SICILIA - Geography and history
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. It is separated from the Italian peninsula by the strait of Messina (3 km) at the north-east corner of the island and from the coast of Tunisia by the Sicilian channel (150 km). It covers an area of 25 707 km2, including the Aeolian, Egadi, Pelagie, Pantelleria and Ustica islands. The coastline has a total length of 1 484 km, with fairly varied features: more indented in the north and more regular with wide crescent beaches in the south. The north east of the island is marked by the Peloritani, Nebrodi and Madonie mountains. Apart from the volcanic Mount Etna (3 263 m), the highest peak is the Pizzo Carbonara (1 979 m). The island is deficient in lakes and rivers with a regular flow of water. The climate is typically Mediterranean with temperatures which are high in summer and mild in winter. The Mediterranean influence is diminished in the interior because of the distance from the sea and also because of the altitude.
Tourism and culture: the need for new structures and a suitable policy
Tourism is certainly one of the mainstays of the Sicilian economy, thanks to the natural beauty of certain areas and the existence of a variety of historical sites and cultural remains. Despite an increased number of hotel rooms and an improvement in the quality of other tourist services, the capacity of the region still seems inadequate to cope with the growing demand.
An increase in capacity and the conservation of old city centres and natural and historical sites are the main problems affecting this sector.
Another problem is the insufficiency of the transport and communications systems both on the island and with the outside. The rail network is inadequate, particularly where links with the inland provinces are concerned. There are gaps in the road network, especially in the provinces of Agrigento, Ragusa and Siracusa. The present ferry services to the mainland are also unable to cope with the amount of traffic, especially at certain peak periods.
Population and industry concentrated around the coast
The region of Sicily is divided into nine provinces: Palermo (the regional capital), Trapani and Agrigento in the west, Caltanissetta and Enna in the centre and Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania and Messina in the east. Nearly 60% of the entire population of Sicily resides in the three provinces of Palermo, Catania and Messina (on the basis of data for 1st of January 2001).
Palermo and Catania are the two administrative and economic centres of the region. They contain both central and regional government offices, various organisations and the major centres of commerce.
Industry is heavily concentrated along the coasts, with the petrochemicals industry located in the province of Siracusa (Augusta and Priolo) and at Gela in the province of Ragusa. In the agricultural sector the crops differ depending on the particular area. There is extensive cereal farming in the interior in the provinces of Caltanissetta, Enna and Catania, citrus fruits in the provinces of Palermo and Catania, vineyards in the province of Trapani and nursery farming in the province of Ragusa.
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