FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA - Geography and history
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is Italy?s most North-eastern region. It covers an area of 7 856 km2 and is the fifth smallest region of the country. It borders Austria to the North and Slovenia to the East; to the South it faces the Adriatic Sea.
Despite its relatively small dimension, the region boasts a wide variety of climates and landscapes (as well as cultures and traditions). 42.5% of its surface is made up by mountains, 19.3% by hills and the remaining 38.2% by the plains situated in the central areas and along the coast.
Morphologically the region can be divided into four main areas:
- the mountainous area in the north: this part of the region includes Carnia and the ending section of the Alps (Alpi Carniche and Alpi Giulie), of which the highest peaks exceed 2.700 m above sea level (Jôf di Montasio). Its landscapes are characterised by vast pine forests and pastures, mountain lakes (e.g. Sauris and Barcis) and numerous streams and small rivers descending from the mountains. The area is also known for its tourist destinations, especially during the winter season;
- the hilly area, situated to the south of the mountains and along the central section of the border with Slovenia. The main product of agriculture in this area is definitely wine, whose quality, especially the white, is known world-wide;
- the central and upper plains are characterised by poor, arid and permeable soil which, however, has been made fertile with an extensive irrigation system and through the adoption of new intensive farming techniques. In this part of the region most of the agricultural activities are concentrated;
- the coastal area can be divided in two sections, separated by the mouth of the river Isonzo. To the West, the low, sandy coast, with numerous tourist resorts and the lagoons of Grado and Marano; to the East the coastline becomes high and rocky all the way to Trieste and Muggia. Along this part of the coast the Carso plateau is situated. It extends over the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia, at an average altitude of 400 to 600 metres above sea level and is characterised by very specific geological features and phenomena.
The rivers of the region flow from the North and from Slovenia into the Adriatic. The two main rivers are the Tagliamento, which divides the Alps from the less high Pre-Alps, and the Isonzo. Another river of interest is the Timavo, which flows underground for 38 km from Slovenia and resurfaces near its mouth in Duino.
Administratively, the region is divided into four provinces:
- Trieste, the smallest province in Italy in terms of area and number of municipalities (only 6); it is the regional capital and, with its port, industry, banks and insurance companies, the main centre in the region for economic activities (in trade, manufacturing and services) as well as the seat of the regional government;
- Udine, the largest in terms of both size and population (520 451 residents in 2001) with its pronounced industrial and commercial slant (especially trade with former eastern block countries);
- Pordenone, in the west, the only province that is not on the sea. In the economy, small and middle-size industry and agriculture predominate;
- Gorizia, excelling in the production of high quality wines in the Collio area and attracting large numbers of tourists during the summer in Grado.
The region Friuli-Venezia Giulia has a temperate climate. However, due to the diversity of its territory, it varies considerably from one area to another.
Protected by the Alps on the northern side, the region is exposed to air masses from the East and the West. The region is also open to the winds from the sea (scirocco), bringing with them heavy rainfalls.
Along the coast the climate is mild and pleasant (Trieste records the smallest temperature differences between winter and summer and between day and night), but becomes more continental in the mountain area, where, in some locations, the coldest winter temperatures in Italy can often be found.
The Carso plateau has its own weather and climate, influenced, mostly during autumn and winter, by masses of cold air coming from the North-East. These generate a very special feature of the local climate: the north-easterly wind ?bora?, which blows over the Gulf of Trieste with gusts occasionally exceeding speeds of 150 km/h.
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