SICILY, an island belonging to the kingdom of Italy, in the Mediterranean, the largest and the finest in that sea, ly ing at the S. W. extremity of Italy, from which it is parted by the narrow Strait of Messina. Area, 9,936 square miles; pop. about 3,793,500. Sicily is of an ir regularly triangular shape (hence its an cient Latin name of Trinacria), and is 180 miles in length by 120 in breadth. A mountain chain, seemingly a continuation of the Apennines, traverses the island E. and W., throwing off spurs, from one of which in the E. rises Mount Etna, the loftiest volcano in Europe, having a cul mination of 10,900 feet; neither the lakes nor the rivers are of any considerable size or length. The plains and valleys which compose the greater portion of the island are remarkably fertile, and yield large crops of maize, wheat, rice, pulse, all kinds of vegetables, and abundance of fruits; the silk worm is largely culti vated. The minerals are marble, iron, copper, stone, agate, jasper, salt, and coal, while of sulphur the yield is enormous— about 300 mines. The manufactures, gen erally unimportant, are silks, hats, furni ture, skins, cotton, and cutlery; the ex ports comprise all native produce, with linseed, manna, rags, and tanned leather.
Sicily is divided into seven provinces—. Palermo, Messina, Catania, Girgenti, Syr acuse or Noto, Trapani, and Caltanisetta. The Sicilians are of middle stature, well made, with dark eyes and coarse black hair ; their features are better than their complexion; and they attain maturity and begin to decline earlier than the inhabi tants of more N. regions. There are 1,000
miles of railroads. Elementary schools are established everywhere, and grammar and commercial schools in the town. There are universities in Palermo, Mes sina and Catania.
Sicily was originally peopled by the Phcenicians, by the Greeks, next by the Carthaginians, and then by the Romans. The Saracens in the 8th century subju gated the island, and some centuries later the Norwegians made inroads on its ter ritory. and finally it fell under the Nor man sway. From this time Sicily became the prey of Spain, France, and Austria, till the crown was united to that of Na ples under the title of the Two Sicilies in 1734. When the French overran Italy under Bonaparte, the King of Naples, being driven from his throne, took shelter in this, the insular portion of his domin ions, where he reigned in peace, under British protection, till the final peace of 1816 placed him once more in his conti nental chair of Naples. The revolution in Italy begun by Garibaldi in 1860 soon spread to Sicily, and on the landing of that patriot the whole island rose in arms, and the royal troops were beaten in every engagement. Sicily in a few months was free, and when Naples acknowledged Vic tor Emmanuel as its sovereign, under the style of King of Italy, the Sicilian crown was laid with rejoicings at the feet of that sovereign. See ITALY.