Italy - Alps, Mediterranean, Islands: To the north the Alps separate Italy from France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. Elsewhere Italy is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, in particular by the Adriatic Sea to the northeast, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the southwest, and the Ligurian Sea to the northwest. Areas of plain, which are practically limited to the great northern triangle of the Po valley, cover only about one-fifth of the total area of the country; the remainder is roughly evenly divided between hilly and mountainous land, providing variations to the generally temperate climate. Mountain ranges higher than 2,300 feet
Sicily, Italian Sicilia, island, southern Italy, the largest and one of the most densely populated islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Together with the Egadi, Lipari, Pelagie, and Panteleria islands, Sicily forms an autonomous region of Italy. It lies about 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Tunisia (northern Africa). The island is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Messina (2 miles [3 km] wide in the north and 10 miles [16 km] wide in the South). The capital is Palermo. Sicily was inhabited 10,000 years ago. Its strategic location at the centre of the Mediterranean has made the island
The beautiful Mount Etna is erupting in the Mediterranean with such force that it has drawn the attention of the astronauts of the International Space Station.
The base’s location on the low-lying, flat Plain of Catania is ideal for an airfield. But the rainy season means there’s a good chance of localized flooding.