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This is the most northerly region in Italy; spreading over the southern side of the Alpine chain, it borders with Switzerland to the north-west, with Austria to the north and with the Italian regions of Lombardy to the south-west and Venetia to the east and south-east. Known as Venetia-Tridentina until the end of the Second World War, it has been an autonomous region with a special Statute since 1948.

It takes its name from Trentino, the territory historically linked to the ancient town of Trent, and from the Alto Adige and was adopted after the First World War to replace the German `Südtirol' (South Tyrol).

Trentino-Alto Adige has only 1.5% of the population of Italy, in an area equal to 4.5% of the national territory. The population density is the lowest in Italy after Valle d'Aosta.

History. Morphologically, Trentino-Alto Adige includes the mountains of the Adige basin, the whole Sarca basin (flowing into Lake Garda) and the upper basins of the Chiesa and Brenta rivers. The terrain is largely mountainous: the northern area stretches from the Ortles group (3,899 m.) along the Venoste, Breonie and Aurine Alps to the Vedrette di Ries (3,435 m.). Directly south, between the Merano dip and the Rolle Pass, stretch the porphyric Alto Adige plateau and gentle hills that contrast with the rugged mountains to the north. With the exception of the Monzoni group and the Adamello-Presanella and Cima d'Asta massifs, the whole south of the region is Mesozoic and Cenozoic rock mainly dolomitic and calcareous. Here rise some of the most famous Dolomites such as the Marmolada (3,342 m.), the Catinaccio and the Brenta group.

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