Italian Peninsula
Boot-shaped peninsula comprising much of Italy and the enclaved microstates of San Marino and Vatican City.
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Three smaller peninsulas—Calabria, Salento, and Gargano—form the toe, heel, and spur of this shape.[1][2] The Apennine Mountains run as the backbone of the peninsula, from which it takes one of its names.[1][2] Due to its form resembling a boot with a high heel, the Italian Peninsula is referred to as "lo Stivale" (meaning "the Boot").[1][2]
Key facts and history
Geographically, the peninsula's minimum extent is the land south of a line from the Magra to the Rubicon rivers, north of the Tuscan–Emilian Apennines.[3] Magma produced from the melting African plate creates the violently explosive volcanoes of the peninsula.[4] The Italian Renaissance contributed to advances in art, science, exploration, and humanism.[2] The peninsula includes two independent countries: the Vatican and San Marino.[2]
Mount Vesuvius is the sole active volcano found on continental Europe, and it is located on the Italian Peninsula.[3]
What the cited sources add
The "Boot of Italy" account notes that Puglia, which includes Salento and Gargano, has the longest coastline of any mainland Italian region.[2] The same source states that each region in the boot has its own distinct culture, including food, dialects, and traditions.[2] A description of Mount Vesuvius explains that the subduction zone stretching the length of the peninsula is also the source of volcanoes like Mount Etna and Stromboli.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "Italian Peninsula" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The BOOT of ITALY", June 2023 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "The BOOT of ITALY", June 2023. facts only, no text reused. theworldbucketlist.com
- Wikipedia, "Italian Peninsula" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: De Agostini Ed., L'Enciclopedia Geografica – Vol. I - Italia, 2004, p. 78.; Touring Club Italiano, Conosci l'Italia – Vol. I: L'Italia fisica, 1957.; "Mount Vesuvius, Italy: Map, Facts, Eruption Pictures, Pompeii" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Mount Vesuvius, Italy: Map, Facts, Eruption Pictures, Pompeii". facts only, no text reused. geology.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Italian Peninsula (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Italian Peninsula (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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