Province of Reggio Calabria

Province of Reggio Calabria
Province
Castle and theatre of Gioiosa Ionica.
Coat of arms
Map highlighting the location of the province of Reggio Calabria in Italy
Country	Italy
Region	Calabria
Capital(s)	Reggio Calabria
Comuni	97
Government
• President	Giuseppe Raffa
Area
• Total	3,183 km2 (1,229 sq mi)
Population (28 February 2014)
• Total	559,675
• Density	180/km2 (460/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	89010-89018, 89020-89036, 89039-89050, 89052, 89054, 89056-89058, 89060, 89063-89065, 89069
Telephone prefix	0964, 0965, 0966
Vehicle registration	RC
ISTAT	080

The Province of Reggio Calabria (Italian: Provincia di Reggio Calabria) is a province in the Calabria region of Italy. It is the southernmost province in mainland Italy and is separated from the island of Sicily by the Strait of Messina. The Aspromonte massif dominates the western part, and with its long coastline, the province is a popular tourist destination during the summer. The capital is the city of Reggio.

It will be effectively replaced by the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria starting from 2018.

The province of Reggio Calabria is located at the extreme southern tip of mainland Italy. To the west lies the Tyrrhenian Sea and to the south and southeast lies the Ionian Sea. The land borders are short; to the northeast lies the province of Catanzaro and to the northwest, the province of Vibo Valentia. Across the Strait of Messina, some 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the southwest, lies the island of Sicily.

The province can be divided into three types of terrain. Near the west it is mountainous, with the Aspromonte massif being formed of overlapping terraces of gneiss and mica schists. The highest point is 1,956 m (6,417 ft) and this area is part of the Aspromonte National Park. From the mountains flow many, often seasonal, creeks and rivers, the largest being the Amendolea and the Calopinace. The lower hills are terraced for the cultivation of citrus fruits, olives and vines, and the higher parts are wooded, with chestnuts, beeches, holm oaks, pines, Sicilian firs and Mediterranean maquis shrubland. The southern part of the province has a coastal plain and to the east of the mountainous area, there is a plateau that extends from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Ionian Sea, the distance from Rosarno to Punta Stilo being about 220 kilometres (140 mi).