The climate of Italy is highly diverse and can be far from the stereotypical Mediterranean climate, depending on location. Most of the inland northern regions of Italy, for example Piedmont, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, have a humid subtropical (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The coastal areas of Liguria and most of the peninsula south of Florence generally fit the Mediterranean stereotype (Köppen climate classification Csa). Conditions on peninsular coastal areas can be very different from the interior's higher ground and valleys, particularly during the winter months when the higher altitudes tend to be cold, wet, and often snowy. The coastal regions have mild winters and warm and generally dry summers, although lowland valleys can be quite hot in summer.

Mediterranean climate Csa

It is found in all the coastal areas, excluding the north-eastern area, which fits a Humid subtropical climate. The winter average vary from 6 °C (42.8 °F), in the northern areas, to 11–14 °C (51.8–57.2 °F) in the southern islands. During the summer, averages near 23 °C (73.4 °F) in the north (Liguria), and sometimes reaching 26–28 °C (78.8–82.4 °F) in the south. Precipitations mostly during the winter. Snowfalls are rare and usually very light in the north, and almost never happen in the south. Summers are dry and hot. Main cities: Cagliari, Palermo, Naples, Rome, Genoa, Pescara.

Mediterranean mild climate Csb

This climate is found inland and at medium and high elevations in southern Italy, around 1,000 meters (3,281 ft). It is similar to the usual mediterranean climate: the summers are dry and the winters wetter, but the temperatures are lower in both seasons — around 3 or 5 °C (37.4 or 41 °F) in the winter, and between 17 and 21 °C (62.6 and 69.8 °F) in the summer. Snowfalls are more common. Main cities and towns: Potenza, Prizzi.

Humid subtropical climate Cfa

It's found in the Po and Adige's valleys in the north until low inland central and southern Italy. It's marked by hot and wet summers. The winters are more or less mild. The precipitation is higher and there is no dry season. Average temperatures are around 1°C to 6°C in the winter and more than 22°C in the summer. Main cities: Milan, Venice, Verona, Turin, Bologna.

Oceanic climate Cfb

It can be found only in altitude in the Apennines and in the alpine foothills. Summers are between 17 and 21 °C (62.6 and 69.8 °F) Main cities and towns: Aosta, Campobasso, L'Aquila, Cuneo, Sondrio, Amatrice — mild. Belluno, Breno, Feltre — severe.

Humid continental climate Dfb

It's found in the Alps, around 1,200 meters (3,937 ft) in the western side, or around 1,000 m (3,281 ft) in the eastern side. It's marked by low winter averages (between -7 and -3 °C / 19.4 and 26.6 °F) and mild summers, with temperatures average from 13 to 18 °C (55.4 to 64.4 °F). Snow is usual from early November until March or early April. Main towns: Brusson, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Aprica, Vermiglio, Mazzin, Santo Stefano di Cadore, Claut, Resia.

Cold continental climate Dfc

In the alpine valley around 1,600–1,800 meters (5,249–5,906 ft). The winters are very cold, averages between -12 and -5 °C (10.4 and 23 °F), and summers are cool, usually around 12 °C (53.6 °F). Main towns and villages in this area: Livigno, Chamois, Misurina, Predoi, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame.

Tundra climate ET

Above the tree line in the Alps. All the months with average below 10 °C (50 °F). Villages with this climate: Cervinia, Sestriere, Trepalle.

Topography of Italy: Italy is located in Southern Europe and comprises the boot-shaped Italian Peninsula and a number of islands including the two largest, Sicily and Sardinia. Although the country occupies the Italian peninsula and most of the southern Alpine basin, some of Italy's territory extends beyond the Alpine basin and some islands are located outside the Eurasian continental shelf. These territories are the comuni of: Livigno, Sexten, Innichen, Toblach (in part), Chiusaforte, Tarvisio, Graun im Vinschgau (in part), which are all part of the Danube's drainage basin, while the Val di Lei constitutes part of the Rhine's basin and the island comune of Lampedusa e Linosa is on the African continental shelf.

The country's total area is 301,230 km², of which 294,020 km² is land and 7,210 km² is water.

Including the islands, Italy has a coastline and border of 7,600 km on the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian seas (740 km), and borders shared with France (488 km), Austria (430 km), Slovenia (232 km) and Switzerland; San Marino (39 km) and Vatican City (3.2 km), both enclaves, account for the remainder.

The Apennine Mountains form the peninsula's backbone, the Alps form its northern boundary. The Po, Italy's longest river, flows from the Alps on the western border with France and crosses the Padan plain on its way to the Adriatic Sea. The five largest lakes are, in order of diminishing size:

• Garda (367.94 km²/142 sq mi)
• Maggiore (212.51 km²/82 sq mi)
• Como (145.9 km²/56 sq mi)
• Trasimeno (124.29 km²/48 sq mi)
• Bolsena (113.55 km²/44 sq mi)

The country is situated at the meeting point of the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate, leading to considerable seismic and volcanic activity. There are 14 volcanoes in Italy, three of which are active: Etna (the traditional site of Vulcan’s smithy), Stromboli and Vesuvius. Vesuvius is the only active volcano in mainland Europe and is most famous for the destruction of Pompeii and Herculanum. Several islands and hills have been created by volcanic activity, and there is still a large active caldera, the Campi Flegrei north-west of Naples.

Geography of Italy: Italy is located in eastern Europe and comprises the short, sandal-shaped Italian Peninsula, the land between the peninsula and the Alps, and a number of islands including Sicily and Sardinia. Corsica is often mistaken to be an Italian island but in fact has been a part of France since 1769. Its total area is 301,230 square kilometres (116,310 sq mi), of which 294,020 km² (113,520 sq mi) is land and 7,210 km² is water (2,784 sq mi).

Italy borders with Switzerland (740 km/460 mi), France (488 km/303 mi), Austria (430 km/270 mi) and Slovenia (232 km/144 mi). San Marino (39 km/24 mi) and Vatican city (0.44 km/0.27 mi) are both entirely surrounded by Italy.

Including islands, Italy has a coastline of 7,600 kilometres (4,700 mi) on the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Sea.

Highest peak in Italy is Mont Blanc, at 4,810 metres (15,780 ft) above sea level.

Italy is a mountainous country, with the Alps as the northern boundary and the Apennine Mountains forming the backbone of the peninsula, but in between the two lies a large plain in the valley of the Po, the largest river in Italy, which flows 652 km (405 mi) eastward from the Cottian Alps to the Adriatic. Worldwide-known mountains in Italy are Matterhorn (Cervino), Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso in the West Alps, and Bernina, Stelvio and Dolomites along the eastern side of the Alps.

Most of Italy's rivers drain either into the Adriatic Sea (like Po, Piave, Adige, Reno) or into the Thyrrenian (like Arno, Tiber and Volturno), though the waters from some border municipalities (Livigno in Lombardy, Innichen and Sexten in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol) drain into the Black Sea through the basin of the Drava, a tributary of the Danube, and the waters from the Lago di Lei in Lombardy drain into the North Sea through the basin of the Rhine.

In the north of the country are a number of subalpine lakes, the largest of which is Garda (370 km²/143 sq mi). Other well known of these subalpine lakes are Lake Maggiore (212.5 km²/82 sq mi), whose most northerly section is part of Switzerland, and Lake Como (146 km²/56 sq mi).

Several islands form part of Italy. The largest are Sicily 25,708 km² (9,926 sq mi) and Sardinia 24,090 km² (9,301 sq mi). The third island is Elba, the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago (224 km²/86 sq mi).

There are also a few active volcanoes in Italy: Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe; Vulcano; Stromboli; and Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe.

Geography of Italy