MOLISE

Provinces - This region has 2 provinces: Campobasso and Isernia
Chief town - Campobasso
Surface - kmq 4438
National Parks - National Park of Abruzzo (1923)

Reliefs - Passes - Coasts - Islands:

The mountainous zone includes the Mountains of Meta, in the last line of Appennino Abruzzese and Mountains of the Matese and Appennino Sannita that compose the northern part of Appennino Campano. In Matese the most elevated mountains are Miletto and Muria. The oriental part goes down toward the sea with round hilly lines. The mountains and the hills are very arid and because of the composition of the clayey ground, they are been fully grown deep furrows. The coast of Molise is around 38 kms long, it is very level to exclusion of the alone zone of the promontory of Termoli where a small artificial port has been built.

View of Termoli

Landscape:
The landscape is predominantly mountainous and hilly. The soft mountains are rounded. The rocky ground is found in the cultivated lowlands . Characteristic are the murettis around the farms as the farmers removed the stones from the earth that they worked. The lawns where they pasture sheep are very dry and rocky. Big cities are not found in the Region. The small towns are found on the tops of the hilly promontories. The coastal shore has no harbors and the zone it is not very populated.

Agriculture - Stock-farm - Fishing:

Panorama of Larino

The agricultural jobs still holds a large part of the production of the Region. In the small worked zones you can find everything that is produced for the family market such as: potatoes, beans, cereals and oil. The zones that produce for external markets are small. In the coastal lowlands a modern system of fertilization is used for the production of specialized crops which yields table grapes, vegetables, sugar beets and tobacco.the agriculture is often united with the breeding of ovini, once practiced with the method of the transumanza, is more developed despite that in the last years it is diminutiting. Notable is the production of the cheese.

Industry - Tourism:
The industries are missing in the Region. Some mechanical complexes are situated in Termoli and Larino. The more developed sector is that of feed with conserved fittings , dairies and oil crushers. The textile sector and wood have been present in this area for a long time. Notable are the handicrafts and the production of the ends to Tombolo and the manufacture of knives.

Position and Frontier:
The extension of Molise goes from Appennino to the adriatic coast, and it is included by river Trigno in the northern part and river Fortone in the southern zone. It confines to north with Abruzzi and Adriatic Sea, to east with Puglia, to south with Campania and to west with Lazio and a small line of Abruzzo.

Rivers - Lakes:
The rivers are all of torrential character. The principal of the adriatic slope are Fortone that flows in the zone however of the region Puglia, Trigno and Biferno that goes down from Matese.

Climate:
The climate is continental typically with winters colds and warm summers. The snowy precipitations abound in the mountainous zones. The rains are scarce in the summer months. On the coast the climate is mild.

Population:
The inhabitants of Molise prefer to live in the countries and in the small suburbs. It is very rare to find single shed residences in the territory. In the mountains and in the fertile hills we find some desolate panoramas and abandoned places. Campobasso, the regional chief town, in these last years is growning, but it doesn't succeed in reaching 50 thousand inhabitants. Termoli and Isernia that which revolve around 20 thousand inhabitants are the two greatest centers.

Communication:
The railway, road and motorway lines, assure the communications with Abruzzi and Puglia along the adriatic coast. From Termoli a secondary railway line departs that brings in Campobasso and continues for Benevento. The streets of communication inside are very scarce, and hindered by the mountains of the territory.