Italy is a peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea.

Its most prominent feature is its boot-like

shape kicking the island of Sicily.

Much of Italy is covered by mountains. The Dolomite mountains which extend across
northern Italy are part of the Alps mountain range. The Apennine mountains cut down
the center of Italy, stretching from north to south, dividing the east and west coasts.

The Po Valley, just south of the Dolomite mountains, is the basin of the Po River. It is
fertile farm land.

Italy includes two large islands: Sicily and Sardinia. Sicily is the largest island in the
Mediterranean, with active volcanoes and earthquakes. Sardinia is basically mountains
rising out of the ocean.

Italy also has two independent countries within its borders. Vatican City is the center for
the Roman Catholic Church, and is the world's smallest country. San Marino, on the
north east coast of Italy, is an independent republic

1. Landform
Mainland Italy extends southward into the Mediterranean Sea as a large
boot-shaped peninsula. The peninsula is surrounded by the seas, The
Mediterranean Sea on the south, the Adriatic Sea on the east, the Tyrhennian
Sea on the Southwest and the Ligurian Sea on the Northwest
The northern of the country are dominated by varied ranges of the Alps, a
massive stretch of mountains that extends from France to Austria, and then
south along the Adriatic Sea. Italy's highest point is the summit of Mont Blanc (or
Monte Bianco in Italian), a mountain it shares with France
The Lake District (in the northern Italy) includes many mountain lakes,
with the major ones being Como, Garda and Maggiore
The Po River Valley is directly in the south of Alps, and runs from Turin to
Venice. Rising in the Alps, the Po River is Italy's longest and the plain created by
this river, Po Delta is the country's most fertile farmland.
The Apennine Mountains (a range of the Alps) form the backbone of the Italian
peninsula, and they extend south through Italy. Beginning in the northwest they end at
Reggio di Calabria, in the southwest. These mountains consist of several chains. The
mountain range from several rivers which rise in the upper elevations, including the
Arno and the Tiber.
About 30% of Italy's land area consists of plains with some low, marshy areas,
especially along the Adriatic Sea, from Ancona north to Venice. The coastline of the
country features numerous large and small bays, as well as gulfs.
The Amalfi Coast south of Naples, and the Cinque Terra to the north of Pisa offer
some of the most spectacular coastal scenery imaginable as steep rocky slopes rush
down to the sea, and tiny villages with colorful houses pack much of the cliffs
Italy is renowned for its many rugged islands, most volcanic in origin. Significant ones
include the large islands of Sardinia and Sicily and the smaller islands of Capri, Elba,
Ischia, and the Aeolian Island group.

Much of Italy is volcanic in origin, and today a few of its many volcanoes are active,
including Sicily's Mt. Etna, Stomboli in the Aeolian Islands, and volcanologists are
constantly monitoring Mt. Vesuvius near Naples, as it has the potential to erupt at
anytime.

2. Mountains

The geography of Italy is extremely mountainous. Approximately three quarters of the

land area of mainland Italy is composed of mountains . Italy has two mountain ranges,
namely the Alps and the Apennines.
The Apennine mountain range is the literal backbone of the country, surrounding the
north-western parts. It runs vertically from the North West of Italy at Altare, to the South
of Italy Reggio di Calabria. The total length of the Apennine mountain range in Italy is
about 1500km and Divides the east coast of Italy from the west coast
The other range is smaller. The Italian Alps run across the length of the north of Italy, is
the border with France, Switzerland and Austria. The Alps is the place where most
people in Italy go skiing. Mont Blanc, popularly known as Monte Bianco, located here
(4810 meters) above sea levels, is the highest Italian mountain summit.
The land also has two reputed volcanoes, among which Mount Vesuvius (1,281 m)
close to Naples is presently in a dormant state. The other volcanic peak in Sicily, Mount
Etna (3,326 m) is still very active, that seldom poses threat to the inhabitants of Italy.

3. Body of water
The geographical features of Italy are varied; the south-western corner of the
country is enveloped by Tyrrhenian Sea, while Adriatic Sea takes care of its
north-eastern parts. The south-eastern Ionian Sea and the Ligurian Sea located
in north-west Italy.
There are over 1,000 Rivers and Streams in Italy. Three most famous ones are
Po, Tiber and Arno. Po, originating from Alps, flow into Adriatic Sea, is the
longest river in this country (625 km).The Arno flow from the north-central
Apennines towards the Florence. And the Tiber flowing through Rome
4. Climate
Due to the protection of mountain ranges from cold winds from the north, the
overall temperature is higher than most of European countries. Italy has hot
summer and mild winter. In the summer often have thunderstorms in the
afternoon/night hours. In Spring and Autumn, the weather is warm and sunny
Italy has a variety of climate systems:
  Regions in the far north experience Alpine climate (Cold continental
climate) with cold, wet and snowy weather. It has cold, long winters when
many people choose to visit the Alps for skiing and winter activities
 The inland northern areas of Italy (for example Turin, Milan, and Bologna)
have a Humid subtropical climate , has hot summers and cold winter,
although the temperature rarely drops below freezing during the daytime.
The winter is dry and in the summer, there is a lot of rain. Fog is common
throughout the north from the autumn through to February and winters can
be severe in the Po Valley, the plains of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna.
 The Southern is greatly influence by the Mediterranean climate. This
region of Italy has wider rainfall totals in the winter months, and dry
summer conditions.

Most people visit Italy between June and August, however the best time to visit is in
Spring (April-May) and Autumn (September-October) when the weather is good and the
tourists are few. The sea is warm enough for swimming between June and September.
Most Italians take their vacation in August and many shops and restaurants are closed
during this period. The ski season runs between December and April and the best time
to walk in the Alps is between June and September.

Festival

February - Vernio: Polenta Festival

April - Florence: Mediaeval "Explosion of the Cart"

April - Cerreto Guidi – Chianti wine fair

May - Querceta: Renaissance Parade and Horse Race

May - Pescia: Pinocchio's Birthday
May - Massa Marittima: Historic Pageant
May - Saturnia: Pecorino Cheese fair

June - Arezzo: Medieval Pageant and Jousting Tournament

June - Chiusi: Historical Horse Race and Pageant
June - Florence: Historil Soccer Game and Parade
June - Pisa: Battle of the Bridge, featuring water games on the Arno River
June - Squirico d'Orcia: Festa del Barbarossa
June - Buti: Olive fair
Every 4 years in June: Regatta of the Great Maritime Republics

July - Lucca: Medieval Parade and Horse Race

July - Pistoia: Historic Parade and Jousting Tournament
July - Livorno: Historical Regatta
July to August - Siena: Palio Horse Race and Pageant
August - Grosset: Cowboy Parade and Rodeo
August - Giglio Island: Historical Regatta
August - Massa Marittima: Historic Pageant
August - Montepulciano: Historical Pageant and Games
15th August - Porto S Stefano: Palio Marinaro dell'Argentario

September - Carmignano: Historical Parade and Horse Race

September - Arezzo: Medieval Pageant and Jousting Tournament
September - Prato: Parade and Historical Ball Game
September - Bagno a Ripoli: Palio delle Contrade
September - Venice: finest regatta in Venice and gondola races
September - Monte San Savino: Roasted Pork fair
Saturday before first Sunday of September - Cerreto Guidi: Palio del Cerro

November - San Miniato: Festival of the White Truffle

December - Volterra: White Truffle of Val di Cecina fair

On the first Sunday of the month, In Arezzo, you will find one of the largest antique shows in Italy.

Food and drink

It's said that the further south you go, the better the gelato (ice cream), but it is also said that the further
north you go the better the café. Turin, Trieste, Venice, Milan and Padua offer grand historic cafés of
great warmth and elegance.