Editing Sicily (section)

==Geography==
{{See also|Geology of Sicily}}
[[File:Sicily Map.png|thumb|left|Sicily]]

Sicily has a roughly triangular shape, earning it the name ''Trinacria''.

To the north-east, it is separated from [[Calabria]] and the rest of the Italian mainland by the [[Strait of Messina]], about {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide in the north, and about {{convert|16|km|abbr=on}} wide in the southern part.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/542800/Sicily Britannica – Travel & Geography – Sicily] Italian Sicilia – retrieved 11 May 2010.</ref> The northern and southern coasts are each about {{convert|280|km|abbr=on}} long measured as a straight line, while the eastern coast measures around {{convert|180|km|abbr=on}}; total coast length is [[Length of coast|estimated]] at {{convert|1484|km|abbr=on}}. The total area of the island is {{convert|25711|km2|abbr=on}},<ref name=eb>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Sicily |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Sicily}}</ref> while the [[Autonomous administrative division|Autonomous Region]] of Sicily (which includes the smaller surrounding islands of [[Lipari]], [[Egadi]], [[Ustica]], and [[Pantelleria]]) has an area of {{convert|27708|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://oxcon.ouplaw.com/display/10.1093/law:ocw/law-ocw-cm393.document.1/law-ocw-cm393 | title=The Autonomous Region of Sicily: Introductory Note | first=Philip | last=Raworth | publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] | year=2007}}</ref>
[[Image:Madonie montagna.jpg|thumb|right|[[Madonie]] mountains in the [[Madonie Regional Natural Park]].]]
[[File:Mare Favignana.JPG|thumb|Cala Rossa, [[Favignana#Island|island of Favignana]], [[Aegadian Islands]]]]

The terrain of inland Sicily is mostly hilly and is intensively cultivated wherever possible. Along the northern coast, the [[mountain range]]s of [[Madonie]], {{convert|2000|m|abbr=on}}, [[Nebrodi]], {{convert|1800|m|abbr=on}}, and [[Peloritani]], {{convert|1300|m|ft|abbr=on}}, are an extension of the mainland [[Apennines]]. The cone of [[Mount Etna]] dominates the eastern coast. In the southeast lie the lower [[Hyblaean Mountains]], {{convert|1000|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name="frommers">{{cite book|last1=Porter|first1=Darwin|last2=Prince|first2=Danforth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZDLw0nOnfsC&pg=PA26|title=Frommer's Sicily|publisher=Frommer's|year=2009|page=268|isbn=978-0-470-39899-9}}</ref> The mines of the [[Enna]] and [[Caltanissetta]] districts were part of a leading [[sulphur]]-producing area throughout the 19th century, but have declined since the 1950s.

Sicily and its surrounding small islands have some highly active volcanoes. This is due to Sicily being geographically on the northern edge of the [[African Plate]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1 May 1974 |title=Evolution of a section of the Africa-Europe plate boundary: Paleomagnetic and volcanological evidence from Sicily |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0012821X74900727|journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters |language=en |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=123–132 |doi=10.1016/0012-821X(74)90072-7|issn=0012-821X |last1=Barberi |first1=F. |last2=Civetta |first2=L. |last3=Gasparini |first3=P. |last4=Innocenti |first4=F. |last5=Scandone |first5=R. |last6=Villari |first6=L. |bibcode=1974E&PSL..22..123B}}</ref> Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and casts black ash over the island with its recurrent eruptions. It stands {{convert|3403|m|ft|0}} high as of September 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-18 |title=Il cratere Voragine dell'Etna cresce, bordo supera 3.400 metri - Notizie - Ansa.it |url=https://www.ansa.it/sicilia/notizie/2024/09/18/il-cratere-voragine-delletna-cresce-bordo-supera-3.400-metri_88ddb31e-c620-42ba-b9d5-3b2fc9281410.html |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=Agenzia ANSA |language=it}}</ref> It is the highest mountain in Italy south of the [[Alps]]. Etna covers an area of {{convert|1190|km2|0|abbr=on}} with a basal circumference of {{convert|140|km|abbr=on}}. This makes it the largest of the three [[Volcanism in Italy|active volcanoes in Italy]], being about two and a half times the height of the next largest, [[Mount Vesuvius]]. In [[Greek mythology]], the deadly monster [[Typhon]] was trapped under the mountain by [[Zeus]], the god of the sky.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Thomaidis |first1=Konstantinos |last2=Troll |first2=Valentin R.|last3=Deegan|first3=Frances M.|last4=Freda |first4=Carmela |last5=Corsaro |first5=Rosa A.|last6=Behncke |first6=Boris |last7=Rafailidis |first7=Savvas |date=2021 |title=A message from the 'underground forge of the gods': history and current eruptions at Mt Etna |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gto.12362|journal=Geology Today |language=en |volume=37|issue=4 |pages=141–149 |doi=10.1111/gto.12362 |bibcode=2021GeolT..37..141T |s2cid=238802288 |issn=1365-2451}}</ref> Mount Etna is widely regarded as a cultural symbol and icon of Sicily.

The [[Aeolian Islands]] in the [[Tyrrhenian Sea]], to the northeast of mainland Sicily form a volcanic complex.

The three volcanoes of [[Vulcano]], [[Stromboli]] and [[Lipari]] are also active, although the last is usually dormant. Off the southern coast of Sicily, the underwater volcano of [[Ferdinandea]], which is part of the larger [[Empedocles (volcano)|Empedocles volcano]], last erupted in 1831. It is located between the coast of [[Agrigento]] and the island of [[Pantelleria]] (which itself is a dormant volcano).

From a geographical perspective, also forming a part of Sicily is the Maltese Archipelago, the islands home to the [[republic of Malta]].

The [[Autonomous administrative division|autonomous region]] also includes several neighbouring islands: the [[Aegadian Islands]], the Aeolian Islands, Pantelleria and [[Lampedusa]].

=== Mountains ===
[[File:EtnaAvió.JPG|thumb|[[Mount Etna]] in eruption]]
[[File:Sguardo sul Parco Monti Sicani.jpg|thumb|The [[Monti Sicani]] in western Sicily]]

The mountains of Sicily form a significant part of the island's diverse landscape, with [[Mount Etna]], one of the world's most active volcanoes, being the highest and most notable peak. Other important mountain ranges include the [[Nebrodi]], [[Madonie]] and [[Peloritani]] mountains ranges.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Five tallest mountains of Sicily
!Name
!Height (meters)
!Height (feet)
|-
|[[Mount Etna]]
|3,357
|11,014
|-
|[[Pizzo Carbonara]]
|1,979
|6,493
|-
|[[Monte Soro]]
|1,853<ref>{{Cite web |last=PeakVisor |title=Monte Soro |url=https://peakvisor.com/peak/mount-soro.html |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=PeakVisor |language=en}}</ref>
|6,079
|-
|[[Rocca Busambra]]
|1,613
|5,292
|-
|[[Monte San Calogero]]
|1,326<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monte San Calògero : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost |url=https://www.summitpost.org/monte-san-cal-gero/205821 |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=www.summitpost.org}}</ref>
|4,318
|}

===Rivers===
[[File:Simeto.jpg|thumb|The mouth of the [[Simeto]] river]]
[[File:Papiro-Ciane.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Ciane]] river]]

Several rivers [[drainage|drain]] the island, most of which flow through the central area and enter the sea at the south of the island. The [[Salso]] flows through parts of Enna and Caltanissetta before entering the [[Mediterranean Sea]] at the [[port]] of [[Licata]]. To the east, the [[Alcantara (river)|Alcantara]] flows through the province of [[Messina]] and enters the sea at [[Giardini Naxos]], and the [[Simeto]], which flows into the [[Ionian Sea]] south of [[Catania]]. Other important rivers on the island are the [[Belice]] and [[Platani (river)|Platani]] in the southwest.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!River
!Length
|-
|[[Salso]]
|{{convert|144|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Simeto]]
|{{convert|113|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Belice]]
|{{convert|107|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Dittaino]]
|{{convert|105|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|Platani
|{{convert|103|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Gornalunga]]
|{{convert|81|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Gela (river)|Gela]]
|{{convert|74|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|Salso Cimarosa
|{{convert|72|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|Torto
|{{convert|58|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Irminio]]
|{{convert|57|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Dirillo]]
|{{convert|54|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Verdura]]
|{{convert|53|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Alcantara (river)|Alcantara]]
|{{convert|52|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Tellaro (river)|Tellaro]]
|{{convert|49|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Anapo]]
|{{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|}

===Climate===
[[File:Veduta-Vallone-Caltanissetta.jpg|thumb|Inner Sicily]]

Sicily has for the most part a typical [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Csa'') with mild and wet winters and hot, dry summers with changeable intermediate seasons. On the coasts, especially in the southwest, the climate is affected by the African currents and summers can be hot.

Snow falls above 900 metres, but it can fall in the hills. The interior mountains, especially [[Nebrodi]], [[Madonie]], and [[Mount Etna|Etna]], enjoy a mountain climate, with heavy snowfalls during winter. The summit of Mount Etna is usually snow-capped from October to May.

In the summer, the [[sirocco]] – the wind from the Sahara – can be felt. Rainfall is scarce, and in some provinces a water crisis can occur.

According to the Regional Agency for Waste and Water, on 10 August 1999, the weather station of [[Catenanuova]] (EN) recorded an unofficial maximum temperature of {{convert|48.5|C|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Agenzia Regionale per i Rifiuti e le Acque|publisher=Osservatorio delle Acque|url=http://www.osservatorioacque.it/dati/ANNALI/A_1999/PI_80.HTML|access-date=14 October 2010|archive-date=22 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722043903/http://www.osservatorioacque.it/dati/ANNALI/A_1999/PI_80.HTML|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 11 August 2021, a new [[List of weather records|highest temperature record]] for [[Europe]] with a reading of {{Convert|48.8|C|F}} was set near the city of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-17 |title=WMO is monitoring potential new temperature records |url=https://wmo.int/media/news/wmo-monitoring-potential-new-temperature-records |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=public.wmo.int |language=en}}</ref> Total precipitation is highly variable, generally increasing with elevation. In general, the southern and southeast coast receives the least rainfall (less than {{convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}}), and the northern and northeastern highlands the most (over {{convert|100|cm|in|abbr=on}}).

===Flora and fauna===
{{see also|List of endemic plants of Sicily}}
[[File:Benny Trapp Podarcis waglerianus.jpg|thumb|The [[Sicilian wall lizard]] endemic to Sicily and the [[Aegadian Islands]]]]
[[File:Canis lupus cristaldii subsp. nov.png|thumb|Extinct [[Sicilian wolf]]. The subspecies reportedly went extinct due to human persecution in the 1920s, though there were several possible sightings up to the 1970s.]]
Sicily is an often-quoted example of man-made [[deforestation]], which has occurred since Roman times when the island was turned into an agricultural region.<ref name="frommers" /> This gradually dried the climate, leading to a decline in rainfall and the drying of rivers. The central and southwest provinces are practically devoid of forest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art51.htm|title=A Sicilian Desert?|first=Carlo|last=Trabia|publisher=Best of Sicily Magazine|year=2002}}</ref> In Northern Sicily, there are three important forests; near Mount Etna, in the [[Nebrodi|Nebrodi Mountains]] and in the [[Bosco della Ficuzza]] Natural Reserve near [[Palermo]]. The Nebrodi Mountains Regional Park, established on 4 August 1993 and covering {{convert|86000|ha|acre}}, is the largest protected natural area of Sicily; it contains the largest forest in Sicily, the [[Caronia]]. The [[Hundred Horse Chestnut]] ({{lang|it|Castagno dei Cento Cavalli}}), in [[Sant'Alfio]], on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna, is the largest and oldest known [[chestnut]] tree in the world at 2,000–4,000 years old.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/chestnut-tree-one-hundred-horses-sicilys-most-famous-tree | title=The Chestnut Tree of One Hundred Horses: Sicily's Most Famous Tree | first=Barry | last=Lillie | work=Italy Magazine | date=April 5, 2014}}</ref>

Sicily has a wide variety of fauna. Species include the [[European wildcat]], [[red fox]], [[least weasel]], [[pine marten]],  [[fallow deer]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=da Silveira Bueno|first1=R.|last2=Giardina|first2=G.|last3=La Mantia |first3=T. |website=[[University of Palermo]] |url=https://iris.unipa.it/handle/10447/514729 |title=Fallow Deer in Sicily: recent history, consistence and ecological role |date=1 January 2020 |hdl=10447/514729}}</ref> [[wild boar]], [[crested porcupine]], [[European hedgehog]], [[common toad]], ''[[Vipera aspis]]'', [[golden eagle]], [[peregrine falcon]], [[Eurasian hoopoe]] and [[black-winged stilt]].<ref>[http://www.insicilia.org/flora-vegetali-fauna-animali-sicilia/80.htm Sicilia, flora e fauna-Specie vegetali e animali in Sicilia]. Insicilia.org. Retrieved on 18 December 2012.</ref> [[Roe deer]] were driven to extinction on the island.<ref>{{Cite journal | url=https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/96/4/827/851843 | title=Patterns of genetic admixture between roe deer of different origin in central Italy | first1=Daniela | last1=Biosa | first2=Massimo | last2=Scandura | first3=James | last3=Tagliavini | first4=Siriano | last4=Luccarini | first5=Luca | last5=Mattioli | first6=Marco | last6=Apollonio | journal=[[Journal of Mammalogy]] | date=24 June 2015| volume=96 | issue=4 | pages=827–838 | doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyv098 | doi-access=free}}</ref> The [[Sicilian wolf]] (''Canis lupus cristaldii'') was an [[endemic]] wolf [[Subspecies of Canis lupus|subspecies]] that was driven to extinction in the 20th century. During the [[Late Pleistocene]], a species of [[dwarf elephant]], [[Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis]] inhabited the island, with its latest records on Sicily dating to around 20,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Palombo |first1=Maria Rita |last2=Antonioli |first2=Fabrizio |last3=Di Patti |first3=Carolina |last4=Valeria |first4=Lo Presti |last5=Scarborough |first5=Matthew E. |date=2021-10-03 |title=Was the dwarfed Palaeoloxodon from Favignana Island the last endemic Pleistocene elephant from the western Mediterranean islands? |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2020.1772251 |journal=Historical Biology |language=en |volume=33 |issue=10 |pages=2116–2134 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2020.1772251 |bibcode=2021HBio...33.2116P |issn=0891-2963 |s2cid=225710152}}</ref>

The [[Riserva naturale dello Zingaro]] (Zingaro Natural Reserve) is one of the best examples of unspoiled coastal wilderness in Sicily.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.visitsicily.info/en/the-zingaro-reserve/ | title=RISERVA DELLO ZINGARO | work=Visit Sicily| date=7 October 2015}}</ref>

[[Marine Life of the Straits of Messina]] includes varieties of birds and marine life, including larger species such as [[greater flamingo]] and [[fin whale]].