Umbria
42°57′40″N 12°30′2″E / 42.96111°N 12.50056°E Coordinates: Extra unexpected parameters
Template:Infobox Region of Italy
Umbria is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. The capital is Perugia. It has an area of 8,456 km² and about 900,000 inhabitants.
Geography
Umbria is a region of Central Italy, bordered by Tuscany to the west, the Marche to the east and Lazio to the south. This region is mostly hilly or mountainous. Its topography is dominated by the Apennines to the east, with the highest point in the region at Monte Vettore on the border of the Marche (2476 m = 8123 ft), and the Tiber valley basin, with the lowest point at Attigliano (96 m = 315 ft).
Umbria is divided in two provinces:
The Tiber forms the approximate border with Lazio; although its course northwards from its source just over the Tuscan border lies in Umbria, the river course is changeable and thus few towns have been built on it: the Tiber itself is not a major factor in the history and human geography of Umbria. The same cannot be said of the Tiber's three principal tributaries, each flowing in a generally southward course. The course of the Chiascio takes it through relatively uninhabited areas until Bastia Umbra, and about 10 km later it flows into the Tiber at Torgiano. The Topino, cleaving the Apennines with passes that the Via Flaminia and successor roads follow, makes a sharp turn at Foligno to flow NW for a few kilometres before joining the Chiascio below Bettona. The third river is the Nera, flowing into the Tiber further south, at Terni; its valley, called the Valnerina, is widely considered to be the most scenic area of Umbria. While the upper Nera flows more or less in isolation in the mountains, the lower course of the Chiascio-Topino basin is a fairly large floodplain, which in Antiquity was a pair of shallow, interlocking lakes, the Lacus Clitorius and the Lacus Umber. They were drained by the Romans over several hundred years, but an earthquake in the 4th century and the political collapse of the Roman Empire resulted in the reflooding of the basin, which was drained a second time over five hundred years; Benedictine monks started the process in the 13th century, and it was completed by an engineer from Foligno in the 18th century.
In tourist literature one sometimes sees Umbria called il cuor verde d'Italia (the green heart of Italy). The phrase, taken from a poem by Giosuè Carducci — the subject of which is not Umbria but rather a specific place in it, the source of the Clitunno river, treasured as a beauty spot — is to a certain extent appropriate since the modern administrative region is the only one to have neither a coast nor a border with a foreign country, and, except for August and September, is famously green.
Umbria, is best known for its most best loved and common festival, the Umbrian Jazz festival is very popular and is said to bring over 200,000 spectators[ttp://umbrianjazz_2008.com.au] every year. Umbria Jazz, is also trying out something different this year for 2008. This year, along with food and sing-along, the Umbria Jazz Festival is going to be held outside and inside in concerts. Most small Umbrian Jazz Bands prform live inside restraunts, outdoor ovals, and audition halls for small commercials. Umbria Jazz is very popular, so book in a ticket now!
Economy
The agriculture of the region produces olives, grapes, wheat and tobacco. Industry is based on the steel factories of Terni that harness the hydroelectric power of the Marmore Falls created by the Romans, the food industry of Perugia (e.g. Perugina-Nestlè), the production of olive oil (Spoleto and Trevi) and wine (Lake Trasimeno, Montefalco). Tourism is an important factor in the regional economy, especially in the districts of Perugia, Assisi, and Spoleto.
Politics
Umbria is a stronghold of the center-left coalition The Union, forming with Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Marche the famous Italian political "Red Quadrilateral". At the April 2006 elections, Umbria gave more than 57% of its votes to Romano Prodi.
Demographics
As of 2006, the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 53,470 foreign-born immigrants live in Umbria, equal to 6.2% of the total population of the region.
Towns of Umbria with a population of 20,000 or more:
| Comune | Population (2006 est.) |
|---|---|
| Perugia | 161,390 |
| Terni | 109,569 |
| Foligno | 54,381 |
| Città di Castello | 39,492 |
| Spoleto | 38,563 |
| Gubbio | 32,532 |
| Assisi | 26,196 |
| Orvieto | 20,841 |
| Bastia Umbra | 20,760 |
| Narni | 20,212 |
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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