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Italian peninsula

Italian Peninsula
Apennine Peninsula  
Penisola italiana, Penisola appenninica, Terraferma, Continente or lo Stivale (Italian)
A map of the Italian Peninsula and its location in Europe.
Satellite view of the peninsula in March 2003.
Italian Peninsula in Europe.svg
Geography
Location Southern Europe
Coordinates

42°N 14°E / 42°N 14°E / 42; 14

37°N 15°E / 37°N 15°E / 37; 15
Area 131,337 km2 (50,709 sq mi)
Highest point Monte Bianco
Administration
Largest settlement Rome
Largest settlement Dogana
Largest settlement Itself (City-state)
Demographics
Demonym Apenninen
Population 26,171,000
Pop. density 199.27 /km2 (516.11 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups Italian

42°N 14°E / 42°N 14°E / 42; 14

The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Italian: Penisola italiana, Penisola appenninica) is the central and the smallest of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe (between the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkan Peninsula). It extends 1,000 km (620 mi) from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname lo Stivale (the Boot). Three smaller peninsulas contribute to this characteristic shape, namely Calabria (the "toe"), Salento (the "heel") and Gargano (the "spur").

Geographically, 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. All of the peninsula lies within the territory of the Italian Republic except for the microstates of San Marino and Vatican City. Additionally, Sicily, Elba and other smaller islands, such as Palagruža (Italian: Pelagosa), (which belongs to Croatia) are usually considered as islands off the peninsula and in this sense geographically grouped along with it.


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Wikipedia

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