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42°00′N 14°00′E / 42.000°N 14.000°E / 42.000; 14.000

The Italian peninsula (Italian: penisola italica or penisola italiana), also known as the Italic peninsula, Apennine peninsula, Italian boot, or mainland Italy, is a peninsula, within the Italian geographical region, extending from the southern Alps in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south which comprises much of the country of Italy and the enclaved microstates of San Marino and Vatican City.

Overview

It is nicknamed lo Stivale (the Boot), due to the shape of the peninsula resembling a high-heeled boot. Three smaller peninsulas contribute to this characteristic shape, namely Calabria (the "toe"), Salento (the "heel") and Gargano (the "spur"). The backbone of the Italian peninsula consists of the Apennine Mountains, from which it takes one of its names. The peninsula comprises much of Italy and also includes the enclaved microstates of San Marino and Vatican City.

Physical geography

Geographically, the minimum extent of the Italian peninsula consists of the land south of a line extending from the Magra to the Rubicon rivers, north of the Tuscan–Emilian Apennines. It excludes the Po Valley and the southern slopes of the Alps. The Italian peninsula has the only active volcano on continental Europe, Mount Vesuvius.

Political geography

In general discourse, "Italy" and the "Italian peninsula" are often used as synonymous terms. However, Northern Italy may be excluded from the Italian peninsula. From a political point of view, the Italian peninsula in the strict sense (therefore excluding insular Italy and northern Italy) is divided into various states listed in the following table:

Country	Population	Peninsular area			Description
		km	sq mi	Share
Italy	26,140,000	131,275	50,686	99.9531%	Virtually the entire peninsula
San Marino	31,887	61.2	23.6	0.0466%	A central-eastern enclave of peninsular Italy
Vatican City	829	0.49	0.19	0.0003%	An enclave of Rome, Italy

See also

• Apennine Mountains
• Italy
• Italy (geographical region)
• San Marino
• Southern Europe
• Vatican City

References

1. "The BOOT of ITALY". June 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
2. De Agostini Ed., L'Enciclopedia Geografica – Vol. I - Italia, 2004, p. 78.
3. Touring Club Italiano, Conosci l'Italia – Vol. I: L'Italia fisica, 1957.
4. "Mount Vesuvius, Italy: Map, Facts, Eruption Pictures, Pompeii".
5. Vocabolario Treccani, Peninsulare
6. De Agostini Ed., L'Enciclopedia Geografica - Vol. I - Italia, 2004, p.78
7. Touring Club Italiano, Conosci l'Italia - Vol. I: L'Italia fisica, 1957
8. Population includes only the inhabitants of the Italian peninsula, excluding northern Italy and insular Italy (Sardinia and Sicily).

External links

• Media related to Italian Peninsula at Wikimedia Commons

• Geography of Europe
• Geography of Italy
• Geography of San Marino
• Geography of Vatican City
• Metropolitan or continental parts of states
• Peninsulas of Europe
• Peninsulas of Italy
• Regions of Europe