If you are wondering where is Italy on the map then here is the right answer: this beautiful country is located in southeastern Europe, on the Apennine Peninsula.

The Italian peninsula has a very distinct shape resembling a boot so it is very easy to recognise on maps even from space.

The country extends for more than 1.200 kilometres from its borders north of the Po valley to the tip of the boot right into the central Mediterranean Sea.

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In the northern part of the country, Italy is connected with Europe’s mainland and this is the place where Italy meets the Alps, the largest mountain range in Europe that passes over Switzerland and Austria.

 

 

In the northwestern part of the country, you can find France and in the northeastern part, there is Slovenia right near the border.

Being such a large country, Italy has many neighbours including the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Sea of Sicily in the south, the Ligurian and the Tyrrhenian Seas in the west and the Ionian Sea in the southeast.

All these smaller seas are actually part of the large and beautiful Mediterranean Sea, so don’t be surprised to find out that Italy is considered a Mediterranean country.

Where is Italy on the map and general information

The total surface of the peninsula where is Italy on the world map is 301.000 square kilometres (116.300 square miles) and has a total population of more than 60 million people.

Inside the Italian territory, there are two small political entities, and here I am talking about the independent state of the Republic of San Marino and the Vatican City.

The Republic of San Marino is located on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains, right near the Adriatic Coast, while the Vatican City state is located in Rome and is home to the Pope.

 

 

Italy has an impressive coastline of 7.600 kilometres, one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe and part of the world-famous mountain range, the Alps.

The Po River valley is the largest plain in the country surrounded by beautiful hills and spectacular mountains.

Italy as a nation did not exist until 1861 when a large number of regional states and kingdoms were unified into a single country.

The country has a large and very different culture from one region to another, and here I am talking about different dialects, food, architecture and culture.

Where’s Italy on the map and how to get there

Italy’s main gate to the world is Rome Fiumicino also named Leonardo da Vinci, followed by Milan Malpensa and Venice Marco Polo.

If you are travelling from outside Europe, especially from North America and Asia you most probably will land at one of these airports.

 

 

But besides these two main hubs, there are plenty of other smaller airports that operate domestic and international flights all over the country: Genoa airport, Bergamo airport, Naples airport, Pisa airport and the list could go on.

The territory where is Italy on the map is also crossed by many high-speed trains that link different parts of the country with France, Switzerland Austria and Slovenia.

Stay safe while you travel

Being a peninsula, Italy is surrounded by waters so you can also catch a ferry from France, Spain, Greece, Albania, Croatia and Tunisia to the main city ports from Italy like Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia (near Rome), Naples, Salerno, Palermo, Brindisi, Bari, Ancona, Venice and Trieste.

The area where is Italy on the world map is divided into 20 regions, each of it having its own beauty and charm.

The Coastline

Italy has more than 7.500 kilometres of coastline and hides many beautiful cities and villages, not to mention the spectacular view.

From the total surface of the coastline, more than 3.000 kilometres are sand or gravel beaches, while the remaining part consists of stunning cliffs plunging into the sea.

 

 

With 1.625 kilometres and 1.897 kilometres, just Sicily and Sardinia has about half of the coastline and here you can find one of the most beautiful beaches from all over the country.

Although the tidal range is very limited, about 0.3 metres along with most parts of the Italian coast, the coastline is exposed to severe storms and extreme weather conditions during certain months of the year.

The mountains

Where is Italy on the map lies three beautiful mountains: the Alps, the Dolomites and the Apennine Mountains.

The Alps which are the most famous mountains in Europe are located on the northern side of the country.

The highest point from the Alps is by far Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco with a total height of 4.810 metres ( 15.782 feet).

 

 

The interesting thing about this mountain is that it is located right at the French-Italian border and both countries pretend that the peak is theirs.

I cannot say for sure which country has the rights over Mont Blanc but I can tell you for sure that this is the highest peak from the Alps.

The highest peak from the Alps that is fully located in Italy is the Gran Paradiso with a total height of 4.061 metres ( 13.323 feet), just 800 metres shorter than Monte Bianco.

Another beautiful mountains that are located where is Italy on the world map are the Dolomites, in the northern part of the country and included in the Unesco World Heritage Site since 2009.

And there are the Apennine Mountains that are smaller but beautiful mountains extending from the northwest to southeast of Italy for about 1.200 kilometres (700 miles).

The Po valley

This vast and fertile plain located in the northern part of Italy along the Po river lies from the Alps in the north and west and the Apennines in the east.

Actually, this is the main industrial area of the country and the largest plain that is located around the Po river that is more than 650 kilometres long.

The Italian volcanoes

On the southern part of where is Italy on the map is a volcanic area that comprises the only active volcanoes from Europe.

Mount Etna is one of them and it is located on the eastern coast of Sicily right near the town of Catania.

This is considered to be the most active European volcano and it erupted just a few days ago, on February 16, 2021.

Just 120 kilometres away, on the northern side of Etna, there is another active volcano called Stromboli that rises out of the sea and during its eruptions it created a new island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

 

 

This small island is part of the Aeolian Islands together with other 7 pieces of land.

The list with the Italian volcanoes continues with Mount Vesuvius, which is considered by some experts to be a dormant volcano, as it last erupted in 1944.

The last but not least volcano from Italy is Phlegraean Fields located right near the beautiful town of Pozzuoli, in the western part of Naples.

This volcano has a wide caldera that appeared after the collapse of a volcano cone and that is why it extends to the sea.

In the area appeared 24 new craters that are classified as dormant volcanoes, out of which the most important one is Solfatara, a beautiful volcano that emits jets of steam with sulfurous fumes.

Lakes in Italy

The most beautiful lakes in the country are located at the foot of the mountains, in the northern part of the country.

Here I would name Lake Garda near Verona as the largest lake from the country followed by Lago Maggiore or “Great Lake” that lies partly in Switzerland.

 

 

The most scenic and epic lake by far is Lake Como or Lago di Como located in the northern part of the country at the foot of the Alps and has a total surface of 145 square kilometres.

Conclusion

Now you know where’s Italy on the map and which are the most beautiful areas in the country.

Besides the natural beauty, Italy has many amazing and picturesque cities like Rome ( the capital of the country built on the Tiber River), Venezia, Milan and Naples and also some amazing provinces.

 

 

You definitely have to book a trip to Tuscany, which is one of the most incredible countrysides of Italy with lush hills and charming villages hidden between wineries and hills, or Emilia Romagna, the place considered to be the epicentre of Italian gastronomy.