CALA'BRIA, the s.w. peninsula of the kingdom of Italy, bounded n. by the province of Basilicata. Its greatest length, from the southern border of Basilicata to cape Sparti vento, is about 160 miles. In its northern part it has a breadth in some places of more than 60 m., which suddenly contracts, between the gulfs of Saut' Eufeinia and Squillacc, to not more than 16. Its entire area is nearly 7000 sq.m., and its pop., in 1871, amounted to 1,206,302. It is traversed throughout its entire length by the Apennine mountains (q.v.), whose summits in the region in the n. of C., known as La Sila, and the Aspro monte, in the s., are crowned with pines, while forests of oak and beech cover their sides. The valleys between the various hills afford rich pasture, especially in the n., to which, in spring-time, whole colonies migrate with their flocks and herds. There is no river of any importance in C.; but the valleys and plains, watered by such streams as there are, are very fertile, yielding wheat, rice, cotton, licorice, saffron, tlic sugar-cane, etc., and also the vine, orange, lemon, olive, fig, and mulberry, in luxuriance. Iron, alabaster, marble, gypsum, and antimony are among its minerals. The fisheries of its coasts, par ticularly the tunny and anchovy fisheries, are important, and afford employment to a large number of the population. Manufactures are in a backward state. Silk is the staple
article. The district is very subject to earthquakes. For purposes of administration, C. is divided into the provinces of Cosenza, which has a population of 440,468—capital, Cosenza; Catanzaro, Nvith a population of 412,226—capital, Catanzaro; and Reggio, with a population of 353,608—capital, Reggio.
In ancient times, the name C. was given to the s.e. peninsula, nearly corresponding to the modern province of Lecce, no portion of which is included in modern C., which answers to the ancient Bruttium. The name C., as applied to the district now known by that name, appears to have originated with the Byzantines some time prior to the con quest of the country by the Normans. A colony of the Vaudois or Waldenses of Piedmont was founded in C. in 1340, and for some time enjoyed great prosperity, but was extirpated in 1560-61. The destruction of this colony is one of the blackest passages of the history of religion hi Italy.
The Calabrians are a proud, fiery, and revengeful race. They were long celebrated as among tlic fiercest of banditti; but the crimes which in former times made them infamous are no longer frequent. They strenuously resisted the power of France during the Napoleonic campaigns, and were not finally subdued until 1810.