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The geography of Italy is as interesting as the country itself is. Italy is located in southern Europe, bordering France in the north-west, Switzerland and Austria in the north and Slovenia in the north-east. In the north, Italy shares the Alps with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. It's a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by the Ligurian Sea, the Sardinian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, the Sicilian Sea and the Ionian Sea in the south and the Adriatic Sea in the east. Italy roughly lies between the latitude 42°50'N of the Equator and longitude 12°50'E of the Greenwich. The unique geography of Italy allows it to connect to all major European nations by land or sea. The Italian coastline provides access by sea to Africa and Middle East via the Mediterranean Sea and Americas via the strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean.
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The landscape and terrain of Italy are quite varied and diverse, although they are characterized predominantly by two mountain chains: the Alps and the Apennines. The Italian Alps extends over 600 miles from east to west with peaks rising to over 14, 000 feet, including Mont Blanc (15, 781 ft)- the highest peak in Europe, Monte Rosa and Cervino (the Matterhorn).
The Dolomite Mountains in the eastern Alps are known for their exceptional scenic beauty and offer excellent conditions for skiing and other adventures. The Apennine mountains cut down the center of Italy, stretching from north to south, dividing the east and west coasts.
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Italy is also home to the scenic Po River Valley with some extensive fertile plains. Many rivers flow down from the mountains towards the Po Basin, passing through the beautiful Italian Lake District. Italy has 2, 000 miles long coastline with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
The unique landscape of Italy also comprises two large islands: Sicily and Sardinia. Sicily (Sicilia) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea with active volcanoes, including Mount Etna (10, 860 feet), visible across a 2 mile strait from mainland Italy. Sardinia (Sardegna) is basically a mountainous landscape with fine sandy beaches and rocky offshore islands. Italy also has two independent countries - Vatican City and San Marino- within its borders.
Vatican City is the world's smallest country and the center of Roman Catholic Church, while San Marino is an independent republic on the north east coast of Italy. There are also several beautiful archipelagos in Italy including the Tremiti Islands in the Adriatic Sea, the Tuscan Archipelago, the Pontine Islands, the Aeolian Islands and the Egadi Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Sicilia.
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