Characteristics of transport in Italy. Characteristics of the transport infrastructure of Italy
The success of foreign tourism in Italy is undoubtedly favored by an efficient, country-wide transport service sector. The mobility of foreign tourists on the Apennine Peninsula is associated with the convenience of choosing any high-speed means of transportation. Moderate prices, overall speed, secured safety, frequency of flights with regular intervals, modern comfort, technological reliability and quality of services - these are basic characteristics transport system in Italy. All this has a positive effect on tourist flows from abroad. In Italy, the following modes of transport are developed:
Rice. 1
There are about 133 airports in Italy, including two transport hubs, Malpensa International in the suburbs of Milan and Leonardo Da Vinci International near Rome.
The main domestic carriers are Alitalia, ATI and several subsidiaries. Flights from Russia are regularly operated by Alitalia and Aeroflot, and in Italy itself - in addition to flights to Milan, Rome and Venice - more than 45 airports are covered by regular flights. A characteristic indicator that best reflects the tastes and moods of Russian tourists is the increase in the number of seasonal and charter flights to Rimini, Trieste, Genoa, Ancona, Catania, Naples, Forli, Palermo. Water transport also plays an important role in the external and internal transportation of the country. This is due to the significant length of the coastline, the general position of Italy on the sea route, as well as the presence of the islands that make up the country. 144 ports - so many of them are on the coast of Italy. The largest is the port of Genoa, which is known throughout the world. The largest passenger port in Italy is Naples, which is the center of communications with Sardinia, Sicily and other islands. Sea excursions from Naples to the islands of Capri and Ischia are very popular.
Crossing by ferry is the best way to admire the sea and coastal beauties of Italy. The ticket price depends on the class of the vessel and the seat category. There are also various discounts and benefits. The most famous cruise company in Italy is Costa Cruises. Costa Cruises is one of the largest cruise companies in Europe. It has been operating in the cruise market for over 50 years. Based in Genoa. Costa Cruises offers "Italian-style cruises", presenting Italian style in everything from design to nutrition: elegant interiors liners, lessons Italian, cooking demonstrations with recipes of the best authentic dishes Italian cuisine. In Italy, the role of road transport is exceptionally great. Most of the roads are in the north of Italy, in the south the density of the road network is noticeably less.
The length of Italian roads is 490,700 km, which allows it to take 6th place in Europe in this indicator.
The bus system in Italy is highly developed, but not very popular, as train travel is much cheaper. The schedule does not always correspond to the real state of affairs. In the provinces, the bus may be faster than the train, and sometimes the only means of getting to right place. In Rome, public transport is represented by buses, trams, metro and trains running within the city.
The only means of public transport in Venice are the river buses, which run from 6:30-8:00 to 20:00-22:00, depending on the route. A single ticket, valid for an hour after the first pass, will cost 7 euros. In importance, the railways in Italy are inferior to the roads. But still, traveling around Italy by train is very convenient and cheap. IN last years railway construction is being carried out more intensively, active modernization is being carried out technical equipment, the volume of investments in this industry is rapidly increasing. That is why it became possible to implement high-speed passenger transportation. At the moment, the length of Italian railways is 21,600 kilometers.
There are several types of long distance trains. Eurostar Italy, the Italians call these trains pendolino. These are the fastest trains linking the main cities of the country; cover the distance between Milan and Rome in 4 hours, Intercity (IC), fast trains plying on all major routes both within the country and abroad. Each such train has its own name, for example, Milan - Turin - Paris, Milan - Brussels. In Italy, there are also special night trains Servizio Notte, which have both seated and sleeping cars of various classes.
The cost of tickets depends on the length of the route, while as the latter increases, the price per kilometer decreases proportionally. In addition, there are various discount cards that give discounts on tickets and a number of other services. At railway stations major cities there is almost everything a traveler needs. There are tourist information centers where you can get a map of the city for free, cafes are open from early morning until late at night, as a rule, there are left-luggage offices, there is always a toilet, sometimes showers. Station and station shopping centers work even on such days and hours when all other shops in the city are closed. Souvenirs, photographic goods, guidebooks and city maps, magazines and much more are sold at large stations. Small stations have a more modest set of services, but there is always a small waiting room, a buffet, a toilet and a newsstand.
added 08/04/2015 updated 01/19/2016
We decided to go on a trip to Italy and would like to learn more about transport system countries? Then you have come to the right site. The section "Transport of Italy" was created specifically for those who want to get to the desired attraction / natural object / shopping center on time and with maximum comfort. Where to buy tickets for the Italian metro? How to properly rent a car in Italy? Where and how do trains run in Italy? What are the operating hours of Italian buses? How much will a taxi service cost? For answers to these and many other questions related to transport in Italy, look in the articles of the rubric.
The transport system in Italy is very developed, so tourists should hardly worry about the difficulties of moving around the country. Movement in Italy is quite fast, all because here the services of travelers are buses, sea transportation, trains, taxis and metro. The main conditions for a successful move from point A to point B are knowledge of the route and, perhaps, the rules of conduct in public transport in Italy.
If we talk about cars, then politeness and accuracy on the roads are what Italy is famous for. Transport rushing at a speed of 120 km can only be seen here on motorways. All because any violation of the rules traffic punished with huge fines.
If you prefer trains, Italy has plenty of options for you. Transport here communicates all major cities with each other. So starting your journey from Rome, you can easily find yourself in some resort on the Ligurian coast.
Italy is one of the most economically prosperous countries in Europe. And this can be seen not only in the level of well-being of its inhabitants, but also in the quality of transport links within the country, which is a necessary factor for the development of business and tourism.
Road transport and roads in Italy
The road network in Italy is well developed and evenly distributed throughout the country, although there is some predominance of roads in the north of Italy compared to the south. However, this does not in any way affect the quality of road transport. Due to the dense network of roads, 80% of freight and 90% of passenger traffic is carried out by cars.
Buses of large Italian companies Sita and Autostradale are engaged in the transportation of passengers in the northern part of Italy. Lazzi buses run in the central regions of the country. Bus transportation is highly organized, but the cost of tickets is quite high. Traveling by train is much cheaper, and besides, the buses do not always follow the schedule.
There is no central bus station in Rome. Cotral buses run between Rome and many cities. Disembarkation of passengers is carried out at the Tiburtina railway station or near nearby metro stations.
There are many highways in Italy. Their technical condition is constantly monitored. High-speed roads on the maps are marked with the symbol (A) - autostrade. Immediately after the symbol is the motorway number, for example: A1 - Autostrada del Sole (Milano - Napoli / Milano - Naples). Motorways are paid, and the longer the section of the road, the better the price.
City driving
In contrast to well-maintained intercity highways, many streets of Italian cities are not so convenient for motor vehicles. They are not wide enough, have many turns, and as a result, traffic jams often occur.
Italian railway
There is also a great demand for rail transport. A dense network of railways connects large and small cities in Italy. Like automobile roads, many railways were laid right on the slopes of the mountains. This explains the large number of bridges and tunnels that are on any road in all parts of the country. The railway network is not only well technically equipped, but also expanding, which makes it possible to quickly and easily get to any city in Italy.
Sea transport of Italy
Maritime transport also plays a large role in the external and internal transportation of the country. This is due to the significant length of the coastline, the general position of Italy on the sea route, as well as the presence of the islands that make up the country. 144 ports - so many of them are on the shores of Italy. The largest is the port of Genoa, which is known throughout the world. Trieste is the second port in terms of cargo turnover after Genoa. The largest passenger port in Italy is Naples, which is the center of communications with Sardinia, Sicily and other islands. The Italian navy has more than a thousand ships.
Aviation
Due to the lack of large rivers in Italy, river transport is poorly developed here. The same cannot be said about civil aviation. There are many daily flights from Italy to the most different countries peace. The largest airports in the country are the Roman "Leonardo da Vinci" (L'aeroporto di Roma Fiumicino), the Milanese "Linate" and "Malpens".
In a country like Italy, elongated in its configuration, deeply jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea at its very center, located at the intersection of many international transport routes, being the southern outpost of the European Economic Community on trade routes through the Mediterranean Sea, transport, both inland and external plays a very important role. Italy has a well developed transport network. The network of railways and roads in Italy developed mainly in the meridional direction. Latitudinal communications are not enough, with the exception of the Padana Plain. Many roads and railways are built on steep slopes, run in tunnels or over numerous bridges and viaducts, so their construction and operation are very expensive. In international road and rail transport, roads laid in the Alps play an important role, especially through the passes of Simplon, Mont Cenis, Tarvisio, St. Gotthard, Brenner and others, under which tunnels are punched. In Italy, more than 90% of passengers and more than 80% of goods are transported by road. Of the 293 thousand km. about half of the highways are in Northern Italy. 1/4 of all European highways (about 6 thousand km) are concentrated in Italy, including the world's oldest Milan-Varese highway, built in 1924. The main transport artery of the country is the Highway of the Sun, which runs through all of Italy, from Turin through Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples to Reggio di Calabria. Five international highways pass through the territory of Italy: London-Paris-Rome-Palermo, London-Lausanne-Milan-Brin-disi, Rome-Berlin-Oslo-Stjordan, Rome-Vienna-Warsaw, Amsterdam-Basel-Genoa. The Italian car park has over 20 million cars, including about 18 million passenger cars.
Rail transport could not stand the fight against such a powerful competitor and for a long time was in a state of crisis. Only in recent years, the state, which owns 82% of the railways, began to invest in their enhanced development. Some lines have been modernized, the Rome-Florence (“Direttissima”) high-speed railway has been built, on which trains can reach speeds of up to 200-260 km per hour, this route is part of the future high-speed highway connecting Milan with Florence, Rome, Naples. The total length of railways is 19.8 thousand km (including sidings), of which 10.2 thousand km are electrified.
With the development of the oil refining and petrochemical industries, the network of pipeline transport has grown. The total length of the main oil and gas pipelines exceeds 8 thousand km. Some of them are of international importance, such as the pipeline supplying Russian gas to northern Italy, the Trieste-Ingolstadt oil pipeline. An oil pipeline was laid from Genoa to Milan, Munich, and Switzerland.
Civil aviation is developing quite rapidly. She occupies a prominent place in Western Europe. Major airports (Fiumicino near Rome, Linate near Milan) serve as important hubs for the international network of airlines connecting Europe with other continents. In domestic traffic, the airports of Naples, Palermo, Venice, Genoa are important. The country's air transport is 75% controlled by the state through the Alitalia company.
Different values of the share of maritime transport in import and export traffic in physical and value terms are due to large differences in the nature of the goods transported. Import traffic is mainly associated with the import of such bulk goods as oil, coal, ore, grain, timber and certain types foodstuffs, which, with a large physical volume, have a relatively lower cost. In contrast, export shipments are mainly associated with the export to foreign markets of a wide variety of industrial products, which, with a smaller physical volume, have a significantly higher value. For these reasons, the physical volume of imported goods is 5-6 times higher than the volume of exported goods. To carry out maritime transport, Italy has a wide network of large and small ports, the turnover and cargo turnover of which is increasing from year to year. In terms of port cargo turnover, Italy ranks 1st place among the Mediterranean countries.
River transport in Italy is poorly developed due to the lack of large rivers. On the canals of Venice, its lagoon and on the Alpine lakes, small passenger ships such as “river trams” ply, and cargo is transported in small quantities.
Italy has a fairly large merchant fleet in terms of the number of ships. It ranks eighth among the capitalist countries of the world (after Liberia, Japan, Great Britain, Norway, Greece, the USA and Germany). Among the countries of the EEC, Italy ranks 3rd in terms of the total gross tonnage of merchant fleet ships, second only to Great Britain and Germany. Along with ships that fly the Italian flag, Italian shipowners have a significant number of ships registered in other countries and used in foreign markets under flags of convenience. The total number of such vessels reaches 20-25% of the total tonnage of the Italian merchant fleet. These vessels are not included in official statistical publications on the Italian merchant fleet.
Vessels of the Italian merchant fleet are used for their foreign trade and cabotage traffic passing through the Italian transit ports of goods of neighboring countries, as well as for international traffic between foreign ports. Most of Italy's foreign trade cargo is transported by chartering foreign ships, for which foreign shipowners are annually paid significant amounts of currency. Italian ships still retain an increased role only in international passenger traffic, which is largely supported by annual subsidies.
Along with foreign trade transport, maritime transport plays an important role in ensuring the internal transport of Italy. It accounts for about one third of the country's total domestic traffic. These transports are usually carried out on ships flying the Italian flag.
The Italian merchant fleet is notable for its sophisticated organizational structure. Along with the presence of the Ministry of the Merchant Marine and several large shipping companies controlled by government organizations For example, the Finmare group, the joint stock company of SNAM and Sidemar, there are a number of other large shipping companies in Italy and several hundred privately owned shipowning and shipping companies of different composition and nature of activity.
Most of the private shipowning companies are members of the so-called national federation of independent shipowners - Confitarma. The Ministry of the Merchant Marine has limited features which are more often manifested in solving such issues as the distribution of appropriations for the fleet, the preparation of bills on certain issues of the merchant fleet and shipping, general issues material support and seamen's insurance and other issues.
When solving general issues in the field of maritime transport, serious complications arise due to the lack of a single body to manage the activities and development of seaports. Moreover, a number of large and important ports (Genoa, Trieste, etc.) have their own autonomous management administrations with varying degrees of administrative and financial independence. Some other ministries are also involved in considering and resolving issues that go beyond the functions and responsibilities of the Ministry of the Merchant Marine, including those related to ports.
Recently, in the system of maritime transport, there has been an increase in the activities of the ministry on issues of state participation. Its activities have extended to some shipping companies that benefit from subsidies from the State Industrial Development Institute. Big role the Italian government's policy of providing loans and various subsidies plays a role in ensuring state influence on maritime transport. It is based on providing financial assistance primarily to companies that are controlled by state organizations.
From 80 to 90% of the volume of import, 55-60% of export cargo and about one third of the total volume of domestic transport in Italy passes through seaports. In addition, a number of ports (Trieste, Genoa, Venice) are widely used for transit transportation of foreign trade goods from neighboring countries.
There are a total of more than 144 ports on the coast of the mainland and the islands. However, most of them have small size and is used mainly by cargo-passenger and local fishing vessels or pleasure and sports vessels.
Up to 90% of the total volume of shipping passes through 220-25 largest ports, each of which has an annual cargo turnover of more than 1 million tons. These ports are located in the areas of large industrial and economic centers or individual large oil refineries, chemical, metallurgical and machine-building plants with which the ports are closely connected and which they mainly serve.
During 1981-1992, the total turnover of Italian ports increased by 2.5 times and in 1992 amounted to 357.3 million tons, tended to further growth. More than 2/3 of the total cargo turnover of the ports is connected with servicing foreign trade transportations and about one third - with servicing domestic transportations.
Genoa is the largest Italian port. Located at the top of the Genoese Gulf of the Ligurian Sea. The total length of its berths is 22.4 km, the depth in the port basins is from 7 to 10 m. The semicircular Vecchia basin, to which the ancient city blocks descend like an amphitheater, is the oldest part of the port, where all its activities were concentrated at the beginning of the century. Now it is used mainly by passenger ships. The Genoese port began to develop in a westerly direction. The long breakwater formed a new artificial harbor, including a deep-water outport and several rectangular basins separated by piers. Large-capacity vessels use the eastern entrance to enter the port.
Directly to the west of the port on artificially reclaimed territory is Italy's largest metallurgical plant, and even further to the west is a large airport on an artificially created peninsula that encloses a new deep-water oil harbor. Genoa is the second most important (after Marseille) port on the Mediterranean Sea. during the Middle Ages, Genoa was the largest trade intermediary between the countries of the West and the East. After the construction of the railways in the middle of the last century, the port became the sea gate for the densely populated and economically developed Po Valley, especially for the Milan-Turin-Bologna industrial triangle. Genoa is the home port of the Italian merchant fleet.
Naples is the main port of the southern part of the country. It is located on the shores of the eponymous bay of the Tyrrhenian Sea at the foot of the active volcano Vesuvius. It is one of the oldest cities and tourist centers Europe. Every year, over 2 million passengers, tourists and emigrants pass through Naples maritime stations. The water area of the port is protected by a breakwater, two breakwaters and consists of several basins separated by short breakwaters. The port is divided into three zones: passenger (western part), grain and general cargo (central part) and bulk and liquid cargo ( East End). One of the piers in the central part has the status of a free zone. Situated approximately halfway between Gibraltar and Port Said, Naples serves as a convenient port of call for ships of the line. Raw materials for the oil refinery and metallurgical plants in the vicinity of Naples, as well as their products, are the main part of the cargo turnover of the port of Naples. The share of vegetables, fruits and canned food traditional for Naples in the modern cargo turnover is small. A severe crisis hit the Neapolitan port in the 1980s due to a sharp decline in international maritime passenger traffic (which was caused by a decrease in emigration). This forced Naples to give way to Brindisi as the country's first passenger port.
Venice is the main Italian port on the Adriatic Sea and one of the most distinctive cities in the world. Located in the shallow lagoon of the Gulf of Venice on 119 islands separated by 160 channels. The entrance depth to the lagoon, in the upper part of which the port is located, is: Lido - 10.6 m, at Alberoni - 9.14 m. Marghera, the new industrial port of Venice, has a channel accessible to ships with a draft of up to 9.45 m. Venice is second only to Naples and Genoa. The port is partly located in the western part of the city, partly on the coast of the mainland (Margera), 10 km from the city. The main part of the port's cargo turnover falls on its mainland, where three industrial zones are located on the territory reclaimed from the sea, including over 200 industrial enterprises.
Trieste is the largest free harbor in Europe. Proximity to continental countries that do not have their own access to the sea creates a large gravitational area, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and other countries, so transit cargo prevails in Trieste's cargo turnover. The port consists of four harbors: new, old, customs and industrial. The length of the mooring front is about 20 km. Trieste is the deepest Italian port. After the construction of oil berths and their connection with the transalpine oil pipeline, the cargo turnover increased 5 times. The industrial zone of Trieste, like many other Italian ports, includes an oil refinery and a metallurgical plant.
CONTENT:
1. The place of Italy and its transport in the modern world economy.
2. Natural conditions and natural resources of the country.
3. Development of transport.
4. General characteristics of the economy, characteristics of the industry, characteristics Agriculture
5. Economic relations of Italy, carried out through
river and sea ports
6. Characteristics of transport (modern):
Ground modes and air transport.
River and sea.
Port characteristics.
7. Prospects for the development of transport in Italy and its ports.
8. Schematic maps
Physical and geographical conditions
Transport network and industry
9. List of used literature.
The place of Italy and its transport in the modern world economy.
Italy is a developed capitalist country located in the center of the Mediterranean, in the south of Western Europe, and focuses not only many typical features of nature, economic, political, cultural life, but also the most important problems of both regions. In terms of economic development, it is one of the most developed countries. Modern Italy, although not one of the great powers that have a decisive influence on the course of world events, is still among the seven largest capitalist states in the world in terms of the scale of economic activity.
Italy occupies the Apennine Peninsula deeply protruding into the sea, the part of the mainland adjacent to it from the north - the Padan Plain, bordered by a powerful arc of the Alps, as well as the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia and a number of small archipelagos and islets. In terms of area (301 thousand sq. km), Italy belongs to the category of medium-sized countries, ranking third in Western Europe (after France and Spain). In administrative terms, Italy is divided into 20 historically established and constitutionally fixed regions, which are divided into 94 provinces, and those in turn consist of communes with a total number of over 8 thousand. The capital of Italy is Rome.
A land border about 1900 km long, approximately coinciding with the main watershed of the Alps, separates Italy from France, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia. It runs almost entirely through high mountain ranges. Among the mountains, however, there are depressions through which railways and trackless roads pass, linking Italy with neighboring countries. Maritime boundaries separate the territorial waters of Italy and the territorial waters of France, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Malta, Libya, Greece, Albania and Yugoslavia. Two independent miniature states are interspersed in the territory of Italy - the Vatican and San Marino.
An important role in the life of Italy is played by the Mediterranean Sea washing it and its separate parts: the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Ionian Seas. ITS coastline stretches for 7500 km. The sea coast of Italy is the most densely populated; there are many industrial and port cities, resorts, the most important roads and railways stretch along the coasts, coastal shipping is developed, regular sea voyages connect Italy with the countries of Europe and other continents.
Italy's position in the center mediterranean sea, at the crossroads of trade routes between West and East, has always been extremely important for the country - both in ancient times, and in the Middle Ages, and in the Renaissance, and in later times. The significance of Italy's current economic and geographical position is determined primarily by the fact that it is the first of the developed capitalist countries of Western Europe to meet the flow of Middle Eastern oil that feeds Western European industry. In Italy, many of the most important air routes intersect, connecting the countries of Europe, America, Africa and Asia.
Italy's key strategic position in the Mediterranean basin is attracting the close attention of NATO leaders, who consider this country the central link of their military system in southern Europe and the entire Mediterranean. Italy is an active member of NATO. Dozens of major US bases and a number of airfields, training grounds and other US and NATO military facilities are located on its territory. Of particular importance is attached to the island of Sicily.
Closely connected economically with many European countries, Italy is included in most of the economic and political organizations that emerged after the Second World War in the process of capitalist integration of Europe. In particular, it is a member of the European Economic Community and Euratom.
The geographical position of Italy is in many respects favorable for its economic development. The Mediterranean Sea provides Italy with a convenient connection with the countries of Europe and North Africa, and after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Italy found itself on trade routes leading to the countries of South and East Asia, East Africa, and Australia. Thus, the geographical position of Italy allows her to make extensive use of maritime transport for overseas and coastal traffic and at the same time develop ties with her neighbors on land.
Natural conditions and natural resources.
Italy is located in the temperate and - for the most part - subtropical zones. This explains the wealth and diversity. Its northernmost point - Betta d'Italia - is located in the mountains of Tyrol at 47 N; the southernmost is Cape Isola delle Correnti at 36.5 N. (O. Sicily) not counting the small islands.
In physical and geographical terms, the territory of Italy is divided into three parts: the mainland, which is the Padana lowland, bordered by a system of alpine ridges and peaks, occupying about 120 thousand km. Apennine peninsula, elongated in the form of a boot for 900 km. in the central part of the Mediterranean Sea with a width of 125 to 230 km. with an area of 130 thousand km; the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and a number of smaller ones with an area of about 59 thousand km2.
Separate parts of the peninsular and island territory of the country are characterized by a significant indentation of the coastline, the presence of bays, bays and convenient harbors. There are especially many of them on the western coast of the peninsula, washed by the Tyrrhenian Sea. These are the gulfs of Genoa, La Spezia, Gaeta, Neapolitan, Salerno and others, the bays of Savona, Livorno, Civitavecchia. There are large seaports here. The coast, washed by the Adriatic Sea, is less indented. Its northern section from the state border to Rimini is replete with lagoons and wetlands, to the south, up to the Gargano peninsula, the high and steep shores of the Adriatic are devoid of any convenient natural harbors and bays; only to the south of the Adriatic Sea has separate convenient natural bays, the main of which are Bari and Brindisi.
Italy is a predominantly mountainous country. About 4/5 of its surface is occupied by folded mountains of Alpine age, their foothills and hills. The lowland part is represented by the Padana lowland along the Po River, which occupies more than 1/7 of the country's territory, and small areas in the coastal strip of the peninsula. The relief of Italy, which is the result of complex geophysical processes, on the one hand, causes a variety of natural conditions that contribute to the development of agriculture, and on the other hand, narrows the area of land cultivated by man, and also makes it difficult and expensive to develop transport links between individual parts of the country.
In the north, Italy is separated from the rest of the continent by the highest in Europe powerful arch of the Alps, which stretches from west to east for 1200 km, arching to the northwest. The Alps are very complex system, consisting of many mountain ranges and ridges, separated by longitudinal and transverse valleys. The highest peaks - Mont Blanc (4807 m above sea level), Monte Rosa (4634 m), Cervino (4478 m) - are concentrated in the western, most ancient part of the Alps. The Alps are a powerful barrier against the action of air masses from the north. In this powerful belt of mountains, however, there are convenient passages that have long been used for economic ties. So, for example, in the Lepontine Alps, the railway passes through the Ticino river valley, then heading through the Saint Gotthard tunnel (15 km) to Switzerland and the Simplon tunnel (20 km) to France. Railway communication with Austria is carried out through the Brenner Passage in the Venetian Alps along the valley of the Isorco River, a tributary of the Adige. The Alps are actively involved in the economic life of the country; used here large stocks energy of rivers, construction materials, metal ores and other minerals are mined, herds graze in mountain meadows. In recent decades, the construction of high-mountain hydroelectric power stations, roads, and the rapid development of mountain tourism have increased the risk of avalanches.
The Maritime Alps pass into the Apennine mountains, bordering the Ligurian Gulf and stretching further through the entire Apennine Peninsula. The Apennines are longer than the Alps (more than 1500 km), but cannot be compared with it in height. Their highest point - Monte Corno in the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif reaches only 2914 m above sea level. seas. The relief and geological structure of the Apennines are complex and varied. The mountains are either located in wings with valleys closed between them (in Tuscany), then they stretch in long chains from northwest to southeast (in the Central Apennines), then they break up into separate massifs (in Campania, Basilicata), then they pass into the high plateaus of Calabria . The Apennines are composed mainly of conglomerates, sandstones, limestones, shale, marbles, separate massifs and plateaus of southern Italy - ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks, also characteristic of the mountains of Sicily and Sardinia.
And in the Alps. and in the Apennines, limestones are widespread and, in connection with this, the most diverse manifestations of karst: funnels, wells, fields, grottoes, caves, rivers disappearing underground. The caves attract many tourists; some have constant air humidity, salt and therapeutic mud and are used for medicinal purposes. At the same time, karst causes great damage to the economy, drying up and impoverishing the soil, preventing the construction of buildings and roads, causing collapses and landslides.
In Italy, both ancient and modern volcanic rocks of all types (basalts, liparites, tuffs) are widespread, especially characteristic of Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Sicily, and Sardinia. In Italy there are volcanoes of various types and in different stages development: extinct (Euganean hills, Alban mountains), and active (Etna, Vesuvius, Stromboli). Today, the highest (3296 m above sea level) and powerful of the Italian volcanoes, Etna, is the most active. It erupts regularly every three to five years and even more often. To the southwest of Sicily, underwater eruptions occur from time to time, small islands appear, which are soon washed away by the sea. In a vast area from southern Tuscany to the coast of the Gulf of Naples, one can observe other natural phenomena associated with volcanism - emissions of water vapor under high pressure(Ischia Island), carbon dioxide (Dog's Grotto in the Phlegrean Fields, near Naples), hot mineral springs in Tuscany, mud volcanoes in the Emilian Apennines.
The only vast lowland in Italy is the Padan Plain, which occupies most of the Po basin. It gradually decreases from 400-500 m in the west to sea level in the east. As it decreases, not only landscapes change, but also the nature of the agricultural use of the territory: from orchards and vineyards in the west to livestock, grain and beet growing areas of the lower reaches of the Po River in the east. The Padana Plain is not only the main granary of Italy, but also the most urbanized and economically developed region of the country.
With a fairly large variety of minerals, Italy is very insufficiently and unevenly provided with raw materials and energy resources. Deposits of many minerals are small in terms of reserves, dispersed throughout the country, and often lie inconveniently for development. So far, the subsurface has not yet been sufficiently studied. At the same time, some deposits have been developed since such ancient times that they are now being depleted or have already been exhausted and abandoned. So, in 1982, the extraction of iron ore was completely stopped in the country, including on the island of Elba, where the Etruscans still mined iron.
Italy is much richer in lead-zinc ores with an admixture of silver and other metals. These deposits are associated with the crystalline and metamorphic massif of Sardinia and with the Triassic limestones of the Eastern Alps. The region of Tuscany is rich in reserves of pyrites and mercury ore - cinnabar, in terms of which Italy ranks second in the world; antimony ores occur in the Devonian limestones of Sardinia. Sulfur deposits, known since ancient Rome, are concentrated mainly in the area of Caltanissetta on the island of Sicily. The bowels of Italy are rich in various building and finishing materials (marble, granite, tuff, etc.). Marble is quarried in a number of places, but especially in the Carrara area. In terms of reserves of other types of raw materials, the territory of Italy is poor. Anthracite is found in small quantities in the Valle d'Aosta region, colloidal lignites in Tuscany, peat and peaty lignites. There are small deposits of manganese in Central Italy and Liguria. Bauxites, long mined from the karst depressions of Puglia, are now almost exhausted. On the island of Sicily there are reserves of potash and rock salt, asphalt, bitumen.
In the postwar years, quite significant (for Italy) oil resources were discovered - in the Padana lowland, in the Alpine foothills, and also on the island of Sicily. These are complemented by bituminous shales, on the island of Sicily in the Ragusa region, near San Valentino in the Abruzzo e Molise region, and also in the Frosinone region (Lazio). In Sardinia, in Tuscany, Umbria there are small deposits of brown and low-quality coal. Italy's own energy resources meet the needs of Italy by no more than 15%. Under these conditions, deposits of natural gas of methane, usually dissolved in water, which are impregnated with loose tertiary and quaternary deposits of the Padana lowland in the lower reaches of the Po River and its underwater continuation - the continental shelf of the Adriatic Sea, are very important for the economy of the country. The gas has also been found in sandstones, marls, and shales of the Northern, Central, and Southern Apennines, in Sicily and off its coasts, and on the shelf of the Ionian Sea. The general lack of energy resources used in thermal power plants is compensated to some extent by the presence in the country of sufficiently rich hydropower reserves.
Development of transport (highlighting maritime).
Transport.
The most important branch of the sphere of circulation. Transportation of goods and work force constitutes that part of the sphere of circulation which is a continuation of the process of production in the sphere of circulation.
In Italy, transport is developing along the same lines as in other European countries - in particular, the share of road transport is increasing, mainly due to the decrease in the share of rail transport. This is due to the fact that road transport is more mobile, requires less support services and minimizes transshipment operations, since it delivers the goods directly to the destination (capabilities that sea and rail transport lack).
The difference between Italy is that here and in the domestic transport of goods, road transport has acquired an exceptionally high share, while the share of all other modes of transport has fallen to an extremely low level.
Such a deeply specific position in the transport of Italy is due to the special impact exerted on this branch by industry. The fact is that such sectors of Italian industry as the automotive, rubber, oil refining and building materials industries are developing most rapidly, developing most rapidly. Industries producing railway rolling stock are slowly developing their production. Therefore, the first group of industries and the monopolies operating in it managed without much difficulty to give the road direction to the development of Italian transport.
The development of maritime transport in Italy.
In Italy, whose borders are washed by the seas by more than 90% and in which most of the territory is coastal areas, the coastal fleet is also important in the internal transportation of passengers and especially cargo. Among the branches of Italian transport, the navy is of great interest, which is largest international carrier and is essential for the development of the Italian foreign trade. 90% of goods entering Italy for imports and 55-60% for exports pass through seaports. The Italian merchant fleet performs the most important economic functions. This is the main reason why the vast majority of it is under the control of the state.
In the 70s, the importance of maritime transport and shipping for the Italian economy and, first of all, for its foreign trade increased due to changes in the country's energy balance (more than 86% of total energy needs are met by the import of oil and gas). Shifts , which have taken place in recent years in the structure of industry and foreign trade, have caused in the Italian fleet changes in the ratio between different types of ships. The rapid development of the oil refining industry caused the rapid growth of the tank fleet. The decline in the importance of coal in the energy sector caused a decline in the share of the dry cargo fleet. In addition, the American coal used in Italy is delivered, as a rule, on American ships.
Merchant Navy of Italy.
The Italian merchant fleet in the post-war years has undergone significant quantitative and general structural changes. On the one hand, they were caused by the decommissioning of obsolete and heavily worn ships, and on the other hand, by the replenishment of the fleet with new, larger and more modern ships. Changes in the composition and structure of the Italian merchant fleet for the period 1874 to 1983 are characterized by the following data.
years
total number
total capacity.
V
volume
number
e
thousand reg. tons
tankers
bulk carriers
ore
other su ships
hogr
shaft.together reg.ton
%
%
shaft.together reg.ton
%
1974
1421,00
5708,00
1982,00
34,8
1027
17,6
2699
47,6
1975
1413,00
5701,00
1989,00
34,9
1091
19,3
2621
45,8
1976
1403,00
5851,00
2113,00
37
1191
20,4
2492
42,6
1977
1445,00
6219,00
2140,00
34,5
1506
24,2
2573
44,3
1978
1490,00
6624,00
2414,00
36,5
1674
25,3
2536
38,2
1979
1552,00
7038,00
2573,00
36,5
1900
27
2565
36,5
1980
1639,00
7448,00
2721,00
36,5
2089
28,1
2638
35,4
1981
1690,00
8139,00
3027,00
37,2
2455
30,1
2657
32,7
1982
1684,00
8187,00
3119,00
38
2510
30,7
2558
31,3
1983
1726,00
8867,00
3437,00
37,7
2866
32,4
2564
29,9
It follows from the given data that over the past 10 years, the specific value of the tonnage of bulk carriers and ore carriers has increased especially sharply, while the share of all other dry cargo ships has decreased.
As of July 1, 1983, tankers, bulk carriers, ore carriers and combination carriers accounted for 70.1% of the total gross tonnage of all seagoing vessels available in Italy. Despite the above-mentioned replenishment of the merchant fleet with new larger vessels, small and medium-sized vessels continue to predominate in its total composition.
As of July 1, 1983, more than half (57.9%) of all seagoing vessels had a gross tonnage of up to 1,000 reg. tons, and they accounted for only 4.45% of the total gross tonnage of the fleet. Many of these vessels have long service lives and are subject to gradual replacement by newer vessels. On the same date, there were only 23 ships in the merchant fleet with a gross tonnage of more than 50 thousand reg. tons with a service life of less than 4 years.
Most of the Italian ships had diesel and diesel-electric installations as main engines. Vessels from steam engines make up 14.5% of the total number of ships.
Brief information on the characteristics of the main groups of transport vessels.
The maritime vessels available in Italy as of July 1, 1983, according to the main types and purpose, were distributed as follows.
ship types
number of ships
total gross tonnage, reg. tons
specific value RHV, %
1. Tankers for transportation of oil and oil products
344
3449184
2,98
2. Gas carriers
26
133027
2,01
3. Tankers for liquid chemicals
17
21070
3,23
4. Combined vessels
21
1145231
5,86
5. Bulk carriers and ore carriers
93
1721040
3,24
6.Dry cargo ships for translation. gene. cargo
663
1289842
1,84
7. Container ships and ro-ro
6
69661
1,9
8. Passenger ships
25
533288
17,77
9. Ferries, etc.
157
334784
7,99
10.Fishing
225
90847
1,3
11. Tugs
213
47199
4,34
12.Other vessels
33
30760
-
Total
1726
8867205
2,86
tanker fleet. For the transportation of oil and oil products, there are a total of 320 tankers with a total gross tonnage of 3,437,391 reg. t (total deadweight 5,901,231 t). For coastal shipping and bunkering operations, there were 24 small vessels with a total gross tonnage of 11,793 tons. More than half of the capacity of the tanker fleet is represented by vessels less than nine years old, incl. 11 tankers with a gross tonnage of 40-50 thousand reg. tons each and 10 tankers with a gross tonnage of 50-140 thousand reg. tons each less than 4 years old.
Gas carriers and vessels for the transport of liquid chemicals. For transportation liquefied gas there were 26 small vessels with a total gross tonnage of 133,027 reg. tons. Some of these vessels are used for transportation from Algeria to the southern ports of Europe. For the transport of liquid chemicals, there are 17 small vessels with a total gross tonnage of 21,070 tonnage. tons.
Combined ships, bulk carriers and ore carriers. This is the second largest and most important group of cargo ships. There are 114 ships with a total gross tonnage of 2,866,271 reg. tons (total deadweight 4,859,207 tons). This group includes: 21 combination ships with a total gross tonnage of 1,145,231 reg. tons and 93 ore carriers, bulk carriers and bulk carrier-ore carrier sum. gross tonnage 1 721 040 reg. tons.
The group of dry-cargo ships (including cargo-passenger ships) is the most numerous, in which there are 663 ships of various types and purposes with a total gross tonnage of 10876 reg. tons. Most of this group is represented by small vessels with a gross tonnage of up to 2000 reg. tons each. The replenishment of this group with new vessels is carried out on a limited scale and mainly by multi-purpose dry-cargo vessels, including those adapted for partial transportation of containers.
Container ships and container trailers (ro-ro). On July 1, 1083, this group included 6 ships with a total gross tonnage of 69,661 reg. tons. This group has been replenished with container ships, which are used for transportation on the Far East and Australian lines.
Passenger, ferry and other cargo-passenger ships. In the merchant fleet of Italy, there are 25 large passenger ships with a total gross tonnage of 533.3 thousand reg. tons. This group includes 157 ferry and other cargo-passenger ships with a total gross tonnage of 337.8 thousand reg. tons, which are mainly used to serve domestic traffic, and only a small part of them work on short-range international lines in the Mediterranean Sea.
The merchant fleet of Italy was replenished with new ships of predominantly Italian construction. Placement of orders abroad is allowed only for individual large-capacity vessels, for the construction of which in Italy there is not enough equipment, experience and for other reasons. As of March 1983, Italy ranked 5th in terms of the tonnage of ships under construction for its national fleet (after Great Britain, Liberia, Japan and Norway).
Economy of Italy.
Italy entered the path of capitalist development later than Great Britain and France - in late XIX century, after political unification ended in 1870. However economic development country, hampered by the strong remnants of feudalism, the poverty of the peasantry, the weakness of the fuel and raw material base, progressed slowly.
On the eve of the First World War, Italy remained a backward agrarian country. Only Northern Italy was distinguished by a higher level of economic development: a developed industry developed here, and agriculture was more intensive.
Despite the economic weakness, the Italian bourgeoisie took an active part in the struggle for the redivision of the world. The arms race policy gave impetus to the development of heavy industry. New industries - automotive, aviation, electrical engineering, chemical (in particular, the production of rayon) - have received great development. The Second World War caused great damage to the Italian economy. Nevertheless, in the post-war period, Italian industry developed at a fairly high pace. The growth of industrial production is largely due to the influx of foreign capital.
Italy, in its economic position, occupies an intermediate position between the most economically developed capitalist countries, led by the USA and the FRG, and countries with an average level of development of productive forces. In terms of its share in the capitalist industrial production of the world (5% in 1985), it is in fifth place after the USA, Japan, the FRG and France. But in terms of national income per inhabitant, Italy is inferior not only to these countries, but also to many others, surpassing only Greece, Spain and Ireland in Western Europe.
As in other highly developed countries, in Italy industry is the leading sector of the economy, although it employs a smaller part of the economically active population than in the rapidly and disproportionately growing service sector. The value of industrial output is four times the value of agricultural output, in which 5.5 times less capital is annually invested than in industry. Industrial products dramatically dominate Italian exports.
A significant part of the national wealth of Italy is in the hands of monopolies, 11 of them are among the largest concerns in the world. They dominate the chemical and electrical industries (Montedison), the automotive industry (FIAT), and the rubber industry (Pirelli).
At the same time, there are a great many medium, small and tiny firms in the country, mainly in the light and food industries, as well as in the production of household electrical equipment, equipment for processing synthetic materials, and in some sub-sectors of machine tool building. Since the 1970s, there has been a noticeable trend towards the reduction of large and the increase in the role of small and medium-sized firms and enterprises.
The Italian state actively and in various forms interferes in the country's economy: its specialized bodies participate in joint-stock companies as holders of a controlling stake, industrial enterprises are created in accordance with various state programs. The state became the largest entrepreneur in the country. Its positions are especially strong in power engineering, metallurgy, and shipbuilding. He owns many light industry enterprises. The largest banks were also nationalized. The pace of development of the public sector surpasses the development of the Italian economy as a whole. In modern conditions, state intervention in the economy is not limited to helping individual monopoly associations develop the least profitable or those requiring especially large investments. The main goal of state intervention is to ensure the continuity of the reproduction process, to preserve and strengthen the capitalist system in the country.
A new important feature of the development of state-monopoly capitalism in Italy was the nationwide long-term programming of the economy, reflecting the increased degree of concentration and centralization of production and capital, the strengthening of monopolization and nationalization of the economy. Some sectors (transport, communications, public works, etc.) are financed mainly on the basis of economic programs. Italy's largest and most permanent program since 1950 is aimed at developing the economy of the South.
The Italian government encourages the inflow of foreign capital, which plays an important role in the country's economy. Most of the investments are directed to mechanical engineering, chemistry and energy, a significant share is invested in the service sector. The capital from the USA, France, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Liechtenstein prevails.
Many aspects of the economic life of Italy are determined by its participation in the EEC. The specialization of production formed within the EEC forced the Italian economy to adapt to new market conditions and accelerated its structural transformations. In the common market system, Italy acts as an importing country of industrial products (mainly machinery and equipment) and secondary foodstuffs (fruits, vegetables, wine), and at the same time as an importing country of basic foodstuffs and main types of mineral and agricultural raw materials for its industry.
As in other countries, in Italy the economy develops spontaneously and unevenly. The “economic miracle” of the 1960s, when Italy was second only to Japan in terms of industrial development, turned out to be short-lived. It was followed by a recession and then the most severe energy and general economic crisis of 1973-1975. In 1982, the country's economy again entered a period of crisis: the gross national product was declining (-1.2% in 1983), inflation was increasing, the volume of foreign trade and the level of personal consumption of the population were decreasing, unemployment was growing, and the cost of living. In 1983, industrial capacity utilization was the lowest for the entire post-war period - 71%.
Since the crisis of the 70s, a new phenomenon has spread in Italy - the so-called hidden economy: in many industries, bypassing collective agreements, tax laws, etc. companies that are not registered anywhere. they employ the unemployed, women interested in part-time work or home work, students and retirees who need additional income. The age-old problem of the disproportionate development of individual parts of the country, the contrast between the level of economic and social development of Northern and Southern Italy, retains all its acuteness.
General characteristics of the industry.
The general condition, pace and nature of the development of the Italian economy are determined by its most important area - industry, which accounts for about 2/5 of those employed in the economy and the same share of national income. Italy stands out for its extremely low share of mining and high share of manufacturing in the number of employees, fixed capital, and especially in the total value of industrial output. This is explained by the absence of any significant reserves of the most important minerals in the country.
The Italian manufacturing industry works mainly on imported raw materials. Heavy industry dominates, in which the main role belongs to mechanical engineering. The electric power industry, metallurgy, chemistry and petrochemistry also developed significantly.
As a result of the radical restructuring of the energy base that has taken place in recent decades, the leading role in it has shifted from hydropower and imported coal to oil, which provides more than 60% of all energy consumed. It is followed by natural gas (15.5%), coal and lignites (8.5%), hydropower (7.6%) and nuclear power (0.3%). At the same time, Italy is forced to import almost all of the oil it consumes, 80% of solid fuels and 44% of natural gas.
The most powerful oil refining industry in Western Europe has grown on the oil imported by sea. Italy is one of the largest exporters of petroleum products in Western Europe. The energy crisis forced us to look for ways to save energy resources in general and oil in particular. In the 80s, the total capacity of the Italian oil refining industry decreased from 206 million tons. crude oil per year in 1980 to 150 million tons. in 1983, several factories were closed.
The electric power industry plays a vital role in the country's economy. The installed capacity of power plants in total is 49.4 million kW, of which 64.4% are thermal power plants, 32% are hydroelectric power plants and pumped storage power plants, 2.6% are nuclear and 1% are geothermal. Annually, the country produces 180-190 billion kWh of electricity. Most of the electricity is received at thermal power plants, operating mainly on fuel oil, the first place was given to hydroelectric power stations, since water resources are almost completely exhausted. In recent years, in Italy, they prefer to build pumped storage stations. Italy was a pioneer in the construction of a pumped storage power plant (1908). Almost simultaneously, the world's first geothermal power plants appeared (1905). In the 60s, Italy was one of the first to start building large nuclear power plants. There are 4 nuclear power plants in the country with a total capacity of 1.4 million kW.
The dependence on imported fuel and raw materials is very significant in the iron and steel industry. In 1986, 10.3 million tons were smelted in the country. pig iron and about 22 million tons. become. Italy ranks 5th in steel production. Metallurgical plants are located either near ports, or gravitate towards sales markets - large centers of mechanical engineering. It is in the port centers that the four largest full-cycle plants in the country, owned by the Finsider state association, are located (Genoa-Cornigliano, Piombino, Naples-Bagnoli and Taranto. Most steelmaking and steel-rolling plants are concentrated in the old industrial cities of the North-West. In the foothills of the Alps and the Alpine valleys are located electrometallurgical enterprises.The Italian iron and steel industry enters the world market mainly with thin cold-rolled steel and steel pipes.Italy occupies the 4th place in the production of pipes in the world.In recent years, the Italian iron and steel industry has experienced significant difficulties in its development due to the fact that the “Common Market”, under pressure from the United States, decided to limit steelmaking in the “ten” countries.
In the production of non-ferrous and light metals, those branches stand out that are better supplied with local ore reserves - the smelting of aluminum, lead, zinc and mercury. During the crisis years, aluminum smelting dropped from 274,000 tons in 1986 to 194,000 tons in 1988. Most aluminum smelters are located in the Northeast, which is rich in electricity.
The lead-zinc industry processes imported polymetallic ores and local ones. Energy-intensive zinc smelting is located near large power plants (in the cities of Porto Marghere, Monteponi, Porto Vesme, Crotone). Lead smelters are grouped mainly in Sardinia, close to deposits of polymetallic ores.
In recent years, Italy has lost the world championship in mercury production to Spain. This ancient production was rebuilt in accordance with environmental requirements and today it produces about 2 thousand tons. in year.
Using the rich deposits of dolomites, Italy has become one of the first places in the world in the production of magnesium. In 1986, 85 thousand tons of magnesium ores were mined and 7.8 thousand tons were smelted. magnesium.
The leading branch of Italian industry is mechanical engineering. It employs 2.2 million people, it provides 1/4 of all manufacturing products and 2/5 of Italian exports. Italy is one of the largest suppliers of cars to the world market. It ranks 5th in terms of production. Mechanical engineering is distinguished by a high concentration of production and capital and is in the hands of a few large associations that produce complex and varied products. Export engineering is the most developed (production of automobiles, electric locomotives, wagons, shipbuilding). Most of the automobile production was monopolized by the FIAT concern, the most powerful private firm in Italy and one of the largest monopolies in the world. The concern's factories are scattered throughout the country and produce small and small cars, trucks, buses, various engines, aircraft, ships, locomotives, tractors, equipment for the subway, power plants, airports.
FIAT left little space in the automotive industry to other companies - Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia, the state company Alfa Romeo. Almost all factories are located in the industrial centers of the North. Several factories produce motorcycles and scooters. One of the first places in the world is Italy in the production of bicycles and mopeds.
In the mists of time, the origins of Italian shipbuilding are lost. The development of this traditional industry is due to historical reasons and geographical conditions. Orders for tankers have fallen sharply in recent years, and more container ships, mixed-type vessels, specialized vessels for underwater drilling and underwater research are needed.
About 85% of all shipbuilding capacities belong to the Fincantieri state group. The largest shipyards in the country are located in Monfalcone on the Adriatic Sea, as well as in Trieste, Venice, Ancona. The oldest area of Italian shipbuilding is the Ligurian coast (Genoa, Livorno, La Spezia). In the South, the main shipbuilding centers are Naples, Taranto, Messina, Palermo, Castellammare di Stabia.
Etc.................
