Other uncertainties may arise, and for the same reason, although in lesser proportion, even in the insular portions of Italy which gave rise to controversy regarding the assignment to Italy of certain islands in the Dalmatian Arch ipelago and in the Sicilian Sea. As for the re maining islands, both large and small, geog raphers as well as geologists assign them to geographic Italy, on account of their proxim ity to the mainland, as well as to their geologi cal formation, to the shallowness of the water between them and the mainland, etc.
natural, or geographical, ex tent of Italy computed according to this stand ard is 321,570 square kilometers (124,157 sq. m ).
Of this extent of area 40 per cent belongs to Continental Italy; 42 per cent to Peninsular portion and 18 per cent to the islands. The of Italy comprises 89 per cent of this -- practically 110,623 square miles; and the area of the Italian colonies in 1916 was 601,200 square miles. Italy's area in Europe alone is exceeded by that of Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Prance, Spain and Sweden. The kingdom of Italy amounts in area to only the 25th part of that of the United States of Amer ica, and exceeds slightly the area of the New England States and New York combined.
Sea By reason of its special shape and position, of its extending into the midst of the sea and of the many islands which belong to it, geographical Italy has a very extended coast line of which only 51 per cent belongs to the mainland and the rest to the islands. On that account the length of the coast line is suf ficient to enclose a circular area more than four times as large as the area of Italy. And that is why, owing to this superabundance of coast, which is one of the fundamental conditions for the development of maritime activity, Italy has no naval superior in Europe, except in Great Britain.
However, the historical or sociological value of these coasts is very diverse. In the first place they are not sufficiently indented, as for instance are the coasts of Great Britain. More over, there are long stretches of coast without natural landing facilities or harborage for ves sels of considerable tonnage.
The northerly portion must be excepted, as it carries on an extensive internal and foreign commerce, which by its exports and imports greatly stimulates maritime activity.
The uniform coasts, of the Adriatic are es pecially poor in good harbors, as are the steep er and more vaned coasts of the Ionian Sea, of Tyrrhenian Calabria and of the more westerly isles.
With all this there are more favored tracts of coast, especially along the Tyrrhenian Sea.
where the coast is often precipitous and forms an uninterrupted series of gulfs with high promontories beneath which the beach curves in large semi-circles. But the most favored of all are the small but attractive Gulf of Spezia, best adapted by nature to the military require ments of the country; the splendid Bay of Naples, the richest in natural attractions, the centre of the greatest agricultural and fishing industries, toward which are attracted the com mercial interests of almost the whole of south. ern Italy; and the spacious Gulf of Genoa, with its magnificent Riviera of Levante, and of Ponente, almost without any lowland, particu larly the Levant Riviera, which is cultivated like a garden. From this Gulf of Genoa extend the principal thoroughfares to the chief Indus trial provinces of Italy, and toward the richest European countries outside of Italy. On the Adriatic Sea the opening of the Suez Canal re. stored the old-time international value of the Brindisi coast, and that of the less ancient, but much larger, Venetian coast. And the fisheries of the same gulf and its lagoons give a still greater value to certain small inlets and inden tations in the coast, which suffice for the mod erate needs of fishing boats.
Oro-Hydrograplue Conformation.— The surface of Italy is chiefly mountainous. The largest Italian plain, slightly above sea-level, ex tends through the continental portion, i.e., in northern Italy. This plain has an area, about equal to the combined areas of New Hamp' shire and Vermont.
Peninsular Italy, and especially the islands, is covered for the most part with mountains and hills, between which are numerous valleys diverse in appearance and extent; some quite large, particularly along the lower course of large rivers and in the vicinity of the sea coast. In the regions traversed by the largest chains of the Apennines there are some vast and high valleys entirely enclosed by opposite chains of mountains, such as the tableland of Aquila (Aterno); of Rieti (Velino) and of Perugia (Alto Tevere). But all the plains of Italy, taken together, represent but a third part of the entire area distributed in various regions, in varying proportion, so that the mountainous area is equal to about 56 per cent of northern Italy; and 67 per cent of central Italy; 60 per cent of the islands of the kingdom. The moan, &mous area is even greater in those portions of the Italian regions outside the kingdom.