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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 or the Apennine Peninsula, is a peninsula extending from the southern Alps in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. It is nicknamed lo Stivale (the 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 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 in mainland Europe, Mount Vesuvius.

Political geography

In general discourse, "Italy" and "Italian peninsula" are often used as synonymous terms. However, the 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/ Territory	Peninsular area				Description
	Population	km	sq mi	Share
Italy	26,140,000	131,275	50,686	99.9531%	Effectively the entire peninsula
San Marino	31,887	61.2	23.6	0.0466%	A central-eastern enclave of peninsular Italy
Vatican City	829	0.44	0.17	0.0003%	An enclave of Rome, Italy

See also

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

References

1. "The BOOT of ITALY". 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 (Sicily and Sardinia)).

External links

• Media related to Italian Peninsula at Wikimedia Commons

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