In Southern Europe, in the middle of the Mediterranean. It occupies the Apennine Peninsula, a small part of the Balkan Peninsula, the Padan Plain, the southern slopes of the Alps, the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and a number of small islands. The area of the territory is 301340 km2. Washing seas: from the east, the Apennine peninsula is washed by the Adriatic Sea with the Gulf of Venice in its northern part. The Strait of Otranto between Apulia and Albania connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea. Between Puglia and Calabria, the Gulf of Taranto penetrates deeply into the land. The narrow Strait of Messina separates Calabria from Sicily, the Sicilian (or Tunisian) Strait, 135 km wide, separates Sicily from North Africa. The Tyrrhenian Sea is a triangular basin framed by Sardinia, Corsica, the Tuscan archipelago, the Apennine Peninsula and Sicily. To the north of Corsica is the Ligurian Sea with the Gulf of Genoa.
Climate. Subtropical Mediterranean. The influence of the sea is enhanced by the Alps, which are a barrier to the northern and western winds. In the Alpine (northernmost) zone, the climate has a continental character, altitudinal zonation is manifested. At the foot of the Alps average temperature July +20...+22°С. In Bardonecchia (western part) the average annual temperature is +7.4°C, the average annual rainfall is 660 mm. The eastern part is less warm with more moisture, in Cortina d'Ampezzo these figures are + 6.6 ° C and 1055 mm. In Valle d'Aosta (western part of the zone), permanent snow cover starts at 3110 m, in the Julian Alps snow drops to 2545 m. In autumn and winter, a hot dry fan blowing from Switzerland or Austria sometimes causes sharp increases in temperature in some valleys ( Aosta, Susa). In the eastern part of the Alps, gusts of dry and cold boron winds can reach 200 km/h. In summer, rains fall in high-altitude areas, in autumn and spring they move to the edges of the climatic zone. Snow falls only in winter, the amount (3-10 m) depends on the year and proximity to the coast. The foothills receive more heavy snowfalls than the mountainous regions. In mountainous areas, frosts down to -15 ... -20 ° С are not uncommon. The lakes located in the region soften the local climate, the average January temperature in Milan is +1°C, in Salo, on Lake Garda +4°C. There are hundreds of glaciers in the Italian Alps. On the Padana Plain, the climate is transitional from subtropical to temperate - hot summers and harsh winters, softening when moving towards the eastern coast. In Turin, the average winter temperature is +0.3°C, summer +23°C. Rain falls mainly during the off-season, increasing with altitude. Little snow falls on the high plains. The temperature on the Adriatic coast rises from north to south, partly due to an increase in latitude, partly due to a change in the prevailing winds from east to south. The average annual temperature in Venice is +13.6°C, in Ancona +16°C, in Bari +17°C. Precipitation is scarce - 750 mm in Venice, 650 mm in Ancona and 600 mm in Bari. In the Apennines, the severity of winter is determined by altitude, precipitation in the form of snow and rain is moderate (except in some places). Cyclones in the middle of winter cause frequent weather changes, and snow can fall in the southern regions. Average annual temperatures and precipitation are +12.1°C and 890 mm in Urbino (in the east), +12.5°C and 1000 mm in Potenza (Basilicata region). On the eastern slopes of the Apennines and in the interior of the peninsula, precipitation is 600-800 mm / year, in the interior of Sicily and Sardinia - less than 500 mm / year. Along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ligurian Riviera, temperatures and precipitation are influenced by the sea, full exposure to the midday sun, prevailing southwesterly winds, and the proximity of the Apennine ridge, which does not allow northerly winds to pass through. In San Remo (the western part of the riviera), 680 mm of precipitation falls per year, in La Spezia (the southeastern part of the riviera) - 1150 mm. On the Adriatic coast, it is generally colder (by 1 ... 2 ° C) and drier than on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Mountainous Calabria and Sicily are surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and therefore the temperatures are higher than in the mountains of the northern part of the peninsula. In the interior, rain is rare in winter, falling more in the western and northern regions of Sicily. In Reggio di Calabria, the average annual temperature and precipitation are +18.2°C and 595 mm, in Palermo +18°C and 970 mm, respectively. A hot and very humid sirocco wind often blows from North Africa, heating the air up to +40...+45°С and reaching the south of Sardinia. The climate of Sardinia is also affected by the cold mistral blowing over its northwestern coast. In Sassari (north-west of the island) the average annual temperature and precipitation are +17°C and 580 mm, in Orosei (east coast of the island) these figures are +17.5°C and 540 mm.
Relief. Mostly mountainous country. In the north - the southern slopes of the Alps, to the south - the Padana Plain; on the peninsula - the Apennine mountains. Active volcanoes - (Vesuvius, Etna); frequent earthquakes. In the northeastern part of the island of Sicily there are mountains, in the southwestern part of the island of Sardinia there is a plain.Hydrography. Under water ≈ 2.4% of the area. The longest river is Po (length 682 km). The largest lake is Garda.
Aquatic bioresources. From marine fish, mullet, cod, sardines, tuna, flounder are of commercial importance, from river fish - carp, trout, eel.Vegetation. Forests and shrubs occupy ≈ 31% of the territory. In the south and in the center, subtropical vegetation prevails, the flora of the north of the country is represented by walnut, oak, spruce, and pine.
Soils. In the north, in the Alps, mountain-meadow and mountain-forest soils are widespread. The southern foothills of the Alps and most of the Padan Plain are covered with brown forest soils. In the mid-altitude zone of the Alps, they are infertile. In coastal areas near the Adriatic Sea, marshy soils are found. In the coastal zone of the Apennine Peninsula and the island of Sicily, brown subtropical soils are common, which are very favorable for the cultivation of grapes and other southern crops. On the low plateaus of the Apennine foothills and on the island of Sardinia, humus-carbonate and mountain-forest brown soils predominate. On the lowlands, hills and low mountains of the coasts of the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas, red-colored Mediterranean soils have formed on limestones, especially suitable for growing fruit trees and grapes. There are soils formed on volcanic rocks. Alluvial soils are common in river valleys.Agriculture. Agricultural land occupies ≈ 42% of the territory, in their structure - arable land ≈ 52%.
Animal husbandry and crafts. Poultry (hens), cows (dairy and beef cattle breeding), sheep, pigs, goats are bred. Fishing and seafood (sardine, mackerel, anchovy, tuna, shellfish, crustaceans).
Plant growing. They grow wheat, rice, barley, oats, corn, sugar beet, flax (oilseed), tobacco, potatoes, greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, plums, peaches, pears, oranges, kiwi, cherries, apricots, nectarines, olives, grapes, flowers .
Regions of Italy
Abruzzo region.
It is located in the middle part of the Apennine Peninsula on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. 2/3 of the territory is occupied by mountains. Grow grapes.
Apulia region.
It is located in the east of Italy, washed by the Adriatic Sea in the east and north and the Ionian Sea in the south. The landscape is 53.3% flat, 45.3% hilly and only 1.5% mountainous. They grow flax (oilseed), tobacco, olive, and grapes.
Basilicata region.
It is located in the southern part of Italy, near the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea. The climate is subtropical Mediterranean, in the coastal zone - typically marine, the farther inland, the more continental. 47% of the territory is covered by mountains, 8% of the territory is covered by plains. Most of them are confined to the sea coast. Sheep breeding, pig breeding, goat breeding, fishing. They grow wheat, barley, oats, corn, plums, peaches, pears, kiwi, citrus fruits, grapes.
Information sources:
- Reference book "Countries of the world". "Slavic Book House", Moscow, 2004
Growing plants, vegetables, cereals, as well as livestock and poultry farming brings the country 10% of the total GDI (gross domestic income). This branch of agriculture employs 14% of the total population of the Italian Republic. However, over the past few years, Italian farmers have begun to abandon the cultivation of their own land - they are focusing their activities on the service sector and industrial production.
The lands of the Italian regions are much less fertile compared to other European lands. Agriculture is very developed only in the northern regions of Italy, most of all this industry is developed in the region of the Padan Plain. In this region, this industry is the most automated and mechanized, so it is much easier for people to engage in agriculture here.
Most of all in Italy, the cultivation of plants and crops is developed. Most of the land I grow different types of crops. The most fertile arable land is planted with wheat and corn. The cultivation of oats and rye is most developed in the Alpine valleys and on the slopes of the Alps themselves.
Remarkably, Italy is the leading country in Europe in terms of the volume of rice grown. Only its homeland, China, can compete with Italy in terms of the yield of this crop.
Potatoes are very popular in Italy. Its seeds are carefully selected. Therefore, for example, in order to harvest a good crop of potatoes, it is best buy potato seeds in Ukraine at this link, where the best seeds are collected on the Farmer Center website huge amount vegetables and herbs.
I grow it in many regions of Italy. Landowners plant and grow a variety of vegetable crops. Cabbage and salads, tomatoes, onions, as well as gourds and asparagus grow well here. The most developed region for growing vegetables in Italy can be called Campania.
Of course, one of the main roles in this industry is the cultivation of grapes. Huge areas throughout the country are occupied by vineyards, they create a kind of classic Italian landscape.
Olives are another important crop for Italian farmers. After Spain, the country is in second place in the world in the cultivation of this crop.
Italy is also engaged in the cultivation of industrial crops. These plants are used to make raw materials, which are the main product of the textile industry. Of these crops, hemp, cotton and flax grow in the country. Every year, growing flowers is becoming more and more popular. Most of them are exported to other countries.
Livestock occupies one of the important roles in the agricultural sector in Italy. Dairy cattle are mostly raised by farmers northern regions. Other areas of the country are engaged in extensive animal husbandry.
Fishing in Italy is not very developed. In the seas that wash the shores of the country, there are not so many fish, because the continental shelf is not very large in area and contains a small number of shoals. Every year, the volume of freshwater fishing is reduced due to the strongest pollution of lake and river reservoirs with industrial waste.
Italy is an economically developed state. In terms of its share in world production (3.6% in 1985), it is second only to the USA, Japan, Germany, France and Great Britain. Italy is an industrial-agrarian country. Industrial products make up the bulk of Italian exports.
Industry of Italy
Industry is the leading sector of the Italian economy. it provides about 2/5 of the national income, and it accounts for more than 2/5 of all employed people.
Italy is very insufficiently and unevenly provided with raw materials and energy resources. Among the country's minerals, natural gas, pyrites, polymetallic ores, potash salts, cinnabar (mercury ore), asbestos and some others stand out in terms of their industrial or export value. The Italian manufacturing industry is based primarily on imported raw materials.
The industry of Italy is dominated by heavy industry, the leading role in which belongs to mechanical engineering. In recent years, metallurgy, electric power, chemical and petrochemical industries have also developed significantly. Basically, the country has developed industries that require qualified work force, relatively few raw materials and fuels and produce mostly mass products. The oil refining industry in Italy is the most powerful in Europe. It provides not only domestic demand, but also the largest export of petroleum products among all European countries. Oil is delivered to Italy via the Mediterranean Sea, mainly from the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. The largest oil refinery was built on the island of Sicily, in the city of Milazzo. Since Italian refineries use mostly imported oil brought in by sea, most of them are located close to seaports, especially in the South. In the North, with its extensive pipeline system, oil refineries are close to the consumer - to large industrial centers. Of great importance for the entire economy of Italy is the use of local and imported natural gas. Rich deposits of natural gas have been developed in the Po River valley, in the south of the Apennine Peninsula, on the island of Sicily and on the continental shelf in the Ravenna-Rimini region. Need in natural gas growing every year, the country imports it from North Africa, the Netherlands and Russia.
Very important role Italy's energy sector is dominated by the electric power industry, one of the most technologically advanced industries. Italy's hydropower resources are used almost completely. In the past, hydropower was the backbone of the Italian electricity industry, but in recent years, 70% of electricity generation comes from thermal power plants. Most of the water resources are concentrated in the Alps, and the largest hydroelectric power plants were built there: Grosio, Santa Massenza.
Back in 1905, the world's first geothermal power plants appeared in Larderello (Central Italy), but this type of energy is still underused.
share nuclear power plants in the production of electricity is still small. The insufficiency of the fuel and raw material base explains the very significant dependence of most branches of Italian industry on foreign economic relations. In particular, this applies to a large extent to the ferrous metallurgy: coking coal is entirely imported from abroad, mainly from the United States, more than 90% of the consumed coal is imported. iron ore, 75% scrap metal, 2/3 - manganese ore.
Metallurgy gravitates mainly either to ports through which raw materials and fuel for the industry are imported, or to major centers mechanical engineering, i.e. to markets. The largest and technically the association "Findser". The core of the industry is made up of four major metallurgical plant- in Genoa, Naples, Piombino, Taranto. The main products that go to the world market are thin cold-rolled steel sheets.
In the production of non-ferrous and light metals, the aluminum industry, the smelting of lead, zinc and mercury are the most developed; those industries that are best provided with local raw materials.
The lead-zinc industry processes imported polymetallic ores and local ones coming from deposits on the island of Sardinia and in the Alps. Smelting zinc as more energy intensive production gravitates towards large thermal power plants or large hydroelectric power station. Lead smelters are located near the Sardinian deposits of polymetallic ores.
In recent years, for environmental reasons, Italy almost does not use its richest deposits of cinnabar, and lost to Spain the world championship in the production of mercury.
Italy occupies one of the first places in the world in the production of magnesium. magnesium production. Magnesium production is entirely concentrated in a single magnesium electrolysis plant in Bolzano.
The leading branch of Italian industry, mechanical engineering, provides one-fourth of all manufacturing output and ranks first in terms of the number of employees (about 2 million people). It is able to provide almost all the basic needs of the country in cars.
Among the branches of mechanical engineering, the automotive industry stands out in particular. Italy is one of largest suppliers cars to the world market. The main products of the industry are cars. The leading position in the industry is occupied by the FIAT concern - the most powerful of the private companies in Italy and one of the largest companies peace. At the factories of the concern, scattered throughout the country, they produce not only cars, but also trucks, buses, engines various types, electric locomotives, trams, trolleybuses, tractors, etc. Most FIAT enterprises are located in Turin and its environs. FIAT car factories also appeared in southern Italy - near Naples and in Palermo.
The factories of other, less significant automobile firms - "FERRARI", "MASERATI", "LANCHA" are located in the north - in Milan, Turin, Bolzano, Modena, and also near Naples.
Italy is the birthplace of the scooter. Italian scooters and motorcycles enjoy in great demand among the local population and are known in many countries of the world.
Geographical conditions and historical reasons explain the traditional nature of shipbuilding in Italy. About 90% of all shipbuilding capacities country belongs to the Italcantieri company. On the Adriatic Sea, the most important shipbuilding centers are Monfalcone, Trieste, Venice and Ancona, on the Ligurian Sea - Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, in the south shipbuilding is developed in Naples, Taranto, Messina, Palermo.
Italy has achieved considerable success in the electrical industry, especially in its new branch - production electronic engineering. The most powerful node of electrical production is Milan. In recent years, the construction of electrical enterprises has shifted to the South, to the areas of Naples and Bari.
Agricultural machine-building is developing, tractor-building to the greatest extent.
On the world market, Italy is also known as a manufacturer of machinery and equipment for plastics processing and for the rubber industry. The international specialization of Italy is also the production of equipment for the textile, footwear, food and printing industries.
In general, machine-building enterprises are concentrated in the industrial North.
The Italian chemical industry operates mainly on imported raw materials (mainly oil, natural gas, phosphorites, sulfur, cellulose), but also partially uses its own reserves of chemical raw materials, primarily natural gas, pyrites, potassium salts and sulfur.
The face of the industry is determined by organic chemistry enterprises: large petrochemical plants and individual plants operating on petroleum products and natural gas. The most important centers in the country petrochemical industry concentrated in the North: in Milan, Mantua, Ravenna, Ferrara. The main center of petrochemistry in Central Italy is the city of Terni. Several large plants have been built in southern Italy: in the cities of Priolo, Gela, Naples, Cagliari, and Porto Torres.
Petrochemical products are very diverse. The production of plastics, which has become one of the main areas of Italy's specialization in the international division of labor, is growing especially rapidly, as well as the production of chemical fibers.
Italy stands out in Europe in terms of the level of development of the paint and varnish and pharmaceutical industries.
At the junction of inorganic and organic chemistry, the production of fertilizers is developing.
One of the oldest, traditional industries has also been preserved in Italy - the production of natural essences and essential oils from flowers and fruits.
Closely related to chemical industry rubber production using imported natural and domestic synthetic rubber as raw materials.
In second place after mechanical engineering in terms of the number of employees is the textile industry, one of the oldest industries in Italy. it produces fabrics and yarns from cotton, wool, silk, hemp, linen, jute and chemical fibers, as well as a variety of knitwear. Cotton enterprises are widely located in the North - in Lombardy and Piedmont, which is facilitated by the abundance of water and cheap electricity from the Alpine hydroelectric power stations. The main areas of the wool industry are located in Tuscany, Piedmont and Venice. The enterprises of the silk industry are concentrated in the cities of Como and Treviso.
In terms of shoe production, Italy ranks second in the world after the United States, and in terms of its exports, it ranks first.
The food industry plays an important role in the Italian economy.
The flour-grinding industry is very important for the country. In the South, the area of Naples stands out especially, where not only flour is produced, but also the famous Italian pasta, for the production of which Italy ranks first in the world.
About a hundred sugar factories are scattered across the expanses of the Padana Plain, processing local sugar beets.
Canning production is highly developed in the country. Mainly preserving fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and fish.
Italy has long been famous for its cheese. Almost the entire dairy industry is concentrated in northern Italy, where dairy farming is most developed.
Italy provides 1/3 of all olive oil produced in the world.
The furniture industry is rapidly developing in Italy. According to the established tradition, Italy produces in most antique furniture.
The rich deposits of limestone, marble, granite, clay, gypsum, asbestos, etc., available in Italy, contribute to the development of the building materials industry.
The manufacture of faience products is widespread, the traditions of which date back to ancient times.
Italy is one of the first places in the world in the development of the jewelry industry. Florence, Rome, Venice have long been famous for their jewelry.
Agriculture in Italy
Italy's agriculture contributes 10% of the country's gross national income. It employs 14% of the economically active population. In recent decades, many peasants leave their farms and move into the sphere of industrial production and service.
In terms of crop yields and especially livestock productivity, Italy is far behind many European countries.
Agriculture reached high level productivity only in the North, especially in the Padan Plain, where the level of mechanization is high and fertilizers are used to a large extent.
The main branch of Italian agriculture is crop production. Over half of all arable land is occupied by grain crops, including 30% - wheat. On the most fertile lands, wheat is sometimes alternated with corn, the largest harvest of which is given by the northern regions. Rye and oats are grown on the alpine slopes and in the valleys.
Italy ranks first in foreign Europe in the production of rice, and in terms of its yield, it is among the leading rice-growing countries in the world. Yew has long been a familiar food of Italians. It is grown on the irrigated lands of the Padana Plain.
Potatoes are planted in many parts of the country, but most of all in Campania. Various vegetables are grown in Italy: tomatoes, cabbage, lettuces, onions, asparagus, gourds. The main vegetable-growing region of the country is also Campania.
The most important industrial crop in Italy is sugar beet. More than half of sugar beet farms are concentrated in the lower reaches of the Po River.
Italy is called "the first garden of Europe". Apples, pears, peaches, cherries, apricots, figs are harvested here. In the southern regions, almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts are common.
Italy is one of the largest citrus producers in the world. Almost all of them are grown in the southern regions, primarily in Sicily.
Traditional viticulture plays a huge role in Italian agriculture. In terms of grape harvest, Italy constantly competes with France for the first place in the world, 90% of it is processed into wine, for the production of which Italy is not inferior to any other country in the world. Vineyards are spread throughout and make up feature Italian landscape.
Another characteristic Italian culture is words. Italy is the second largest olive harvester in the world after Spain.
Of the industrial crops that provide fiber for the textile industry, cotton, flax and hemp are grown in small quantities in Italy. Every year the cultivation of flowers becomes more and more important. A significant part of them is exported.
In Italy, the role of animal husbandry is gradually increasing. Dairy and beef cattle breeding prevails in the north of the country, while other areas are characterized by extensive animal husbandry with a predominance of small ruminants.
Fishing is relatively poorly developed in Italy. The seas surrounding it are not very rich in fish, since the continental shelf is small in area, there are few shallows. Freshwater fishing is declining every year as a result of industrial waste pollution of river and lake waters.
Bookmark this page for yourself:Land suitable for agriculture is about 90% of Italy. The largest part of them (about 35%) is occupied by arable land, 19% - by meadows and pastures, 11% - by orchards, vineyards, olive groves. Forests account for 23.4% of agricultural land.
The "First Garden of Europe", as Italy is often called, annually produces a wide variety of fruits: apples, pears, peaches, figs, cherries, etc. About 60% of all fruits are grown in northern Italy, mainly in specialized farms from 3 to 10 hectares with very little employment. In the southern regions, almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts are common.
Italy is one of the largest producers of citrus fruits in the world and in the Mediterranean. Almost the entire crop comes from small plantations in the southern regions, primarily in Sicily and Calabria. Not only well-known oranges, lemons, tangerines and grapefruits are grown, but also less common species - bergamot, which gives the most valuable bergamot essence, cinotto, limetta and some other species.
The Mediterranean is the birthplace of grapes. This crop has been grown in Italy since time immemorial in small peasant farms. Of the 246 grape varieties known in Italy, 17 are the most common. Vineyards cover the slopes of the foothills and hills both in the North and throughout the Apennine Peninsula. Almost the entire crop is processed into wine. The choice of wines is huge. Each province competes for priority in the art of winemaking; however, the wines of the northern provinces are considered to be softer and thinner than the wines of the south (with the exception of Sicily). In terms of grape harvest, Italy constantly competes with France for the first place in the world.
Another characteristic Italian culture, as ancient and widespread as grapes, is the olive. You will not meet her only in Piedmont, Aosta and the highlands of Trentino-Alto Adige. Like grapes, it is grown both specialized and in combination with other crops. In terms of olive harvest, Italy is second only to Spain. About 90% of the total collection falls on the southern regions, especially Apulia.
In recent years, floriculture has become an important export industry, especially in the Ligurian Riviera and Lazio, but also in Piedmont, Calabria and Sicily. Fresh flowers and raw materials for the perfume industry, seeds and bulbs are exported abroad.
The main crops are wheat, corn and rice, the technical ones are sugar beet and hemp. Animal husbandry is poorly developed. Cattle are reared on the capitalist farms of northern Italy.
Fishing is relatively poorly developed in Italy, since the seas surrounding it are not very rich in fish. Half of the total catch of sardines, mackerel, anchovies, tuna, as well as mollusks and crustaceans is caught in Adriatic waters.
Despite favorable natural conditions country and the richest centuries-old experience in agriculture, this sector of the Italian economy is the most backward.
In its development, agriculture meets with significant difficulties. In the grip of the economic crisis, under pressure" common market"the area under crops and the volume of production are being reduced. Imports of grain, meat, eggs, and feed for livestock are increasing to Italy from the EEC countries. Within the framework of the Common Market, Italy has managed with great difficulty to defend the traditional specialization of its agriculture in the production of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables. Development agriculture is hindered by the fragmentation of land allotments.
IN economic system Every developed country has an agricultural sector. Of course, Italy, known to many tourists, is no exception. Approximately 6% of the inhabitants of the boot country are employed in agriculture, which annually bring 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP) to the state treasury. What aspects are included in the broad concept of "agriculture in Italy", we will consider in our article.
general information
Italy is a sunny country with fertile lands and a climate that favors the development of agriculture. Approximately 90% of the entire Italian territory is allocated for the needs of typical peasant crafts. Most of the land is occupied by arable land (approximately 35% of the territory), 19% of the land is allocated to the share of pastures and meadows, and vineyards, orchards and olive groves are spread over 11% of the Italian territory.
Fact. The forest area is also involved in the country's agriculture. It accounts for almost 24% of the land.
Due to the unique location of the regions in Italy, it is possible to grow crops of subtropical, temperate and Mediterranean climates. The largest river in the country, the boot Po, takes an active part in the irrigation of the land. The foothills of the Alpine area are characterized by a large number of meadows, which serve as an ideal place for grazing. The northern Italian regions specialize in the production of meat and the cultivation of cereals, while the southern ones are famous for their vineyards, olive and citrus groves.
This is interesting! The island of Sardinia is considered the basic sheep-breeding region of Italy.
Sectors of agriculture in Italy
The main branches of agriculture of the state in the Apennines include:
- Crop production is the basic branch of the economic agricultural sector, which produces more than half of all agricultural products of the state (60%). Grain crops are grown in Italy: barley, rye, wheat, oats, as well as corn, rice, etc. There are also many industrial crops growing here: hemp, flax, cotton, soybeans, and tobacco. They are used in the textile industry. Crop production is well developed in all parts of Italy.
- Floriculture is one of the most important export industries of the country. Italy sends raw materials and fresh flowers, seeds, bulbs, etc. to other states. Floriculture is carried out by residents of the following regions: Calabria, Ligurian Riviera, Sicily, Lazio and Piedmont.
- Vegetable growing - no less important industry agricultural economy. In various parts of the country, Italians grow asparagus, tomatoes, sugar beets, cabbage, gourds, onions, potatoes, and artichokes. The main vegetable-growing region of the state is Campania. Most of the vegetables for export are grown in northern Italy.
- Gardening is a traditional Italian agricultural industry. The country-boot is often called the "main garden of Europe." And all because peaches, cherries, apples, figs, pomegranates, pears, apricots, citrus fruits, as well as nuts - almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts grow here. Most fruits are grown in the northern part of the country, but lemons, tangerines, oranges, citrus hybrids, and nuts can only be found in the south of the state. However, the main occupation of Italian farmers is the cultivation of grapes. Vineyards are located in every region of the state. Almost the entire harvest (90%) is used to make wine. Olives are an equally important Italian crop. The main part of olive groves (about 90%) is located in the south of the country. You will not find olive trees in Piedmont, the highlands of Trentino-Alto Adige and Aosta.
- Animal husbandry is not the most developed industry in Italy. The production of meat and milk is carried out mainly in the northern part of the state and provides approximately 20% of marketable agricultural products. This indicator does not satisfy the needs of the inhabitants of Italy. Most often, private traders are engaged in cattle breeding on small lands, so the number of "meat" animals on farms is small. There are poultry farms in almost every suburb of any Italian metropolis.
- Fishing is an underdeveloped branch of agriculture in Italy. If you carefully read the articles on our website, you are probably surprised by the words written, because almost every restaurant in any coastal and lakeside city is famous for its fish dishes. Yes, fishermen manage to satisfy the whims of visiting tourists, but a larger-scale fishing industry is far from Italy. There are not many fish in the coastal seas. Approximately half of the total catch of tuna, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, mollusks and other types of crustaceans falls on the waters of the Adriatic Sea. A significant part of the “booty” is processed at canning factories located in coastal cities and towns. settlements. Freshwater fishing is no less deplorable. Due to environmental problems associated with the pollution of water and the surrounding area with industrial waste, the fish catch is declining every year.
This is interesting! Italy ranks first in tobacco production among European countries. Every year the country exports 14 million tons of vegetables and 6 million tons of fruits.
What is the result?
Agriculture in Italy is an important branch of the state economy. Despite favorable conditions, this area is almost the most backward. The fact is that many farmers and residents countryside leave their land and move to the cities, where they find work in the service sector and industrial production. Also, the lack of agricultural development is affected by the fragmentation of most Italian land plots.
Note! Italy is known worldwide for the high quality of its olive oil, cheese, pasta, wine and fruits.
The current state of agriculture in Italy suggests that the situation is getting more complicated every year. Due to the dominance of the widespread economic crisis, the state is forced to reduce the areas intended for sowing and grazing. As a result, the volume of products received is reduced. In general, the agricultural sector satisfies the needs of the inhabitants of the Apennines by only 75%. Every year, the Italian authorities are forced to increase the cost of buying imported products: meat, cereals, eggs, dairy products, and livestock feed.
On a note. More recently, the boot country has struggled to defend its original Italian agricultural specialization in the cultivation of Mediterranean vegetables and fruits.
