Madeline Donaldson - Italy

For my nephew Joseph and his Italian grandmother, Bianca
Copyright 2011 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Donaldson, Madeline.
Italy / by Madeline Donaldson.
p. cm. (Country explorers)
Includes index.
ISBN 9780761353164 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper)
1. ItalyJuvenile literature. I. Title.
DG417.D66 2011
945dc22 2009042333
Manufactured in the United States of America
1 VI 7/15/10

Welcome!

Italy sits on the continent of Europe. The
country is long and narrow. It is shaped
like a tall boot. The Mediterranean Sea
surrounds three sides of the boot. Northern
Italy touches France, Monaco, Switzerland,
Austria, and Slovenia. Two large islands are
also part of Italy. Sardinia lies west of Italy.
Sicily nearly touches the toe of Italys boot.

Sicily is the
largest island in the
Mediterranean Sea.
Mount Etna rises in
the background.

Two Small Countries

Two very small countries are
tucked inside Italy. They rule
themselves. Vatican City is in
Rome, Italys capital. San Marino
is in central Italy.

A skier climbs the
peak of a mountain
in the Dolomites, a
section of the Alps.

Hills and Mountains

Mountains cover much of Italy. The Alps curve around northern
Italy. These mountains also reach into France, Switzerland, and
Austria. Skiing in the Alps is a favorite winter sport.

The Apennines run down central Italy. They
reach from north to south. Valleys and plains
lie on both sides of the mountains. Hilly areas
are also to the west. These areas form some of
Italys best farmland.

Map Whiz Quiz

Take a look at the map on page
A map is a drawing or chart of
a place. Trace the outline of Italy
on a sheet of paper. Can you find
the Alps? Mark them with an N
for north. Do you see Sardinia?
Mark the island with a W for west.
Put an E for east on the Adriatic
Sea. With a green crayon, color
in Italy. Dont forget Sardinia and
Sicily! And be sure to black out
San Marino and Vatican City.
They dont belong to Italy.

This town lies in central
Italy. Lush farmland
surrounds it.

Water Everywhere

Italy is a peninsula. This means it has water on three sides.
The country also has lots of rivers. Many of them flow down
from the mountains. They bring water to farmland.

The Po River runs
through the city of
Turin. Buildings
line the riverbanks.

The Po is Italys longest river. It runs across northern Italy.
Other rivers are the Arno and the Tiber. The Arno is the main
river in central Italy. The Tiber flows into Rome in central Italy.

Windsurfers enjoy the
water at Lake Como.
It is the third-largest
lake in Italy.

Lake District

Long ago, slow-moving ice masses
carved out lakes in the Alps.
The narrow lakes filled with melted
snow. They formed the Lake District.
Lake Como, Lake Garda, and
Lake Maggiore draw many visitors
every year.

Lots of
Farmland

The Po River flows
into the largest valley
in Italy. Farmers have
been planting and
watering crops in the
Po Valley for thousands
of years. The main
crops are wheat, corn,
rice, grapes, sugar
beets, and potatoes.

The Po Valley lies across northern
Italy. The valley holds some of
Italys best farmland.

People also farm land on either
side of the Apennines. Farmers
tend grapes, wheat, tomatoes,
peppers, and fruit and olive trees.
Farms in the far south and Sicily
grow citrus fruits, such as lemons
and oranges.

Its harvesttime
at this fruit orchard.
These tangerines are
ready for the market.

All Weather

Italy gets just about every kind of weather. Skiers love the snow
that falls in the north. Farms throughout the country get rain in
spring. Melting snow also swells rivers that water farmland.

Children awake to
an overnight
snowfall in Siena,
Italy. They sled in
a town square.

Both visitors and Italians enjoy the
sunny days of summer. Beaches
draw huge crowds. People can walk
among old buildings or sit in large
squares. Open-air restaurants get lots
of business in summer.

Volcanoes

Italy has some of Europes largest
volcanoes. A few still spew hot
ash and lava. Mount Etna on
Sicily is still active. It erupts
(blows up) at least once a year.
Mount Vesuvius is near Naples.
This volcano last erupted in 1944.

People enjoy good
food and a beautiful
view of Lake Garda,
near the Alps.

Long ago, Romans
ruled Italy. This
image of ancient
Romans is carved
in marble.

The Romans

People have lived in Italy
for a long, long time.
One of the most famous