Calabria

Geographical position

Calabria is located in the southernmost part of the Apennine peninsula, as they say figuratively sometimes, “in the toe of an Italian boot”. From the west it is washed by the Tyrrhenian Sea , from the east by the Ionian , from the north-east by the Taranto Bay , and from the south-west it is separated from the Sicily by the Messinian Strait , the minimum width of which (between Cape Peloro in Sicily and Cape Pezzo in Calabria) is only 3, 2 km due to the presence of a tectonic connection between the Aspromonte massif and the Pelori chain. Directly opposite Reggio Calabria, the ancient city and the center of the province of the same name, across the strait, is the Sicilian city of Messina. In the north, Calabria borders on the province of Basilicata . The region is long and narrow in shape, the Calabria peninsula has a length of 248 km from north to south, and its maximum width is 110 km. The coastline is over 780 km long.

Relief

Calabrian Bays:

• Gulf of Corigliano (part of Taranto Bay);
• Gulf of Joya Tauro (Tyrrhenian Sea);
• Policastra Bay (Tyrrhenian Sea), also washed by the coasts of the Campania and Basilicata regions;
• Gulf of Sant'Eufemia (Tyrrhenian Sea);
• Skuillache Bay (Ionian Sea);

Calabria has a predominantly hilly landscape (hills occupy 49.2% of the region).

A significant part of the territory of Calabria (41.8%) is occupied by mountainous areas. The mountains of Calabria are spurs of the Apennines and are called here the Calabrian Apennines. They consist of separate parts:

• in the north - the southern spurs of the Pollino massif, located on the border with Basilicata; the highest point here is 2267 m;
• in the northeast, on the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea, - Coastal mountain range (Cordillera Coster);
• north of the center of the region - Strength , a vast plateau overgrown with coniferous and deciduous forests and extending south to the isthmus of Marcellinara;
• in the center - Calabrian ranges, which in the south are connected with the Aspromonte plateau; the highest peak of the Calabrian ranges - Mount Pecoraro - reaches a height of 1420 m;
• between the plains of Sant'Eufemia and Joya Tauro is Mount Poro (710 m);
•  

  Gambarie ski resort across the Strait of Messina is located closest to the sea
  in the south is the high plateau of Aspromonte, the highest peak of which is Mount Montalto (or, as it is also called, Kokuzza) - reaches an altitude of 1955 m.

Rivers and Lakes

The rivers of Calabria are short due to the fact that its territory is a long and narrow peninsula in configuration, which is crossed by mountain ranges. The longest rivers are Krati and Neto, flowing into the Ionian Sea. The shorter rivers are the Trionto, Tasina and Korace, Amato-il-Mukone, originating in the Highlands, and the Savuto and Lao rivers, the sources of which are on the Pollino plateau.

There are many small artificial lakes in Calabria, most of which are located on the Highlands. These are Ampollino, Arvo, Chechita and Anjitola.

The most ancient, known to science, settlers of Calabria are considered to be the tribes of the Oscans and Samnites who settled here. They are also the ancestors of the population of the neighboring region, Basilicata (in the old one - Lucania), where they were called lucans. So the inhabitants of the Basilicata call themselves to this day.

From the VIII century BC. e. Calabria was colonized by the Greeks. Its cities, such as Sybaris , Croton and Lokra Epizefira , were one of the largest cities in Great Greece . The Greeks gave the region a name, from the words "kalon-brion", by which the Greeks designated fertile lands.

The conquest of Calabria by the Romans in the III century BC. e. led her to decline. During the early Middle Ages, malaria was also widespread in Calabria, especially in wetlands. Pirate raids were often made on its shores. During the Gothic Wars, Calabria was devastated. Here, as throughout Italy, then the emperors of Byzantium dominated.

In 1061, Calabria was conquered by the Normans , as the Vikings , who converted to Catholicism, were then called. The Normans were led by Robert Guiscard (Roberto Guiscardo) and Roger (Ruggiero) Bosso . Under them, the Kingdom of Sicily was formed, which included Calabria. The further history of Calabria was connected with the history of this kingdom. Initially, the dynasty of Hohenstaufen (Staufen) reigned here. Then the power passed to the Anjou dynasty of French origin, with which the dynasty of Aragonese kings fought. As a result of the struggle, the territory was divided into two kingdoms, one of which, Neapolitan , entered Calabria. From the 15th to the 19th centuries, Turks or Berbers often attacked its coast.

During the revolutionary movement for the unification of Italy ( Risorgimento ) here, in the Aspromonte mountains, Garibaldi fought and was wounded.

The last period of the history of the province is closely connected with the formation of a single Italian kingdom and the establishment of a republic. Until the 20th century, Calabria remained part of the economically backward agrarian south of the country.

The region of Calabria includes the provinces of:

Executive branch: The regional government (Giunta Regionale) consists of the head of the region (Presidente della Regione), who is elected for a 5-year term, his deputy and ministers (currently 11 in number). ^[one]

Legislature: Regional Council (parliament; Italian. Consiglio Regionale della Calabria ) consists of 50 members, elected for a 5-year term. ^[2]

Local governments are characterized by an extreme degree of corruption . According to the famous fighter against the mafia, writer Roberto Saviano , out of 50 members of the regional council of Calabria, 35 have a criminal record, are under investigation or are accused of wrongdoing. ^[3]

Calabrian Italian is close to other southern dialects. In the north of the region it is more similar to the Neapolitan language , and in the south - Sicilian . Other dialects formed under the influence of the settlers. It is known that the Calabrian dialect was greatly influenced by the Greek , and part of the population speaks the so-called. Greco-Calabrian dialect (or Greek ), which was formerly common throughout southern Italy (until the 11th century ), and in Calabria until the 16th century . Now it is preserved by a small number of inhabitants of the enclave of Bovezia.

Italo-Albanian dialect . In some zones in the north of Calabria, in antiquity, one of the Albanian dialects was widespread , Tusky ( longing is an ethnic group of Albanians ). Those who spoke this dialect were counted in the 15th-16th centuries. up to 300 thousand people, and in 2001 - 70 thousand

The Occitan- Calabrian dialect is found in the small coastal enclave of Guardia-Piedmontese . It is inhabited by descendants of the Waldensians , who were deported to the Middle Ages from Provence , Piedmont and Liguria .

In the region, wheat, citrus fruits, olives, figs, potatoes, grapes are grown, which forms the basis of the economy. In addition, logging and fishing play an important role. There are deposits of mineral salts in the region, and there are own hydropower resources. A number of hydroelectric power stations are operating in the region. In the XX century, a number of reforms gave a certain shift in the development of the region. The chemical industry is developing, although in general the nature of the economy remains agrarian.

Calabria's gross domestic product is 2.2% of the country's total product, or 33,507 million euros. Gross income per capita - 16 244 euros.

The basis of tourism in Calabria is a sea rich in fish. In the seaside landscape, beaches and rocky shores alternate. The poet Gabriele d'Annunzio called the promenade in the city of Reggio Calabria "the most beautiful kilometer of Italy." The underdeveloped industry and the absence of big cities have long left the sea unpolluted, and Calabria is still considered a natural paradise. The situation is still changing, and cases of pollution of sea water have become more frequent, although not everywhere. Mountain tourism is common in the Aspromonte and Sila mountains, in the area of ​​the Arvo and Ampollino lakes.

Reggio Calabria , located on the shores of the strait between Italy and Sicily, is the largest and oldest city in Calabria, with 3,000 years of history. Here are the botanical garden, the national museum of Great Greece and the Aragonese castle. In addition, on the shores of both the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian Seas, there are a number of smaller, but picturesque cities with their attractions.

In Tropea is located the shelter of Santa Maria dell'Isola. Siderno known for comfortable hotels. In Jerach, the Norman castle and the old cathedral can attract attention. Squillace is a seaside resort and archaeological site. In Stilo is the home of the famous utopian philosopher Tommaso Campanella , a Norman castle and a Byzantine cathedral. The main resorts of Calabria are Tropea , Soverato , Scalea .

• Ndrangheta
• Kandera Communal Cemetery

• Province of Reggia Calabria
• Region of Calabria Official site of the region of Calabria
• Calabria Region Website about Calabria in Russian