Italy

Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. It comprises a boot-shaped peninsula and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Italy

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Italy consists predominantly of a large peninsula with a distinctive boot shape that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, where together with its two main islands Sicily and Sardinia it creates distinct bodies of water, such as the Adriatic Sea to the north-east, the Ionian Sea to the south-east, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the south-west and finally the Ligurian Sea to the north-west.

Related Topics:
Peninsula - Mediterranean Sea - Sicily - Sardinia - Adriatic Sea - Ionian Sea - Tyrrhenian Sea - Ligurian Sea

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The Apennine mountains form the backbone of this peninsula, leading north-west to where they join the Alps, the mountain range that then forms an arc enclosing Italy from the north.

Related Topics:
Apennine mountains - Alps

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Here is also found a large alluvial plain, the Po-Venetian plain, drained by the Po River and its many tributaries flowing down from the Alps, Apennines and Dolomites.

Related Topics:
Po-Venetian plain - Po River - Apennine - Dolomites

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Other well-known rivers include the Tiber, Adige and Arno.

Related Topics:
Tiber - Adige - Arno

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Its highest point is Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) at 4,810 m, but Italy is more typically associated with two famous volcanoes: the currently dormant Vesuvius near Naples and the very active Etna on Sicily.

Related Topics:
Mont Blanc - Volcano - Vesuvius - Naples - Etna

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