Italy's sea setting also means that many Italian places are famous for their beaches, seafood (called frutti di mare in Italian) and other coast related activities such as hiking and sight-seeing. For example, my friend and I visited Genoa, a city on Italy's western coast and saw one of the most beautiful sunsets ever over the water!
Italy's proximity to water and the mixture of different landscapes throughout the country help the people to live here. Since Italian businesses have access to many harbors and ports, they can participate in national and international exchange more easily and make enough money to support their families. Other parts of Italy, such as the Italian countryside and northern Italy home to a mountain range called the Alps, have access to many nature trails which allow for fun activities such as hiking, photography and picnicking. My class and I had quite the workout after doing a five-hour long hike in the mountains!
Although the Italian peninsula benefits its people, it also poses some challenges. One problem is that since Italian sea transport is so efficient, criminal organizations such as the Italian and International mafia groups exploit it to bring illegal drugs into Italy. This not only brings the drug use problems into Italy but also interferes with the transport of legal goods. Another challenge is that since Italy has many ports, it is a popular country for immigrants and refugees to come from places such as Nigeria, Albania, Romania and Morroco.
