date=9 March 2014|access-date=28 January 2022|language=it}}</ref>
*[[Orvieto]] ([[province of Terni]]);<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.orvietonews.it/it/index.php?id=22155|title=L'autorità olandese Kadaster individua a Orvieto l'esatto centro geografico dell'Italia|author=Emma Louise Cheeseman|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906085823/http://www.orvietonews.it/it/index.php?id=22155|archive-date=6 September 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=28 January 2022|language=it}}</ref>
*[[Rieti]] ([[province of Rieti]]).<ref name="corriere"/>