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Geography :
Area :25,711 square kilometers (9,927 square miles), Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and the largest of Italy's twenty political regions.. In addition to the island of Sicily, the region includes a number of coastal and volcanic islands.
Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna is also the highest peak of Sicily.
Climate - The weather & climate page presents more detailed information, but here are average data on precipitation and temperature:
Area :25,711 square kilometers (9,927 square miles), Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and the largest of Italy's twenty political regions.. In addition to the island of Sicily, the region includes a number of coastal and volcanic islands.
Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna is also the highest peak of Sicily.
Climate - The weather & climate page presents more detailed information, but here are average data on precipitation and temperature:
Population - 5,048,805 (in 2010), approximately 8.4 percent of Italy's population, being the fourth most populous of Italy's regions, surpassed by Lombardy (Milan), Lazio (Rome) and Campania (Naples), with Sicily's population density being less than that of any of those regions. Sicily's actual population is estimated to be as many as 300,000 beyond the official figure.
People from Sicily are called Siciliani (masc. pl.). Other variations are: Siciliano (masc. sing.), Siciliana (fem. sing.), and Siciliane (fem. pl.).
Major Cities - The metropolitan areas (provinces) of Palermo and Catania each have around one million residents. Palermo is the larger city, at around 870,000 versus 572,000 in Catania. Official local population figures are imprecise because many Italians fail to register their legal residency where they actually live, while there are many illegal aliens in the country.
Language - Italian is the official language. English is often understood especially in larger cities where there is a great influx of foreign visitors.. Most islanders also speak a Sicilian dialect, which is considered by some experts to be a distinct Romance language. It is an idiom composed of words and grammar structures left over from various conquerors, including Arabic, Greek, French, and Spanish, as well as elements absorbed into the vernacular after the American occupation.
Government - Italy is a democratic republic based on a multi-party parliamentary system. Since 1946 the Sicilian Region has been a semi-autonomous part of Italy, first as part of the Kingdom of Italy under Allied occupation and then as part of the Italian Republic. The governor and regional government exercise only limited control over certain public services and resources. The regional capital is Palermo. Sicily has nine provinces: Palermo, Catania, Messina, Siracusa, Ragusa, Enna, Caltanissetta, Agrigento, Trapani; all except Enna have a coastline.
People from Sicily are called Siciliani (masc. pl.). Other variations are: Siciliano (masc. sing.), Siciliana (fem. sing.), and Siciliane (fem. pl.).
Major Cities - The metropolitan areas (provinces) of Palermo and Catania each have around one million residents. Palermo is the larger city, at around 870,000 versus 572,000 in Catania. Official local population figures are imprecise because many Italians fail to register their legal residency where they actually live, while there are many illegal aliens in the country.
Language - Italian is the official language. English is often understood especially in larger cities where there is a great influx of foreign visitors.. Most islanders also speak a Sicilian dialect, which is considered by some experts to be a distinct Romance language. It is an idiom composed of words and grammar structures left over from various conquerors, including Arabic, Greek, French, and Spanish, as well as elements absorbed into the vernacular after the American occupation.
Government - Italy is a democratic republic based on a multi-party parliamentary system. Since 1946 the Sicilian Region has been a semi-autonomous part of Italy, first as part of the Kingdom of Italy under Allied occupation and then as part of the Italian Republic. The governor and regional government exercise only limited control over certain public services and resources. The regional capital is Palermo. Sicily has nine provinces: Palermo, Catania, Messina, Siracusa, Ragusa, Enna, Caltanissetta, Agrigento, Trapani; all except Enna have a coastline.
The Italian flag has three vertical bands of equal measures. From left to right are green, white and red.
Red is the blood of those who died for the country. White is the symbol of the mountains and wisdom. Green stands for land and hope.
In February 2000 the 'trinacria' was approved for the Sicilian flag. It is characterized by the presence of the triskelion (or trinacria; which is also the ancient name of Sicily) in its middle, the (winged) head of Medusa and three wheat ears which symbolises the fertile land. The three bent legs are supposed to represent the three points of the island of Sicily itself.
Currency - Italy's currency is the euro.
Economy - Sicily accounts for approximately 5.7 percent of Italy's gross domestic product (2012 figures provided by ISTAT, the Italian national statistical institute).The local economy is based almost entirely on the public sector (including taxation and subsidies), real estate (and finance) and retail commerce; there are very few manufacturing or high-technology firms in Sicily, and little industry at all.
Petroleum (crude oil) is produced offshore in limited quantities for domestic consumption. Tourism and agriculture account for almost all of Sicily's international trade.
Red is the blood of those who died for the country. White is the symbol of the mountains and wisdom. Green stands for land and hope.
In February 2000 the 'trinacria' was approved for the Sicilian flag. It is characterized by the presence of the triskelion (or trinacria; which is also the ancient name of Sicily) in its middle, the (winged) head of Medusa and three wheat ears which symbolises the fertile land. The three bent legs are supposed to represent the three points of the island of Sicily itself.
Currency - Italy's currency is the euro.
Economy - Sicily accounts for approximately 5.7 percent of Italy's gross domestic product (2012 figures provided by ISTAT, the Italian national statistical institute).The local economy is based almost entirely on the public sector (including taxation and subsidies), real estate (and finance) and retail commerce; there are very few manufacturing or high-technology firms in Sicily, and little industry at all.
Petroleum (crude oil) is produced offshore in limited quantities for domestic consumption. Tourism and agriculture account for almost all of Sicily's international trade.