What are Italy's Physical features?
Italy is a peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea. This means it is a piece of land that is almost completely surrounded by water. Italy is easily recognised on a map because of the it is shaped like a boot.
Mountains
A lot of Italy is covered by mountains. The Dolomite mountains extend into Northern Italy and are part of the Alps mountain range. Within this mountain range is the Aosta valley, home to Mont Blanc (4,879m), Monte Rosa (4,633m) and Matterhorn (4,478m). There are also the Apennines that run through the centre of Italy, stretching from North to South and dividing Italy into the eats and west coasts. They run through nearly 2/3 of the country and extend from Genoa to Calabria. Due to their position, they are often known as the 'backbone of Italy'. The highest point of the Apennines is 2,913m and is called the 'Corno Crande'.
Volcanoes
Apart from Iceland, Italy has the most volcanoes in Europe, with at least six active volcanoes on the peninsula. They include Mt. Vesuvius near Naples; Mt. Stromboli (located near the island of Vulcano) and Mt. Etna (in Sicily). Scientists believe that Vesuvius is going to erupt soon, even though Mt. Etna has been quite quiet recently. Although all 6 volcanoes pose serious threats, there also some advantages for having them. While a lot of the major volcanoes drawn in tourism, the other volcanoes give fertile land and thermal and mineral springs.
Rivers
The longest river in Italy is the River Po. It is approximately 670kmin length and its source is the many streams found in the Alps. Some the river's tributaries are Dora Baltea, Ticino and Adda. The second largest river is the Adige, which empties into the Adriatic. This is a little north of the river Po. In the peninsula, there are rivers called Arno and Tiber. There are totally three rivers in the peninsula. This is far fewer than those found in Northern Italy. The length of these rivers is also smaller compared to those in the north.
Land and its climate
The peninsula, South of the Po valley, has a Mediterranean climate and can be compared to places like California. This means that the summers are hot and dry and the winters are mild and wet. In contrast, the Po valley has a much harsher climate with chilly winters that are often damp and foggy. The Alps have cool summers, very severe winters and the peaks of the mountains are always covered with snow. There is a lot of rain and snow in this area.
The coastline
Italy has two different coastlines. One is the rocky coastline, but the other type is much more like a beach. Flat coastal plains have longs sandy beaches. These beaches are commonly found tucked away in places like Sardinia. A lot of Italy's long coastal areas are rugged. For example, there is Amalfi coast and the cliffs in Cinque Tierre. There are also lots of small islands that also have these coastlines.
Mountains
A lot of Italy is covered by mountains. The Dolomite mountains extend into Northern Italy and are part of the Alps mountain range. Within this mountain range is the Aosta valley, home to Mont Blanc (4,879m), Monte Rosa (4,633m) and Matterhorn (4,478m). There are also the Apennines that run through the centre of Italy, stretching from North to South and dividing Italy into the eats and west coasts. They run through nearly 2/3 of the country and extend from Genoa to Calabria. Due to their position, they are often known as the 'backbone of Italy'. The highest point of the Apennines is 2,913m and is called the 'Corno Crande'.
Volcanoes
Apart from Iceland, Italy has the most volcanoes in Europe, with at least six active volcanoes on the peninsula. They include Mt. Vesuvius near Naples; Mt. Stromboli (located near the island of Vulcano) and Mt. Etna (in Sicily). Scientists believe that Vesuvius is going to erupt soon, even though Mt. Etna has been quite quiet recently. Although all 6 volcanoes pose serious threats, there also some advantages for having them. While a lot of the major volcanoes drawn in tourism, the other volcanoes give fertile land and thermal and mineral springs.
Rivers
The longest river in Italy is the River Po. It is approximately 670kmin length and its source is the many streams found in the Alps. Some the river's tributaries are Dora Baltea, Ticino and Adda. The second largest river is the Adige, which empties into the Adriatic. This is a little north of the river Po. In the peninsula, there are rivers called Arno and Tiber. There are totally three rivers in the peninsula. This is far fewer than those found in Northern Italy. The length of these rivers is also smaller compared to those in the north.
Land and its climate
The peninsula, South of the Po valley, has a Mediterranean climate and can be compared to places like California. This means that the summers are hot and dry and the winters are mild and wet. In contrast, the Po valley has a much harsher climate with chilly winters that are often damp and foggy. The Alps have cool summers, very severe winters and the peaks of the mountains are always covered with snow. There is a lot of rain and snow in this area.
The coastline
Italy has two different coastlines. One is the rocky coastline, but the other type is much more like a beach. Flat coastal plains have longs sandy beaches. These beaches are commonly found tucked away in places like Sardinia. A lot of Italy's long coastal areas are rugged. For example, there is Amalfi coast and the cliffs in Cinque Tierre. There are also lots of small islands that also have these coastlines.