General information
Umbria is situated right in the centre of the Italian peninsula, bordering with Le Marche
to the East and with Tuscany and Lazio respectively to the North-West and South-West.
From an administrative point of view, the region is divided into two provinces, Perugia,
the region main hub, and Terni. Other towns of decent size are Foligno, Città di
Castello, Spoleto and Gubbio. The urbanization rate is much lower here than in other Italian
regions, indicating a greater capillarity of the human presence on the territory: Only three
municipalities have more than 50.000 inhabitants and these account for approximately 40%
of the population of Umbria; this is an additional symptom of the strong connection to the
territory and to their own traditions that the inhabitants of the many small rural villages
continue to maintain. The Umbrian population reaches approximately 840.000 units.
The industrial sector has a lesser importance here than in other Italian regions: the heavy
industries are mainly concentrated in the area of Terni and Narni (steel). Services (commerce,
banks and assurances, restaurants, tourism) are the main source of regional wealth; one
still important share, though progressively decreasing, is held by agriculture.
A big part of the regional surface (55%) is hilly; the mountainous areas correspond to
27% of the total surface and the flat to 18%. At the eastern corner of Umbria, within the
Natural Park of Monti Sibillini, rises Mount Vettore (2448 meters), the most elevated peak.
The region is rich in waters: it is crossed from north to south from the Tevere, the third
Italian river in length and from many other rivers like the Nera, who forms the spectacular
Marmore Falls. The main lakes are the Trasimeno, the forth largest in Italy, the lake of
Corbara and Piediluco lake.
The climate has a Mediterranean character, with marked diversities between the mountainous
areas on one side and the hilly and flattish areas on the other; summer is typically warm
and dry, winter relatively mild, with temperatures not frequently coming down below zero.
Rainfalls are more abundant in the north-oriental Appennine, where snow falls quite regularly
in the colder months.
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