Landscape and geography of Sicily
The largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean
Sicily is, with 25,708 square kilometres and 5.1 million inhabitants, not only the largest island in the Mediterranean, but also the most populous. Extensive beaches along the coasts, natural hills and mountains in the inland and Europe's largest volcano impress – on top of the important cultural and historical evidence – every visitor to Sicily. A total of 37 other smaller islands belong to Sicily, which are all popular tourist destinations and two of them are home to an active volcano.
Geographical situation of Sicily
Sicily represents the remnant of a land bridge that connected the European and African continents millions of years ago. With a size of 25,708 square kilometres and 5.1 million inhabitants, Sicily is the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean. The autonomous region of Sicily also forms the largest region in Italy. Sicily itself is divided into nine provinces with the homonymous capital cities: Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Messina, Catania, Siracusa and Ragusa. In terms of population, Sicily is a melting pot of many cultures. In addition to the indigenous population, today’s population is a mix of Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines, Normans, Germans, Frenchmen and Spaniards. However, so far the Albanian language is the only language which has been preserved in addition to the Italian.
Diversity of the landscape
Particularly impressive in Sicily is also the diverse and ever-changing landscape. In the north of the island a long mountain range extends whose highest peak and magical attraction is the volcano Etna. The island's interior is mainly characterised by barren hills and mountains, while the south is much flatter. The coasts of Sicily offer, from steep cliffs, through volcanic rock coasts, to shallow sandy beaches, a wide range of idyllic beaches and coastal regions.
Particularly attractive and interesting are the 37 smaller islands that belong to Sicily. They are all popular tourist destinations, attracting many tourists each year. The best known and largest island groups are the Aeolian Islands, which also include two active volcanoes, the Lipari Islands and the distant islands of Lampedusa and Pantelleria.
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