Calabria, Italy

Amato River valley in Calabria, Italy
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Valle_Fiume_Amato_21_08_2008.jpg
Author: Ferdinando Chiodo


Calabria is the southernmost region of mainland Italy. It occupies the "toe" portion of the Italian peninsula. Calabria covers 15,080 sq km and has a population of around two million people (2012 estimate).

Geography of Calabria
Bordering it to the north is the region of Basilicata, while it faces the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the east. The island of Sicily is located across the Strait of Messina, with Punta Pezzo in Calabria facing Capo Peloro in Sicily. Calabria is mostly mountainous. The the southernmost part is the Aspromonte massif with the highest peak at Montalto (1,995 m).

Strait of Messina in Calabria, Italy
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lo_stretto_di_Messina.jpg
Author: MarcoCrupi


History of Calabria
The forefathers of modern Calabria were two ancient tribes, the Oenotrians and the Itali. Greeks came to settle here between the 6th and 5th century BC. They were conquered by the Romans during the 3rd century BC. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Calabria was under the Goths, followed by the Byzantines and then in the 11th century the Normans. It was ruled as part of the Kingdom of Naples until it joined the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century.

Languages spoken in Calabria
Although most people speak standard Italian, the region also has a number of dialects. Dialects spoken on the northern one-third of Calabria are part of the Neapolitan language while dialects spoken in the southern two-thirds are considered part of the Sicilian language.

Administrative Divisions of Calabria
Today Calabria is composed of five provinces namely Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Reggio di Calabria and Vibo Valentia.

Cathedral of Reggio in Calabria, Italy
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Il_duomo_di_reggio.jpg
Author: Franc rc


Economy of Calabria
Traditionally, farming is the main occupation in Calabria. The region produces olives as its main crop. It also has some manufacturing industries and of late, tourism has become increasingly important.

Cuisine of Calabria
The cuisine of Calabria is characteristic of the typical southern Italian Mediterranean cuisine, with meat dishes, vegetables and fish. Meats popular here include pork, lamb and goat while eggplants are among the most common vegetable here. There is a tradition of preserving vegetables and meats in olive oil as well as curing fish such as swordfish, sardines and cod.

Calabria

The A3 motorway is the main expressway connecting Calabria with the rest of Italy. It runs along the west coast of the region to Reggio Calabria.

Cities & Towns in Calabria

Tourist Sights in Calabria

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