Messina (province)

Province of Messina
Province
Giardini Naxos, a popular resort in the Province of Messina
Map highlighting the location of the province of Messina in Italy
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Capital(s)	Messina
Comuni	108
Area
• Total	3,247 km2 (1,254 sq mi)
Population (December 2011)
• Total	651,921
• Density	200/km2 (520/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	98000-98100
Telephone prefix	090, 0941, 0942
Vehicle registration	ME
ISTAT	083

Messina (Italian: Provincia di Messina; Sicilian: Pruvincia di Missina) was a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital was the city of Messina. It was replaced by the Metropolitan City of Messina.

It had an area of 3,247 square kilometres (1,254 sq mi), which amounts to 12.6 percent of total area of the island, and a total population of more 650,000. There are 108 comuni (singular: comune) in the province [1], see Comuni of the Province of Messina.

The province included the Aeolian Islands, all part of the comune of Lipari (with the exception of Salina). The territory is largely mountainous, with the exception of alluvial plain at the mouths of the various rivers. The largest plain is that in the area between Milazzo and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, which, together with Messina, form a metropolitan area of some 500,000 inhabitants, one of the largest in southern Italy. Much of the population is concentrated in the coastal area, after the hill towns have been largely abandoned from the 19th century.

The main mountain ridges are the Peloritani, up to 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in elevation, and the Nebrodi, up to 1,900 metres (6,200 ft), which are included in a Regional Natural Reserve.

Rivers of the province include the Alcantara and the Pollina, which forms the border with the province of Palermo to the west.

The main comunes by population are:

Coordinates: 38°11′N 15°33′E / 38.183°N 15.550°E / 38.183; 15.550