'Friuli-Venezia Giulia' (
Friulian: ''Friûl-Vignesie Julie'', , , ) is one of the twenty
regions of Italy, and one of five
autonomous regions with special statute. It was also called
Venezia Euganea. The capital is
Trieste. It has an area of 7,856
km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many
Central European countries, the region is traversed by the major transport routes between the east and west of southern Europe.
Geography
Located in northeastern
Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia borders the region of
Veneto to the west, the republics of
Austria and
Slovenia to the north and east, and the
Adriatic Sea to the south. Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of 7844 km² and 1.2 million inhabitants. The length of its coast is 111.7
km. Its capital is
Trieste (
Slovenian: ''Trst'';
German: ''Triest'').
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is divided into four provinces:
Provinces of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
★
Gorizia
★
Pordenone
★
Trieste
★
Udine
History
: ''Main articles:
History of Friuli and
History of Venezia Giulia''
The name comes from the
Latin name of the town of
Cividale, ancient capital of the
Lombard duchy, which used to be "Forum Iulii" ("Julius'
forum", named after
Julius Caesar).
This artificial region was created after
World War II to solve the problem of
Trieste, which had lost its natural hinterland, that was the major part of Venezia Giulia and has been included in the then-existing country of
Yugoslavia. Therefore it was decided to aggregate the historical region of Friuli to Trieste.
Economy
Agriculture gives corn, grapes and sugar beet. Cattle-breeding is important. Industry is based on the shipyards of
Trieste and
Monfalcone,the steel factories of
Pozzuolo del Friuli, the vineyards that produce wine and grappa. Furniture production is concentrated in
Manzano and
Brugnera.
Politics
Silvio Berlusconi gained 54% of Friuli-Venezia Giulia's votes at the
Italian general election in 2006. The region's local government Riccardo Illy, however, is center-left.
Demographics
Apart from Italian, the
Friulian language is spoken throughout the region; there is also a sizeable
Slovenian and a small
German minority.
The
Slovenian language is spoken throughout the
province of Trieste, as well as in the eastern parts of the provinces of
Gorizia and
Udine, in the area called
Venetian Slovenia, which comprises the
Resia Valley and in the upper valleys of the rivers Torre and
Natisone, with many villages having both Italian and Slovenian names.
The number of German speakers in Friuli-Venezia Giulia is estimated to be around 2,000. They live in the
Channel Valley (municipalities of
Tarvis,
Malborghetto Valbruna, and
Pontebba), which is adjacent to
Austria, and in the municipality of
Sauris (''Zahre'') and the village of
Tischlbong (municipality of
Paluzza), which each form a language exclave.
As of 2006, the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 58,915 foreign-born immigrants live in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, or 4.9% of the total regional population.
Towns of Friuli-Venezia Giulia with a population of 50,000 or more:
Notable residents or natives
★ Arturo Mailgnani, inventor of the incandescent light bulb. Died in 1939.
★
Primo Carnera one of the best
Boxers ever.
★
Ermes di Colorêt (16th century)
★
Pietro Zorutti (19th century)
★
Pier Paolo Pasolini (20th century)
External links
★
Official site of the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
★
fvg.INFO
★
Map of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
★
Tourism Friuli Venezia Giulia
★
Airport of Friuli Venezia Giulia
★
La Patrie dal Friûl
★
Friulian Meteorological Observatory
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