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| Placed at the centre of the Mediterranean,
Sicily is the biggest island in the latter (25,460 square
Kilometres). Around in there is a series of smaller islands:
to the north the Aeolian Islands and Ustica, to the west the
Egadi, to the south the Pelagie and Pantelleria (altogether
25,708 square Kilometres). Its coast, prevalently rocky to
the north, and sandy to the south, is 1000 Km. long. There
is great movement in the Sicilian landscape: the island is
mountainous and hilly, with only one big plain near Catania. |
| The most important massif is the Etna
one (the whole area of which is protected by a big nature
park), in the eastern part of Sicily. The volcano, 3300 m.
high, is active, and is the biggest one in Europe. Along the
northern coast, from east to west, there is a stretch of the
Peloritans, the Nebrodi and the Madonie mountains, whose peaks
go up to 2000 metres. Just west of the river Torto, the Madonie
give way to irregular calcareous formations, isolated or in
groups, dominating roundish low hills. To the east, between
Messina and Etna, the Peloritans continue, wholly similar
to the mountains of Calabria. |
| Further south, again in the eastern part
of the island, there is a succession of tablelands formed
by lava, tufa and above all calcareous rock, deeply carved
out by gorges formed by erosion by water. Lastly, the centre
of Sicily is hilly. This is the so-called sulphurbearing plateau,
with a height varying between 500 and 700 meters (with exception
of the hill on which Enna stands, almost 1000 meters hight). |
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