Italian peninsula - Misplaced Pages

Peninsula in South-central Europe "Lo Stivale" redirects here. For the Canadian newspaper, see Lo Stivale (newspaper). For the broader geographical region in Southern Europe, see Italy (geographical region).

42°00′N 14°00′E / 42.000°N 14.000°E / 42.000; 14.000

The Italian peninsula (Italian: penisola italica or penisola italiana), also known as the Italic peninsula, Apennine peninsula, Italian boot, or mainland Italy, is a peninsula, within the Italian geographical region, extending from the southern Alps in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south which comprises much of the country of Italy and the enclaved microstates of San Marino and Vatican City.

Overview

It is nicknamed lo Stivale (the Boot), because the shape of the peninsula resembles a high-heeled boot. Three smaller peninsulas contribute to this characteristic shape, namely Calabria (the "toe"), Salento (the "heel") and Gargano (the "spur"). The backbone of the Italian peninsula consists of the Apennine Mountains, from which it takes one of its names. The peninsula comprises much of Italy and also includes the enclaved microstates of San Marino and Vatican City.

Physical geography

Geographically, the minimum extent of the Italian peninsula consists of the land south of a line extending from the Magra to the Rubicon rivers, north of the Tuscan–Emilian Apennines. It excludes the Po Valley and the southern slopes of the Alps. The Italian peninsula has the only active volcano on continental Europe, Mount Vesuvius.

Political geography

In general discourse, "Italy" and the "Italian peninsula" are often used as synonymous terms. However, northern Italy may be excluded from the Italian peninsula. From a political point of view, the Italian peninsula in the strict sense (therefore excluding insular Italy and northern Italy) is divided into various states listed in the following table:

Country	Population	Peninsular area			Description
Country	Population	km	sq mi	Share	Description
Italy	26,140,000	131,275	50,686	99.9531%	Virtually the entire peninsula
San Marino	31,887	61.2	23.6	0.0466%	A central-eastern enclave of peninsular Italy
Vatican City	829	0.49	0.19	0.0003%	An enclave of Rome, Italy

References

"The BOOT of ITALY". June 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
De Agostini Ed., L'Enciclopedia Geografica – Vol. I - Italia, 2004, p. 78.
Touring Club Italiano, Conosci l'Italia – Vol. I: L'Italia fisica, 1957.
"Mount Vesuvius, Italy: Map, Facts, Eruption Pictures, Pompeii".
Vocabolario Treccani, Peninsulare
De Agostini Ed., L'Enciclopedia Geografica - Vol. I - Italia, 2004, p.78
Touring Club Italiano, Conosci l'Italia - Vol. I: L'Italia fisica, 1957
Population includes only the inhabitants of the Italian peninsula, excluding northern Italy and insular Italy (Sardinia and Sicily).

External links

Media related to Italian Peninsula at Wikimedia Commons

Italy articles

History

Overview	Timeline of Italian history
By topic	Citizenship Currency and coinage Economy Fashion Flags Genetic Historic states Judaism LGBT Military Music Name Postage Railways
Prehistory	Prehistory Neolithic Villanovan Terramare Rinaldone Apennine Nuragic Golasecca Canegrate Latial
Ancient	Ancient peoples Italic peoples Latins Osci Picentes Samnites Umbri Veneti Etruscans Celts Magna Graecia Ligures Messapians Ancient Rome Kingdom Republic Roman conquest Roman Italy Empire Western Empire
Middle Ages	Middle Ages Italy under Odoacer Ostrogoths Byzantium Lombards Papal States the Holy Roman Empire the Sardinian Judicates Arabs Normans Guelphs and Ghibellines Lombard League Kingdom of Sicily War of the Sicilian Vespers Kingdom of Naples
Early modern	Italian city-states Florence Siena Milan Maritime republics Venice Genoa Pisa Amalfi Kingdom of Sardinia Grand Duchy of Tuscany Duchy of Savoy Renaissance Italian Wars Early Modern period Napoleonic Italy Austrian occupation and Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Late modern	Unification First War of Independence Second War of Independence Niçard exodus Expedition of the Thousand Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy Third War of Independence Capture of Rome Monarchy and the World Wars Kingdom of Italy Colonial Empire World War I Fourth War of Independence Fascist Italy World War II Fall of the Fascist regime Resistance and Social Republic Civil War
Contemporary	Republic Institutional referendum Istrian–Dalmatian exodus Economic Boom Years of Lead Maxi Trial Mani pulite Coronavirus pandemic

Aristocracy Censorship Corruption Crime Demographics Education Emigration and diaspora Gambling Health Healthcare Immigration Inventions and discoveries Italians People Languages Italian Regional Life expectancy Orders, decorations, and medals Poverty Prostitution Public administration Racism Religion Social class Terrorism Water supply and sanitation Women
Culture	Duecento Trecento Quattrocento Cinquecento Seicento Settecento Ottocento Anthem Architecture Art Castles Cathedrals Cinema Coat of arm Cuisine Design Fashion Flag Folklore Gardens Internet Italophilia Libraries Literature Media Museums Music Mythology National symbols Palaces Philosophy Public holidays Sport Television Theatre Traditions World Heritage Sites

Earth's primary regions and subregions

Africa	Mediterranean Saharan Northern Maghreb Mashriq Middle East Middle East and North Africa Sub-Saharan Central East Horn Great Lakes Southern Western
Antarctica	East Antarctica Antarctic Plateau Transantarctic Mountains West Antarctica Antarctic Peninsula
Asia	Asia–Pacific Central Aral Sea Aralkum Desert Caspian Sea Eastern Inner Asia Greater Central Asia Northeastern Far East Pacific Asia Russian Far East Northern Siberia Ural Southeastern Mainland Maritime Southern Himalayan states Indian subcontinent Subregions Western Arabian Peninsula Caucasus South Caucasus Greater Iran Iranian plateau Levant Dead Sea Levantine Sea Middle East Mashriq Middle East and North Africa Near East
Europe	Central Eastern Balkans Caucasus North Caucasus South Caucasus Southern Russia European Russia Southeastern Northern Baltic British Isles Nordic Northwestern Scandinavia Scandinavian Peninsula Southern Mediterranean Middle East Italy Italian Peninsula South-eastern Balkan Peninsula South-western Iberian Peninsula Western Atlantic Low Countries Northwestern Celtic Germanic Romance Slavic
North America	Aridoamerica Caribbean Central Mesoamerica Middle Northern Appalachia Bible Belt East Coast Great Lakes Mid-Atlantic Midwest Mountain states New England Northeastern United States Pacific Northwest Southern United States Southwest West Coast West South Central United States Western United States Atlantic Canada Canadian Prairies Central Canada Eastern Canada Northern Canada Western Canada Northern Mexico West Indies Anglo French Latin Ibero Hispanic Portuguese Latin America and the Caribbean
Oceania	Australasia Australia Mainland Australia New Guinea Tasmania Zealandia Melanesia Island Melanesia Micronesia Near Oceania Polynesia Remote Oceania
South America	Amazon Plain Amazon Basin Amazon Rainforest Andean States Brazilian Highlands Caribbean South America The Guianas Latin America and the Caribbean Southern Cone Patagonia

Islands

By continent	Africa America North America Caribbean Central America South America Antarctica Asia Europe by area by population Oceania Australia New Zealand
By ocean	Arctic Ocean Atlantic Ocean Baltic Sea Black Sea Caribbean Sea Irish Sea Mediterranean Sea Adriatic Sea Aegean Sea Ionian Sea Indian Ocean Persian Gulf Pacific Ocean East China Sea South China Sea Southern Ocean

Other waterbodies

Continents of Earth / List of seas / Physical Earth

Categories:

Overview

Physical geography

Political geography

See also

References

External links