EMILIA-ROMAGNA - Geography and history
The region of Emilia-Romagna consists of nine provinces and covers an area of 22 124 km2. Nearly half of the region (48%) consists of plains while 27% is hilly and 25% mountainous. The Emilia-Romagna section of the Apennines is marked by areas of flisch, badland erosion (calanques) and caves. The mountains stretch for more than 300 km from the north to the south-east, with only three peaks above 2 000 m ? Monte Cimone (2 165 m), Monte Cusna (2 121 m) and Alpe di Succiso (2 017 m).
The plain was formed by the gradual retreat of the sea from the Po basin and by the detritus deposited by the rivers. The geology varies, with lagoons and saline areas in the north and many thermal springs throughout the rest of the region as a result of groundwater rising towards the surface at different periods of history. All the rivers rise locally in the Apennines with the exception of the Po, which has its source in the Alps in Piedmont and follows the northern border of Emilia-Romagna for 263 km.
Vegetation in the region may be divided into belts: the common oak belt which is now covered (apart from the mesóla forest) with fruit orchards and fields of wheat and sugar beet, the pubescent and Adriatic oak belts on the lower slopes up to 900 m, the beech belt between 1000 and 1500 m and the final mountain heath belt.
Well integrated at sectoral and territorial levels but an uneven age pyramid
Emilia-Romagna is located in one of the most developed parts of Italy and one of the earliest areas to become industrialised: the Adriatic belt which follows the old Roman road, the Via Emilia, from Piacenza to the Adriatic coast. The process of industrialisation took root in the 1950s, using capital from farming, and developed throughout the region without being concentrated in any specific area, covering all sectors, overcoming the barriers which traditionally excluded the weaker parts of the economy. There is a fairly homogeneous business structure, comprising mainly small and medium-sized firms.
Another point in Emilia-Romagna's favour is the intense specialisation in the sector of mechanical engineering, textiles, foodstuffs and ceramics, which makes the region one of Italy's foremost export areas. Tourism, after the slump in 1988 as a result of the pollution scare in the Adriatic, generally revived in 1990 with a restructuring programme involving investment in upgraded facilities and staff. There is a risk, however, that this pattern of brisk economic growth may be disrupted by the gradual ageing and the steady thinning of the working population. The massive influx of immigrants (17 000 in 1999) will go some way towards meeting the shortage of labour in the region but it is also creating other problems of social integration.
Another weakness of the region is its system of transport and communications. Although these are among the best in Italy, they need to be upgraded and modernised to bring them up to European standards.
Imbalance between the plains (Via Emilia) and the mountains
Although there are no centres that dominate the region, activities are concentrated along the old Via Emilia. This route has attracted a large number of firms, with concentrations ranging from 22.6% in the province of Bologna to 8.1% in the province of Ravenna. There are advanced services and production techniques along this central axis, which creates a ripple effect of distribution and services over a wide area, although not reaching the very edges of the region. Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia and Parma are the leading provinces.
Between 1999 and 2000, the gross value added generated in Emilia-Romagna has grown by 6%, one of the highest in Italy. The only blemish in this picture was the gap between the mountainous areas and the plains. The former are outside the radius of influence of the central axis. These areas have not benefited from the development along the Via Emilia and to some extent have remained cut off. The gap between the two areas can be seen in every sector of production. Recent years have seen the mountainous areas depopulated, with agricultural holdings abandoned and livestock farming in a critical situation. It is only with tourism that the resources of these areas are now being exploited.
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