Italy is a country located in southern Europe and has extensive access to the Mediterranean Sea. Italy's neighbors are six European countries, which will be discussed in this article.
Where is Italy located?
Before answering the question, which neighbors of Italy, you should find out where this country is located. And for this it is necessary to carefully study the geographical map of Europe.
The modern state of Italy appeared not so long ago: in the last century. However, it can be considered one of the successors to the Roman Empire, which once existed on Earth. Today, the country occupies a rather large (by European standards) area - 301 thousand km 2 . By the way, many neighbors of Italy, alas, cannot boast of such a size of their territory.
Italy is located in southern Europe, in the Mediterranean basin. It occupies the entire Apennine Peninsula, and also includes a fairly large number of small islands. Part of the country is occupied by the Padan Lowland, and its extreme north is occupied by the southern spurs of the Alps. It is in Italy that the highest point of the European Union is located - Mont Blanc peak (4810 meters).
Which countries are Italy's neighbors?
Despite the fact that about 80% of the state border of Italy passes through the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the country also has land neighbors. There are six of them.
So, the immediate neighbors of Italy are France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, as well as San Marino and the Vatican. All these states have a fairly high standard of living. And Italy is trying to maintain good neighborly relations with everyone.
Neighboring countries of Italy of the second order (those states that do not have common borders with it): Monaco, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia.
The longest common border between Italy and Switzerland (almost 740 km), and the shortest - with the Vatican (only 3.2 km).
Features of the geographical position of Italy: pros and cons
The geographical position of a country can have both positive and negative sides. Both those and others noticeably affect the economic well-being of the state and its foreign policy.
The following points can be attributed to the positive features of the geographical position of Italy:
- the country has access to the Mediterranean basin (almost 80% of its borders are marine);
- located in two favorable climatic zones - temperate and subtropical;
- located at the intersection of major sea and land transport corridors;
- all neighboring countries of Italy are highly developed states.
Perhaps the only drawback of the geographical position of Italy is the fact that the country is too elongated in a submeridional direction (from north to south) and does not differ in compact configuration.
The Vatican and San Marino are Italy's most unusual neighbors
In geography, there is such a thing as an “enclave” - a state that is surrounded by the territory of another country from all four cardinal directions. And Italy borders on two such states - the Vatican and San Marino.
The Vatican is the center of Catholicism on the planet. This is the only theocratic monarchy on the political map of the world. It is here that St. Peter's Basilica and the residence of the Pope are located. And the Vatican is the only country in the world where the official language is Latin.
San Marino is another unusual neighbor of Italy. This is one of the oldest states in Europe, which today occupies a very tiny area. Nevertheless, in San Marino there are a huge number of architectural and historical attractions. It is difficult to believe that here, on a small territory of 60 square kilometers, nine ancient fortresses have been preserved.
Finally...
The Republic of Italy is located in southern Europe and has wide access to the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by six independent states (France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Austria, the Vatican and San Marino). The leadership of the republic maintains warm and friendly relations with all these countries.
In general, the geographical position of Italy can be assessed as favorable. The country has free access to the oceans and is in favorable climatic conditions for agriculture. Another advantage is that all the neighbors of Italy are economically developed and prosperous states.