Italy WebQuest
Setting the Scene
The reasons behind these particular sparsely populated areas are because these regions are full of mountain ranges or large farming areas.
Right now I know very little about Italy apart from some ancient history. I would love to learn more of the language and their customs. More about the Culture and the food would also be very interesting. Little things that will help in the trip as in formal/informal language, what to do/not do to be respectful.
The Physical Geography of Italy
The three biggest volcanoes in Italy include:
Mount Etna
Located in Sicily the volcano is 3,350m high and last erupted in 2013.
Mount Vesuvius
Located in the golf of the Naples the volcano is 1,281m high and last erupted in 1944.
Mount Stromboli
Located in Eolian Islands the volcano is 926m high and last erupted in 2013.
The three most recent volcanoes to Erupt in Italy include:
Mount Stromboli
This volcano is constantly erupting and its last recorded date was on the 25th July 2013.
Mount Etna
This volcano has been erupting for a very long time and last erupted on the 27th April 2013.
Mount Vesuvius
Most known for covering Pompeii last erupted on the 4th April 1944.
Mount Etna
Location: Island of Sicily, Italy
Coordinates: 37.734oN, 15.004oE
Elevation: 3,350m
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Last eruption: 27th April 2013
Eruption Rate: Ongoing
Mount Etna is the highest and one of the most active Volcanoes in all of Europe. It has been growing for over 500,000 years and currently still is in a series of eruptions starting in 2001. The Volcano has experienced various types of eruptions. The first documented eruption was around 1500 BC when people were driven to migrate to the western end of the island because of it.
The most Powerful and violent eruption ever recorded for it was in 1669. It blew apart of the summit and lava flows reached down more than ten miles away were it hit the sea and the town of Catania. This was also recorded as the first attempt of trying to control the path of the lava. The people of Catania dug channels that drained away lava but diverted paths still threatened the village.
Mount Etna erupts so much because it is located on at the bottom of Italy, where the very edge of the African plate keeps crashing into the Eurasian Plate. The plate boundary is destructive as the African plate is going under the Eurasian plate.
25% of Sicily’s population lives on the slopes of Etna and people live there because it is the main source of income on the island.
The Human Geography in Italy
Industry location is linked to population density because this is where the industry thrives most. It is a win/win situation; the industry being located in major cities would have the support from them and provide more back drawing people and even tourism (depending on the Industry) into the city to then make more money. Industry can also pull people to live near it, as it may be their job. This makes the population density grow around the actual industry it’s self.
The areas that are less Dense in population but still have large industry are normally large production factories or are large natural producers of an item such as Brindisi which is a large fishing and ferry port.
The Food and Culture of Italy
What do teenagers in Italy do in their spare time? They do exactly what most teenagers do in metropolitan areas around they world. Some actives they would do include:
Sports
The most popular sports over there include football, basketball, and Volleyball.
Hanging out with friends
As most teenagers do, Italian teenagers like to hang out at Parks /plazas, Café’s, bowling alleys, the cinema, the theatre, shopping, the beach with friends.
Hobbies
Such as playing/listening to Music, cooking (mostly with family), reading, writing, and surfing the Internet.Fashion in Italy
Italy is known throughout Europe and the world for being well dressed and producing some of the finest quality textiles such as silk. Although for a point of time in history Italy was only known for their textiles and not their fashion. Before 1945 most women would buy their clothes from Paris while men who were wealthier would have their suits and shoes custom made in London. Some exceptions included Mariano Fortuny who produced avant-garde dresses and Gucci leather and Ferragamo shoes that became well known all around the world. Most Major Designers though from Itlay had to set up shop in Paris in order to find more attention. This all changed after World War ||.
The Italian Government had plans to recover from the damage of the war. Money was put into many different departments for italy but the earliest success was found coming from traditional crafts including leather goods such as shoes. Most of these products were imported to America who started taking notice of Italian fashion at this time as the creations were much cheaper then Clothes from Paris and at the same quality.
An event though that really defined Italian fashion all around the world though was the multi-designer Italy fashion show held in Florence in 1951. This gave many designers in the show the boost they needed to get their company going and to set up designer fashion in Italy. Italy didn't stop their rise in fashion though solidifying their reputation for capri pants and elegant sport wear, having many famous celebrities turning up at large events in Italian gowns and dresses. They also grew on their mens wear such as suits which were popularly shown in movies and TV shows for it's distinct cut. The fashion industry in Italy today still produces amazing designers and keeps raising the bar of fashion each day.
Extension Task
There is quite a difference between the North and South of Italy. First the North today has been more influenced by the Germans and the Celtics, while the South has been more influenced by the Greeks. The North is also known as being wealthier with the industrial Triangle located in the region; the triangle is made up of the three cities Milan, Turin, and Genoa. The region is richer because of its close boarders with France, Germany and the UK having easy access to the main European Markets. This makes it easy to export produced goods to these countries.
The land available in the North is flat compared to the South, which has many mountains and mountain ranges running through it. The flat land is obviously better being able to support large factories and large farms to boost the Industrial side. Although due to all this building of factories the North is finding that there is less farming and recreation in the region, although the jobs are still better paid and more skilled.
The South is the poorest region in Italy. Most of the people who live there still live in rural areas or even in hilltop villages. The main attraction down in the south is the few towns along the coast that have little industry. They only have little industry since they lack natural resources and most of the ground is high and steep unable to build or farm on.
I would personally live in the North because there are more opportunities than the South in industry such as fashion. I also like the fact that the north of Italy is neighbors with so many other countries.Bibliography
http://www.scarborough.k12.me.us/Wentworth/Webquest/nature/10_largest_volcanoes.htm
http://www.klbict.co.uk/interactive/geography/italy/climate.htm
http://maps.howstuffworks.com/italy-population-density-map.htm
http://www.etnanews.com/etna-news/etna-eruptions/
http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/etna/news.html
http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/italy.html
http://images.nationmaster.com/images/motw/europe/italy_ind_1972.jpg
http://www.officeoftourism.org/europe/italy/Apulia/brindisi.asp