Emilia-Romagna

Region of northern central Italy, comprising the provinces of Bologna, Ferrara, Forli, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio nell'Emilia, and Rimini; area 22,124 sq km/8,542 sq mi; population (2001 est) 3,960,600. The capital is Bologna; other towns include Reggio nell'Emilia, Rimini, Parma, Ferrara, and Ravenna. An economically prosperous region, agricultural produce includes fruit, wine, sugar beet, beef, dairy products, rice, and wheat. Oil and natural-gas resources have been developed in the Po Valley.

Physical The region consists of the strip bounded by the watershed of the Apennines to the south and the River Po to the north. Apart from the Po, its rivers flow from the Apennines and are short and seasonal. The Roman Aemilian Way, still an important transport route, divides the hills from the plain, running northwest–southeast through most of the region's main towns from Rimini to Piacenza.

Economy Agriculture has been the traditional mainstay of Emilia-Romagna, but industry has increased in importance. Older industries associated with farming machinery, fertilizers, and food-processing have been superseded by oil and chemicals in Ravenna and Cortemaggiore, and engineering at Reggio nell'Emilia, Modena, Bologna, and Forli. The region also has important seaside resorts on the Adriatic coast including Rimini.

History Known as Aemilia in Roman times, Emilia was occupied by the Lombards in the 5th century, then developed in later centuries into a group of independent duchies. Ancient Romania (later Romagna) was ruled by the Ostrogoths in the 5th century and the Byzantines from the 6th to the 8th centuries, when Ravenna was its capital; it then became part of the Papal States. Both Emilia and Romagna became parts of the kingdom of Italy in 1861, and were incorporated into the current region in 1948. In the 20th century, the region (and especially Bologna) was a centre of socialism and communism. There are universities at Bologna, Ferrara, Modena, and Parma.