Editing Geography of Italy (section)

==Divisions==
{{further|Italy (geographical region)}}
[[File:Italian geographical region.png|thumb|In black, the borders of the [[Italy|Italian Republic]], in red the borders of the [[Italian geographical region]].]]
The [[Italian geographical region]],<ref name="De Agostini"/> in its traditional and most widely accepted extent, has an area of approximately {{Convert|324,000|km2|mi2|abbr=}},<ref name="De Agostini" /> which is greater than the area of the entire [[Italian Republic]] ({{Convert|301,230|km2|mi2|abbr=|disp=or}}). The Italian geographical region also includes territories that are sovereign parts of [[Croatia]], [[France]], [[Slovenia]] and [[Switzerland]], as well as the four small independent states of the [[Monaco|Principality of Monaco]], the [[Malta|Republic of Malta]], the [[San Marino|Republic of San Marino]] and the [[Vatican City|Vatican City State]] (the [[Holy See]]).<ref name="Archivio Storico"/> Italy and the Italian geographical region are both divided into three parts, albeit with some differences.

===Continental Italy===
{{further|Northern Italy}}
Continental Italy defined as the southern side of the [[Alps]], the [[Po Valley]], [[Liguria]] and the portion of the [[Apennines]] bounded by the conventional line that connects [[La Spezia]] to [[Rimini]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Antonio|last=Londrillo|title=Alla scoperta della mia regione|publisher=Bulgarini|year=2004|isbn=88-234-2327-9|language=it|page=18}}</ref> The region of [[Nice]] (corresponding to the historic [[County of Nice]]), [[Italian Switzerland]], part of [[Julian March]] and other less extensive portions of territory such as [[Valle Stretta]], [[Gondo (island)|Gondo]] and [[Val Monastero]], are not part of the Italian Republic in its continental part but they are part of the Italian geographical region. Conversely, the [[Val di Lei]], the [[Val di Livigno]], the [[San Candido]] basin, the [[Rio Sesto]] valley and the [[Tarvisio basin]], although part of the Italian Republic, are not included in the Italian geographical region.

===Peninsular Italy===
{{further|Central Italy|Southern Italy|Italian peninsula}}
Peninsular Italy refers to the entire southern part of the aforementioned line, up to [[Melito di Porto Salvo|Punta Melito]] in [[Calabria]] (which is the southernmost point of the peninsula) and [[Santa Maria di Leuca]] in [[Apulia]]. [[San Marino]] and the [[Vatican City]] are foreign territories, although included in the Italian geographical region.

The [[Italian peninsula]] occupies a median position between the three main peninsulas of [[southern Europe]], emerging right in the center of the [[Mediterranean Sea]], with large islands and some archipelagos.

===Insular Italy===
{{further|Insular Italy|List of islands of Italy}}
[[File:Arcipelaghi italiani.svg|thumb|Map of [[List of islands of Italy|Italian islands]].]]
[[Insular Italy]] is made up of [[Sardinia]], [[Sicily]] and numerous smaller islands, scattered or grouped into [[archipelago]]s in the seas that bathe the coasts of the peninsula. [[Corsica]] is not politically included in insular Italy since it belongs to [[France]], however, it is included in the Italian geographical region.

The five largest islands belonging to the Italian state are, in order of size:

* [[Sicily]] ({{convert|25,707|km2|abbr=on|disp=or}})
* [[Sardinia]] ({{convert|24,090|km2|abbr=on|disp=or}})
* [[Elba]] ({{convert|223|km2|abbr=on|disp=or}})
* [[Sant'Antioco]] ({{convert|108.9|km2|abbr=on|disp=or}})
* [[Pantelleria]] ({{convert|83|km2|abbr=on|disp=or}}).
Other islands belonging to Italy are grouped into the following archipelagos:

* Archipelago of the [[Gulf of La Spezia]], formed by the island of [[Palmaria (island)|Palmaria]], [[Tino (island)|Tino]] and [[Tinetto]];
* [[Tuscan archipelago]], formed by the island of [[Elba]], the largest and most important of the group from whose bowels iron has been extracted for centuries. To the north of the island of Elba rise [[Capraia]] and [[Gorgona (Italy)|Gorgona]], to the south [[Pianosa]], [[Montecristo]], [[Giannutri]] and the island of [[Isola del Giglio|Giglio]]. Minor islets are [[Cerboli]] and [[Palmaiola]] off the coast of Elba, the [[Islet of the Sparviero]] at [[Punta Ala]], the [[Formiche di Grosseto]], the [[Formica di Burano]], the Formica di Montecristo (or [[Scoglio d'Africa]]) and some islets off the coast of [[promontory of the Argentario]] including [[Argentarola]], [[Isola Rossa (Monte Argentario)|Isola Rossa]] and [[Isolotto]], in addition to the [[Secche della Meloria]] and the [[Secche di Vada]].
* The [[Phlegraean Islands]] ([[Ischia]] and [[Procida]]) plus [[Capri]], in the [[Gulf of Naples]]; sometimes the three islands are included in the [[Campanian Archipelago]];
* [[Pontine islands]]: [[Ponza]], [[Palmarola]], [[Zannone]] and [[Ventotene]], in the [[gulf of Gaeta]];
* Archipelago of the [[Aeolian Islands]] or Lipari, which includes [[Salina, Sicily|Salina]], [[Lipari]], the largest of the group, [[Vulcano]], a now almost extinct volcano; [[Panarea]] and then [[Stromboli]], an eruptive cone still in activity which was called ''Stronghilo'' by the [[ancient Greeks]] (hence Stromboli), due to its conical shape of an inverted top on the sea; to these must be added [[Filicudi]] and [[Alicudi]];
* [[Aegadian Islands]], i.e. the islands of [[Favignana]], [[Marettimo]], [[Levanzo]] and [[Stagnone]], which arise between [[Marsala]] and [[Trapani]], west of [[Sicily]];
* [[Pelagie Islands]], including [[Linosa]], [[Lampione]] and [[Lampedusa]];
* In Sicily we still find [[Ustica]] off the [[Gulf of Palermo]] and [[Pantelleria]] in the middle of the [[Sicilian Channel]];
* The group of the [[Tremiti Islands]] and the island of [[Pianosa (Tremiti)|Pianosa]], which rise in the [[Adriatic Sea]];
* To the north of Sardinia the [[Asinara]] and the archipelago of [[La Maddalena]], to the south [[San Pietro Island|San Pietro]] and [[Sant'Antioco]].
* The [[Cheradi Islands]] of San Pietro and San Paolo in the [[Gulf of Taranto]].