Sicily
(sĭs'ĭlē) , Ital.
Sicilia, region (1991 pop.
4,966,386), 9,925 sq mi (25,706
sq km), S
Italy,
mainly situated on the island of
Sicily, which is bounded by the
Mediterranean Sea on the west and
south, by the Ionian Sea on the
east, and by the Tyrrhenian Sea
on the north, and which is
separated from the Italian
mainland by the narrow Strait of
Messina.
The region also includes the
Egadi Islands, the Lipari
Islands, the Pelagie Islands (see
Lampedusa), Pantelleria island,
and Ustica island.
Palermo
is the capital of Sicily, which
is divided into the provinces of
Agrigento,
Caltanisetta,
Catania,
Enna,
Messina,
Palermo,
Ragusa,
Siracusa,
and Trapani (named for their
capitals).
Geography
The largest Mediterranean island, Sicily
is triangular and formerly was sometimes
called Trinacria [Gr.,=triangle];
capes Boeo (or Lilibeo), Passero, and
Punta del Faro (or Peloro) are the
vertices of the triangle. The island is
almost entirely covered by hills and
mountains (continuations of the
Apennines); Mt. Etna (10,700 ft/3,261 m),
in the east, is the highest point. The
only wide valley is the fertile plain of
Catania
in the east, mostly located along the
lower Simeto River. There are also narrow
coastal strips in the south and west, and
a small fertile plain (the Conca d'Oro)
near
Palermo
in the northwest.
Geography
