Italy is a beautiful republic with a deep cultural background. Italy has a diverse historical background that left us with beautiful architecture, paintings, and music. The long history of Italy's great cities, among the most beautiful in the world, have fostered a determined spirit of independent vitality among their citizens, helping them escape the industrial revolution and changes taking place around them (Scarth).
             Italy is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water in southern Europe. The bordering countries are Austria, Switzerland, France and Slovenia. The bordering bodies of water are the Mediterranean and Ionian Sea to the south, Adriatic Sea to the east, Tyrrhenian, Ligurian, and Mediterranean Sea to the west. Italy has three major surrounding islands, Sicily, Elba, and Sardinia, as well as several small islands. The western border is composed of bays, gulfs, and other inlets. The Gulf Of Genoa is also located in Western Europe; this serves as a harbor for Genoa. Gulf of Salerno and the Gulf of Taranto are located towards the southeastern side of Italy, extending to the "heel of the boot." Italy has several lakes and shallow rivers, which are unfortunately not very important to the industry, because they dry up often. There are two major rivers in Italy: the Po River and the Adige River. They both flow from the east and empty into the Adriatic Sea to the west. The major lakes in Italy are Garda, Maggiore, Como, and Lugano. They are all located in the northern part of the "boot."
             Italy's climate varies greatly. The climate is alpine in the north and tropical towards the southwest area. The average temperature is anywhere between 52°-66°F. The climate is greatly influenced by the winds coming off of the surrounding bodies of water. Precipitation comes the heaviest during the fall and winter months. Rainfall is anywhere between 18-60 inches. Italy is not rich in natural resources. The main resou...