PHYSICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY

1. Italy is celebrated for its mild winters, clear sky, and due scenery, its volcanoes, ancient ruins, and works of art.



The three famous volcanoes of Italy are Vesuvius, Etna, and Stromboli.
The north is enclosed by several divisions of the Alps, whose high summits are covered with perpetual snow.

The Apennines begin at the Maritime Alps, near Genoa, and extend through the peninsula.
On account of its shape and the positions of its mountain chains, Italy has but one large river, the Po, which drains the rich and populous plains of Piedmont and Lombardy.
The Po River has numerous branches on its northern side, many of which drain lakes remarkable for the beauty of their scenery.

The principal lakes in the north are Garda, Como, and Maggiore.
The western coast, for a considerable distance north and south of Rome, is low and very unhealthy.
The mildness of the winters of Central and Southern Italy is chiefly due to the influence of the winds which blow over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

The products include grain, milk, wine, olive oil, fruits, marble, and sulfur.
The Italians take ancestry from the Greeks, Gauls, Goths, Germans, and Arabs. Schools, academies, universities, and libraries are numerous.
The capital city of Italy is Rome. Rome is famous for its ancient Roman ruins, including the Colosseum, where gladiators fought wild animals and each other to the death.

As of 2020, Italy has a population of over 60 million.

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY

1. Italy was settled by Greeks in the eighth century, B.C. For a long time, its cities had separate governments, but all came under the dominion of Rome.
2. According to legend, Rome was founded around about 753 B.C. by Romulus and Remus, twins who were raised by a she-wolf.
3. Rome was a kingdom about 300 years, then a republic about 500 years, and became an empire in the year 35 B.C.
4. Pompeii and Herculaneum, ancient cities near Naples, were buried under the ashes sent out from Vesuvius during an eruption in 79 A.D.
5. The first Emperor after Ceasar, was Augustus, who reigned at the beginning of the Christian era, when Rome was most celebrated for its wealth, power, splendor. and learning. Its dominion extended over nearly the whole of Europe, western and southwestern Asia, and northern Africa.
6. Constantine was the first emperor who converted from paganism to Christianity around 300 A.D.
7. The States of Italy have at times been under the dominion of France and Austria, but all are now joined together, forming the independent country of Italy.

MAPWORK

1. Examine Italy on a map and note it is a peninsula.
2. Which countries border Italy?
3. Which countries are northeast of Italy?
4. Which countries are northwest of Italy?
5. Which small sea is east of Italy?
6. Which two small seas are west of Italy?
7. Which small sea is southeast of Italy?
8. Which large sea borders Italy?
9. Find and name two gulfs bordering Italy.
10. Find and name two straits bordering Italy.
11. Find the name of the river marked on the map of Italy.
12. What two large islands are west of mainland Italy?
13. Which of the two islands west of Italy belongs to France?
14. What is the name of the island being kicked by the boot of mainland Italy?
15. Is the city of Naples on the east coast or west coast of Italy? Naples is in the same latitude as New York City.
16. Where is the city of Rome, Italy's capital and largest city?
17. Where is the city of Venice, known for its canals and charming walkways and bridges?
18. Where is the city of Florence, celebrated for its valuable collections of sculptures and paintings?
19. Where is the city of Pisa, known for its leaning tower?
20. Observe that Mt. Blanc, Genoa, Rome, and Naples are all nearly in a line with one another.