III.

Population

Sicily has 5,013,081 inhabitants (5,013,081), with an average population density of 195 people per sq km (505 per sq mi). The regional capital is Palermo (population, 1997 estimate, 62,947); other large cities and towns include Catania (1996 estimate, 333,075); Messina (2002 estimate, 249,351); Syracuse (2001 estimate, 125,673); Marsala (1996, 80,177); Gela (1996, 72,535); Trapani (1997 estimate, 69,688); 69,582); Ragusa (1997 estimate, 69,582); Caltanissetta (1997 estimate, 62,947); and Agrigento (1997 estimate, 55,877). The Aeolian Islands (also known as Lipari Islands), a group of 17 volcanic islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the north-eastern coast of Sicily, are administered as part of the region.

Sicilian, a Romance language, although not recognized as an official language, is spoken alongside Italian throughout the region. Arbëreshë, a dialect of the Albanian language, has been spoken in many Sicilian villages since a wave of refugees settled in the region in the 15th century. Higher education institutions on the island include the University of Catania (1443; the first university established in Sicily), the University of Messina (1548), and the University of Palermo (1777).

The region is extremely rich in historical and archaeological sites, including ancient Greek ruins at Segesta and Selinus and a Doric temple and necropolis in the ancient city of Himera. The Roman Villa of Casale, in Piazza Armerina, built between ad 330 and 360, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The archaeological remains at Agrigento, which features 20 Doric temples (dating from the 6th and 5th centuries bc) were inscribed on the List in the same year. The Lipari Islands, notable for their volcanic landscape and geology, became a World Heritage Site in 2000. The south-eastern towns of Caltagirone, Catania, Militello, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa, and Scicli, noted for their fine Baroque architecture, were collectively granted World Heritage status in 2002, while a fifth site on the island—Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica—was awarded the designation in 2005.