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Liguria - General Info
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa.
Geography
Liguria borders France to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany to the east. It lies on the Ligurian Sea, a part of the Tyrrhenian Sea (northern Mediterranean Sea). The coastal strip forms the Italian Riviera; further inland are the Ligurian Alps, on the west, and the Ligurian Apennines on the east. It is noticeable that, despite the high population density, woods cover half of the total area. The Ligurian coast enjoys a typical mediterranean climate, compared to the semi-continental climate of the Po valley to the north; in January, Genoa records an average temperature of about 8-10°C, with no frost, which can occur only in the mountainous interior. Summer averages about 25-30°C. Rainfall can be very abundant at times; mountains very close to the coast create an orographic effect, so Genoa can see up to 2000 mm of rain in a year; other areas instead show the normal values of the Mediterranean area (500-800 mm).
Liguria is divided into four provinces:
* Genoa (Genova)
* Imperia
* La Spezia
* Savona
History
Liguria is a very old name, dating back to pre-Roman times. Ancient Ligures settled the Mediterranean coast from Rhône to Arno, but later Gallic migration mixed and produced the Gallo-Ligurian culture. The region was officially subdued by the Roman Republic during the 2nd century BC. During the Middle Ages, Genoa gradually gained control of most of Liguria, which shared most of the city's history, and, with a few breaks in the 15th and early 16th century when the area was under either Milanese or French control, the Republic of Genoa ruled the area until 1796, when the French Revolutionary general Napoleon Bonaparte reorganized the area into the Ligurian Republic. The Ligurian Republic proved short-lived, however, and was annexed directly by France in 1805. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the area was annexed by the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Economy
The Ligurian economy is based on tourism, olive oil production, fisheries, and a few industries in different sectors (shipyards, steel, oil refineries, aviation) mainly concentrated in Genoa and the Province of Savona.
Politics
At the April 2006 elections, Liguria gave more than 53% of its votes to Romano Prodi.
In Medieval and Renaissance Times
The then city states of Liguria were controlled by Merchant Families. Genoa was then was run by the Nuccio Family, Adorno family, and the Campofregoso family.
Demographics
Due to very low birth rate, aging population and a severe economic crisis in the '80s and '90s Liguria lost 200,000 inhabitants, but after the economic recovery of last '90s the region became to attract consistent fluxes of immigrants. As of 2006, the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 65,994 foreign-born immigrants live in Liguria, equal to 4.1% of the total regional population.
Towns of Liguria with a population of 50,000 or more:
Genoa - 620,316
La Spezia - 94,263
Savona - 61,766
Sanremo - 57,120
Information taken from: Wikipedia: Free Encyclopedia. Click Here for more information
