Unusual for Italy, Lombardy is a landlocked region. Its northernmost point embraces the magnificent sub-Alpine vistas of Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, on the Swiss border, but most of Lombardy's 9,000 square miles are taken up by the vast Po River Valley, a broad, flat expanse of farmlands punctuated by windbreaks of poplar trees - Lombardy's equivalent to Tuscany's cypress.
This region represents about 16% of the entire population of the country, making it the most densely populated in Italy. It is considered to be the financial heart of Italy due to its modern industry and large-scale agriculture.
Milan, Lombardy's capital, stands in a long privileged position on the main lines of communication linking the Mediterranean area to Central Europe. Undoubtedly the most important industrial and commercial centre in Europe (with political and cultural influence). Milan is a large metropolis extending over an area consisting of almost thirty municipalities. `Greater Milan' has over two and a half million inhabitants.
Economy: Milan's economic sector, is immensely and productively dynamic, the result of the traditional entrepreneurial spirit and industriousness of the inhabitants. The city is the site of vast international industrial plants, but also has many small and medium-sized firms; all branches of industry are well represented, the engineering, steel, chemical, textile, printing and wood-working sectors being the most important.
With progressive expansion of industry, Milan has become a centre of international commerce. Over 60% of the active population is employed in the services sector, characterized by the presence of busy banks, finance and insurance companies, the head offices of the major Italian companies and the Borsa, Italy's main stock exchange.
Climate: Italy is entirely in the Temperate Zone of the globe, but due to its length, climate is highly diversified:
· In winter the North is prone to frost and fog, while the south, although warmer, tends to be damper. Average daytime maximum temperatures range from 7°C (45°F) in Venice in December to 13°C (56°F) in Naples and Rome.
· In the spring, the "Scirocco", a hot wind from Africa, brings quite high temperatures to parts of Italy, but thunderstorms are frequent in the Italian Alps. Average daily maximum temperatures range from about 15°C (59°F) in March to 23°C (74°F) in May.
· In summer, average daytime maximum temperatures reach about 30°C (86°F) although the area around the Alps may experience thunderstorms, and inland parts of southern Italy can suffer extremely hot nights, often making sleeping difficult.
· In autumn as in the spring, the "Scirocco" wind may bring very high temperatures to parts of Italy, accompanied by some high humidity. Daily average maximum temperatures are still pleasantly high in September (26°C – 79°F) but they fall back to about 15°C (59°F) by November.
Lombardy has a continental climate, characterised by cold winters and hot summers with rainfall in autumn and spring.
Minimum and Maximum average temperatures in Milan are shown below:
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