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Basilicata

Basilicata
Region of Italy
Flag of Basilicata
Flag
Coat of arms of Basilicata
Coat of arms
Basilicata in Italy.svg
Country Italy
Capital Potenza
Government
 • President Marcello Pittella (PD)
Area
 • Total 9,995 km2 (3,859 sq mi)
Population (2012-10-3)
 • Total 575,902
 • Density 58/km2 (150/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Lucano (sing.), Lucani (pl.)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
GDP/ Nominal €11.4 billion (2008)
GDP per capita €19,100 (2008)
NUTS Region ITF
Website www.regione.basilicata.it

Coordinates: 40°30′N 16°30′E / 40.5°N 16.5°E / 40.5; 16.5

Basilicata (Italian pronunciation: [basiliˈkaːta] or [baziliˈkaːta]), also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia (Puglia) to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It also has two coastlines, one on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania and Calabria, and a longer coastline along the Gulf of Taranto between Calabria and Apulia. The region can be thought of as the "instep" of Italy, with Calabria functioning as the "toe" and Apulia the "heel". The region covers about 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi) and in 2010 had a population slightly under 600,000. The regional capital is Potenza. The region is divided into two provinces: Potenza and Matera. The president of Basilicata is Marcello Pittella.

The name derives from "basilikos" (Greek: βασιλικός), which refers to the basileus, the Byzantine emperor, who ruled the region in the 9th–11th centuries. Others argue that the name may refer to the Basilica of Acerenza which held judicial power in the Middle Ages. During the Greek and Roman Ages, Basilicata was known as Lucania, named after the tribes which populated the region in the Iron Age.


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Wikipedia

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