The “boot country” Italy is a long and narrow peninsula that stretches into the Mediterranean sea.

The Alps, that extend straight across the north of the country, form a gigantic barrier which in past times protected the peninsula from the Barbarians.

The country is divided into two separate parts: the continental northern Italy and the peninsula of southern Italy.

The northern part consists of plains, clearly defined in the north and north west by the Alps, and in the south by the Apennines. When you talk about northern Italy, it is the Po flatland, the alp region and the Apennines that are being considered. Some of the highest mountains of Europe are in Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta. From here several large rivers run down towards the Po flatland passing through the beautiful Italian lake districts Maggiore, Como and Garda.

The central part of the Italian peninsula begins at Tuscany, which offers a different kind of scenery consisting of snow-covered mountains, billowing countryside and a coast of long white sandy beaches. Marche, Abruzzo and Molise, on the other hand, are rocky landscapes. Umbria is called “the green heart of Italy” and is famous for its hilly plains with olive plantations and pine trees.

Farther south lies Rome, the capital of Italy, and this is where the Vatican is located.
Southern Italy consists of Campania, with its flat coastal land and hills; Calabria with its wild scenery; and Puglia, which is also known as “the boot heel”. Then there are the two big islands of Sicily, with its fertile and vulcanic landscape, and Sardinia, whose hilly countryside and beautiful beaches are surrounded by small rocky islands.