CHAPTER I.GEOGRAPHY OF ITALY.
Italy is a long, narrow peninsula in the southern part of Europe, between the 38th and 46th parallels of north latitude.

It is 720 miles long from the Alps to its southern extremity, and 330 miles broad in its widest part, i.e.from the Little St.Bernard to the hills north of Trieste.

It has an area of nearly 110,000 square miles, about that of the State of Nevada.
The Alps separate Italy on the north and northwest from the rest of Europe.

The pass over these mountains which presents the least difficulties is through the Julian Alps on the east.

It was over this pass that the Barbarians swept down in their invasions of the country.
The Apennines, which are a continuation of the Alps, extend through the whole of the peninsula.