Featured Accommodation

Population and Economy of Lombardia

The population distribution has been affected both by the morphology of the area and the strong pull of the industrial zones. The most heavily urbanized area is the Province of Milan, at the centre of the plain, with a population density of 1,442 inhabitants per sq km. The capital of Lombardy, second only to Rome for population and the country's major economic centre, is constantly expanding and is likely to form a conurbation with the principal neighbouring towns (Monza, Legnano, Saronno, Rho etc.) in the near future, having practically incorporated important towns such as Sesto San Giovanni, Cinisello Balsamo, Cologno Monzese, Paderno Dugnano, etc. Elsewhere, the population is concentrated in the upper plains, eg. in the wealthy Provinces of Varese, Como, Brescia and Bergamo, and around the lakes.

The Provinces of Pavia, Cremona and Mantua on the lower plains are suffering progressive depopulation caused by the decreasing number of agricultural workers and the demand for labour in industry and the service sectors around Milan. The mountain areas (Province of Sondrio, part of the Provinces of Brescia and Bergamo) are thinly populated, here also the result of internal migration to the more highly industrialized areas, only partly checked by the recent expansion of tourism.

The regional dialects belong to the large family of Lombardy dialects, which extend their influence to parts of other regions (Province of Novara) and abroad (Canton Ticino, Switzerland), giving way in some areas (parts of Pavia and Mantua Provinces) to the Emilian-type dialects.

The much higher than national average consumption indexes reveal an averagely high standard of living, with great differences within the region itself; high-income areas contrast with those which are economically depressed (Province of Sondrio, mountain areas, lower plains).

Where economical growth is at its greatest, industrialization has brought both general prosperity and serious drawbacks. One example is immigration from the poorer regions of Italy. This started after the Second World War and has brought social inequality, segregation, precarious activities bordering on the illegal and increased crime which are now Milan's major problems. Degradation of the environment from atmospheric and water pollution linked to the high concentration of industrial plants cannot be underestimated. A certain ecological awareness has emerged, in recent years, also among industrialists, and the greater sensitivity of local administration to these problems makes prospects for the future of urban Lombardy less pessimistic.

Articles