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Calabria is the tip of the Italian peninsula; it borders with Basilicata and stretches between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea in the direction of Sicily, from which it is divided by the Strait of Messina. Geographically, Calabria has its own distinct individuality, due to its peripherical and almost isolated position, compared with the rest of Italy, its characteristic conformation and morphological structure. The population of this fairly extensive region is slightly over 2 million, with a population density which, though reasonably high, is lower than the national average.

History. The morphological structure of Calabria is somewhat complex. Most of the mountains are massifs and isolated groups, separated by large valleys or cols. The Pollino massif, culminating in the Serra Dolcedorme (2,267 m.), lies on the Basilicata boundary, and its crests stretch southwest as far as the Passo dello Scalone (740 m.) where the Lucanian Apennines end, and the Calabrian Apennines begin with the Catena Costiera (Castal Chain) (or Paolana), stretching to the lower reaches of the Savuto River, between the jagged Tyrrhenian coast and the deep Vallo del Crati. This last divides the Catena Costiera from the Sila, a large upland area culminating with mt. Botte Donato (1,928 m.).

South of the Sila, Calabria narrows at the gulfs of Sant'Eufemia and Squillace, in a low-lying isthmus (the Marcellinara depression, 251 m.), beyond which rise the Serre, two mountains ranges stretching southwest to join directly with the Aspromonte. On the Tyrrhenian side, the granite mount Poro (710 m.) group stands isolated, between the gulfs of Sant'Eufemia and Gioia. South of this vast hollow, lies Aspromonte, whose highest peak is Montalto (1,955 m.).

As a result of the elongated shape of the peninsula and the lie of the mountains, the rivers, with the exception of the Crati and the Neto, are not particularly large. The principal lakes are the artificial Cecita, Arvo and Ampollino, in the Sila. In the coastal zones, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild rainy winters and hot dry summers; towards the interior, it becomes progressively continental, particularly on the high mountains. Precipitations are plentiful, especially at an altitude, particularly on the Tyrrhenian flanks, but are scantier on low ground and on the coastal summits.

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