People usually describe Italy as being shaped like a boot, and that boot is shaped around two mountain ranges that fit together like a T: the top crossbar is the Alps Mountains that stretch across Italy's northern border, and the Apennines range is the part that goes up and down the length of Italy. Along its northern border, from east to west, Italy borders with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The rest of the country, a peninsular, is surrounded by water: the Ligurian Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Mediterranean and Ionian Seas, the Gulf of Taranto and the Adriatic Sea.

Located in southern Europe, Italy is about equal in area to the state of Arizona and is divided into three major regions. The north Italian Plain and the Italian Alps is one of them, the peninsula just below is the second, and finally there are Sardinia, Sicily and lots of other smaller islands that make up the third part. Since there is water surrounding three sides of the country, you can imagine that there is an enormous coastline. In fact there are 6,000 miles of it, which help to support Italy's large fishing and shipping industries. Not only that, there are miles of beautiful beaches which include a stretch of coast along the Riviera, in the north, and the Amalfi Coast in the south. Italy has one major river, the Po, that flows in the north, from west to east and empties into the Adriatic Sea. Also in the north are the Alps that are a focal point for the ski industry. In their foothills are several beautiful lakes and lagoons such as Lakes Como, Maggiore and Garda. Beautiful old villas in the area, some dating from the 16th century, have now been converted into luxury hotels

With a population of about 58 million people, Italy's main language is Italian and its main religion is Roman Catholic. Another way of dividing Italy would be according to temperament, traditions and living conditions. Rome, the capital city, marks the boundary of this division. North of the city are the more wealthy, northern and central regions that are considered more European. South of Rome the regions are poorer and generally more neglected and are considered more Mediterranean. This southern part is also called the Mezzogiorno and is filled with great beauty and ancient theaters, temples and cities.