southern europe: italy buon giorno! chapter 12 / section 2
TRANSCRIPT
Southern Europe:Italy
Buon Giorno!
Chapter 12 / Section 2
A boot kicking a football• Italy is a 750-mile long peninsula (the
Appenine Peninsula) & islands (Sicily & Sardinia)
• It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on three sides
- East: Adriatic Sea - South: Ionian Sea - West: Tyrrhenian Sea (They are bodies of water that are part of the
Mediterranean Sea.) - North: Monaco, France, Switzerland, Austria,
Slovenia
The Land
• Size: the states of FL & GA combined (113,351 sq mi.)
• Three types of landforms:
1) Mountains
2) Lowlands
3) Coasts
Italy from Space (Thanks NASA!)
1) Mountains
• Alps: they form a natural border b/w Italy and the countries of France, Switzerland, and Austria in the north
• Appennines: they run from the top of the peninsula to the “toe” of the boot (NW-SW direction) in the center of the country
- They turn into hills in Southern Italy• Volcanic mountains: close to 20
volcanoes, 3 of which are still active today
The Alps
The Appennines
The Southern Hills of the Appennines(Santa Luce)
Volcanic Mountains• Mount Etna (continuous eruptions): on the
island of Sicily• Stromboli (continuous eruptions): one of the
Aeolian Islands• Mount Vesuvius (last erupted in 1944):
near the city of Naples
- The only active volcano in mainland Europe
- In A.D. 79, it destroyed the cities of Pompei & Herculaneum, killing 10,000-25,000 people
Mount Etna
Mount Etna
Stromboli
Stromboli
Mount Vesuvius
The Crater of Mt. Vesuvius
Pompeii
Pompeii
2) Lowlands
• The largest & most important lowland is the Po River Valley in northern Italy
• Italy’s largest river, the Po River, cuts through it from the border of Switzerland all the way to the Adriatic Sea
Po River & Valley
Po River Valley from Space
Po River
Po River Plains
3) Coasts
The most famous coasts:
• Amalfi Coast
• Italian Riviera
Amalfi Coast
Amalfi Coast
Amalfi Coast
Italian Riviera
Italian Riviera
Italian Riviera
The Climate3 types of climate (from N to S):
1) Highland: in the Alps = cold & cool temperatures year-round due to the high elevation (timberline & snowcaps!)
2) Humid subtropical: in the Po River Valley = hot, humid summers w/ plenty of rain & short, mild winters
3) Mediterranean: in the rest of Italy, including the islands of Sicily & Sardinia = hot, dry summers (sirocco!) & mild, rainy winters
Siroccos
• Hot, dry winds blowing from North Africa in the spring & the summer
• Cool, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean replaces the siroccos in the fall & the winter (they bring rain to Italy)
Sirocco Winds
The Economy
• Wealthy Southern European country
• Its wealth is unevenly distributed b/w the industrialized, urban North & agricultural, rural South
The Prosperous North1) Agriculture: • In the fertile Po River Valley: wheat, corn, rice,
sugar beet• In the hills of N. Italy: wine grapes2) Industry:• Hydroelectric power from the Alps & natural
gas in the Po River Valley • Manufacturing of cars, machinery, chemical,
clothing, & leather in Turin & Milan3) Trade: in the port city of Genoa4) Banking
Farms in the Po River Valley
Italian Vineyards
FIAT
Milan Fashion Week
The Developing South
1) Raising livestock: dry, rugged landscape used for pastureland grazing livestock
2) Agriculture: volcanic & clay soil used for growing citrus fruits, olives, & grapes
3) Tourism
Pastureland in Southern Italy
Citrus & Olive Farms in S. Italy
Tourists on Mt. Etna
The People
• Capital: Rome• Population: 59.8 million People only live on 25% of the land Reasons: mountains & migration to Northern
cities• Language: Italian• Religion: Roman Catholic• Type of Government: parliamentary democracy• Largest cities: Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo,
Genoa, Bologna, Florence
The Flag of Italy
Rome
The Coliseum
Vatican City, a.k.a. the Holy See
St. Peter’s Basilica
St Peter’s Square
Italy’s Heritage• The Roman Empire was the heart of Western
Civilization from 31 B.C. until its collapse in 476 A.D.
• Then, Italy was divided into city-states: independent cities w/ the surrounding countryside
• City-states developed during the Renaissance (14th through 16th centuries) & spread Italian scientific & cultural achievements abroad
• City-states were unified into an independent country (Italy) by Giuseppe Garibaldi & Victor Emmanuel II. in 1861
Modern Italy• Dictator Benito Mussolini ruled Italy from
1922-1945
• Mussolini supported Adolf Hitler & pushed Italy into World War II (Italy was defeated)
• Italy became a parliamentary democracy in 1946
• Unstable democracy w/ many-many changes of government
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
Roman Roads
Roman Aqueducts
Italian Pasta Dishes
The End
Ciao!