Italy’s instantly recognisable boot shape kicks its way into the Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas - all of which form part of the Mediterranean Sea. The islands of Elba, Sardinia, Ischia, Capri, the Aeolians and Sicily lie offshore. Mountains feature prominently in Italy’s topography, and bolster its landlocked borders all the way from Genoa in the west to Trieste in the east. Italy’s backbone is formed by the Apennines, extending from Genoa right down to the soccer ball that bounces off the toe of Calabria: Sicily. The Po River Valley in the country’s northeast forms the largest lowland area, and is heavily populated and industrialised as a result. Underground rambunctiousness is evident from the country’s three active volcanoes - Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, Vesuvius near Naples and Etna on Sicily - and the devastation wrought by earthquakes, especially fierce in 1908 and 1980. Beauty abounds in Italy but, unfortunately, so does pollution, particularly in the big cities and along the coast.

Around 100 million years ago a tropical sea called the Tethys covered the area now occupied by the peninsula. Gradually the ocean began to recede and various types of materials were deposited, including limestones, dolomites and sandstones, as well as the extensive coral reefs to the northeast from which the Dolomite mountain range was later formed. Although earlier volcanic activity had already resulted in the formation of the original core of the Alpine chain and other mountains further south, the crucial moment came around 40 million years ago when the African and European continental plates collided. The collision forced the respective borders of the plates and part of the bed of the Tethys to fold and rise up, beginning the formation of the Alpine and Apennine chains. The Alps rose up relatively quickly, at first forming an archipelago of tropical islands in the Tethys Sea. Both mountain chains underwent significant erosion, resulting in huge deposits of sand, gravel and clay at their feet and in part preparing the way for the development of lowland areas. By around two million years ago, after the landscape had been shaped and reshaped by the combined forces of continental plate movement and erosion, the Italian peninsula had almost arrived at its present-day form.

The country’s flora is predominantly Mediterranean. Three broad classifications of evergreen tree dominate: ilex (or evergreen oak), cork and pine.

Ancient imports that are an inevitable part of much of the Italian countryside (especially from Tuscany south) are the olive and cyprus. The former comes in many shapes and sizes, among the most striking being the robust trees of Apulia.

Much of the country is covered by macchia (maquis), a broad term that covers all sorts of vegetation ranging from two metres to as much as six metres in height. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme are typical maquis plants, as are shrubs of the cistus family, gorse, juniper and heather. If the soil is acidic, there may also be broom. Orchids, gladioli and irises may flower beneath these shrubs, which are colourful in spring.

Where the action of humans and nature has been particularly harsh, or the soil is poor, the macchia becomes gariga, the very barest of scrub. This is dominated by aromatic herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme.

A couple of millennia of human occupation, coupled with the locals’ love of hunting, has extinguished many animal species once endemic to Italy. You might spot a brown bear or a lynx if you’re lucky, and the Alpine regions are still home to wolves, marmots, chamois and deer. Mouflon sheep and wild boars and cats can be found on Sardinia, while in the skies falcons, hawks and golden eagles dodge the hunters’ birdshot.

Italy’s climate varies from north to south and from lowland to mountain top. Winters are long and severe in the Alps, with snow falling as early as mid-September. The northern regions experience chilly winters and hot summers, while conditions become milder as you head south. The sirocco, the hot and humid African wind that affects regions south of Rome, produces at least a couple of stiflingly hot weeks in summer.

For administrative purposes, Italy is divided into 20 regioni (regions), which roughly correspond to the historical regions of the country. The regions are divided into province (provinces), themselves further divided into town comuni (councils). Five regions (Sicily, Sardinia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Valle d’Aosta) are semi-autonomous or autonomous, with special powers granted under the constitution. Their regional assemblies are similar to parliaments and they have a wide range of economic and administrative powers. Indeed, those remaining regions are the weakest element in the country’s political hierarchy. Each is ruled by a giunta regionale (regional government) formed in elections (held every four years) to the consiglio regionale (regional assembly). These parliaments only came into being in 1970 and the regional governments, with no revenue-raising powers, remain little more than an administrative link between the central state and local government. They receive funds from the state and can legislate on a limited field of issues. These regions, so far with minimal results, are pushing for much wider-ranging powers and a more genuine autonomy from the central government. Devolution in some form is high on the new Berlusconi government’s agenda.