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Calabria
Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Calabria
Calabriakälä'brēä, region (1991 pop. 2,070,203), 5,822 sq mi (15,079 sq km), S Italy, a peninsula projecting between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea, separated from Sicily by the narrow Strait of Messina. It forms the toe of the Italian boot. Catanzaro is the capital of Calabria, which is divided into Catanzaro, Cosenza, and Reggio di Calabria provs. (named after their capitals). The region is generally mountainous, with narrow coastal strips. Long one of the most depressed areas in Italy, the government has tried to stimulate the economy through land reform, the introduction of new crops, and the promotion of tourism. Farming is the main occupation; olives, plums, grapes, citrus fruit, and wheat are grown, and sheep and goats are raised. Fishing is well developed along the Strait of Messina. The region's few manufactures include processed food, wine, forest products, chemicals, and metal goods. There are several large hydroelectric plants. The ancient Bruttium, the region was named Calabria in the 8th cent.; before then Calabria referred to the present S Apulia. Taken in the 11th cent. by Robert Guiscard, Calabria was first part of the Norman kingdom of Sicily and after 1282 became part of the kingdom of Naples. The region was conquered by Garibaldi in 1860. Feudal landholding patterns prevailed in Calabria until the 20th cent. These, along with malaria, destructive earthquakes (particularly in 1905 and 1908), droughts, and poor transportation facilities, have hindered the economic development of the region and resulted in large-scale emigration (late 19th cent.–20th cent.) to foreign countries and to the industrial cities of N Italy. There is a relatively new university at Reggio di Calabria.

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Wikipedia search results for: Calabria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Calabria, in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian peninsula. It is bounded to the north by the region of Basilicata, to the south-west by the region of Sicily, to the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east by the Ionian Sea. The region covers 15,080 km² and has a population of 2 million. The regional capital is the city of Catanzaro. The other two main cities are Reggio Calabria and Cosenza. The demonym of Calabria is Calabrian. Calabria is at the very south of the Italian peninsula, to which it is connected by the Monte Pollino massif, while on the east,...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Calabria
Results 1 - 10  of 23
  • Reggio di Calabria

    Reggio di Calabria, city (1991 pop. 177,580), capital of Reggio di Calabria prov., Calabria, extreme S Italy, on the Strait of Messina opposite Sicily. An impoverished area, it is a beach reso...

  • Spartivento, Cape

    Spartivento, Cape, southeastern extremity of the toe of Italy, in Calabria, extending into the Ionian Sea.

  • Bruttium

    Bruttium, ancient region, S Italy, roughly occupying the present Calabria, the toe of the Italian peninsula. Bruttium faced Sicily across the Strait of Messina. Inhabited in the interior by th...

  • Cosenza

    Cosenza, city (1991 pop. 86,664), capital of Cosenza prov., Calabria, S Italy, at the confluence of the Busento and Crati rivers. It is an agricultural and secondary industrial center. Manufac...

  • Ennius, Quintus

    Ennius, Quintus, 239–169? B.C., Latin poet, regarded by the Romans as the father of Latin poetry, b. Calabria. His birthplace was the meeting point of three civilizations—Oscan, Greek, and Lat...

  • Mezzogiorno

    Mezzogiorno, region of S Italy. The Mezzogiorno comprises the modern Italian regions of Abruzzi, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. The ter...

  • Vibo Valentia

    Vibo Valentia, town (1991 pop. 34,836), Calabria, S Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is an agricultural and commercial center. A flourishing Roman town, Vibo was destroyed by the Arabs in th...

  • Albert II, king of the Belgians

    Albert II, 1934–, king of the Belgians (1993–), the younger son of Leopold III. He married Donna Paola Ruffo de Calabria in 1959; they have three children. Albert became king when Baudouin, hi...

  • Catanzaro

    Catanzaro, city (1991 pop. 96,614), capital of Catanzaro prov. and of Calabria, S Italy, on a hill above the Ionian Sea. It is a commercial center, with flour mills and distilleries. Employmen...

  • Rhegium

    Rhegium, ancient city, S Italy, on the Strait of Messina. It is the modern Reggio di Calabria. Founded (c.720 B.C.) as a colony of Chalcis, many Messenians later settled there. It was powerful...

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