Veneto

I

Introduction

Veneto (also Venetia), administrative region in north-east Italy, bordered on the north by Austria, on the east by the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the Adriatic Sea, on the south by Emilia-Romagna, on the west by Lombardy, and on the north-west by Trentino-Alto Adige. The region has a total area of 18,379 sq km (7,096 sq mi) and is divided into the provinces of Belluno, Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Venezia, Verona, and Vicenza.

II

Physical Geography

Veneto is made up of two distinct topographical areas: the mountain ranges of the Carnic Alps and Dolomites in the north and the Venetian Plain in the south, connected by some hilly terrain. The highest point is Mount Marmolada (3,342 m/10,965 ft), which lies on the border with Trentino-Alto Adige. Nearby, the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park (established in 1993) covers an area of 315 sq km (122 sq mi) on the south-eastern edge of the Alps. The park’s varied landscape features wooded valleys, rugged plateaus, and steep rock faces, and provides a protected habitat for around 2,000 chamois. Other species found in the park include the mouflon, the roe deer, and the alpine hare. Among the many rivers that drain the plain are the Po, Adige, and Piave, the mouths of which form coastal lagoons along the Adriatic Sea.

III

Population

Veneto has 4,773,554 inhabitants (2007 estimate), with an average population density of 256 people per sq km (662 per sq mi). Venice (population, 2007 estimate, 268,934) is the region’s administrative capital and largest city. Other principal cities of the region are the provincial capitals: Verona (2007 estimate, 260,718); Padua (2007 estimate, 210,301); Vicenza (2007 estimate, 114,268); Treviso (2007 estimate, 81,763); Rovigo (2007 estimate, 51,193); and Belluno (2007 estimate, 35,983).

The city of Venice and its lagoon were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The noteworthy Palladian villas in and around the city of Vicenza were added to the List in 1994 (extended 1996). Another World Heritage Site in the region is Padua’s botanical garden (Orto Botanico—one of the oldest public botanical gardens in the world—which opened in 1545 and was inscribed on the List in 1997. Higher education institutions in the region include the University of Padua (1222; one of the oldest in Europe) and the University of Venice (1868).

IV

Economy

Agriculture—including the cultivation of cereals, vines, hemp, vegetables, and fruit—and livestock raising, forestry, and fishing are important economic activities. Tourism is prevalent around the mountain resorts and Venice; the city’s architecture, canals and numerous film festivals and other events attract many thousands of visitors each year. The development of hydroelectricity has encouraged the growth of industry. Veneto’s chief industrial centres are Vicenza, Treviso, and Chioggia; the region’s leading manufactured products include machinery, paper, ceramics, textiles, footwear, iron and steel, chemicals, and processed food. Shipyards and associated shipbuilding facilities (iron and steelworks and foundries) are located in Venice. Glassware, mirrors, and beads are manufactured on the Venetian island of Murano. Venetian lace, made chiefly on the island of Burano, is also popular.