I.

Introduction

Trentino-Alto Adige, administrative region, north-eastern Italy, bordered on the north by Austria and Switzerland, on the east and south by the Italian region of Veneto, and on the west by the region of Lombardy. It is divided into the provinces of Bolzano or Bozen (sometimes called South Tirol) and Trento, and has a total land area of 13,607 sq km (5,254 sq mi).

II.

Physical Geography

The terrain of Trentino-Alto Adige is mountainous, especially in the north, where the Alps are crossed by the Brenner Pass, and in the east, where the lower ranges of the Dolomites add to the scenic beauty of the region. The Ortles Range, in the north-west, contains the region’s highest peaks—Ortles (3,905 m/12,812 ft), Gran Zebrù (3,851 m/12,635 ft), and Monte Cevedale(3,764 m/12,349 ft). The Adige River, the second longest river in Italy, rises in the Rhaetian Alps, in the north-west of the region. It flows eastwards for around 65 km (40 mi), then follows a southerly course to the regional border with Veneto, just to the east of Lake Garda. The northernmost part of the lake lies in the region. In the west of the region, extending across the border into Lombardy, is Stelvio National Park, established in 1935. The park covers a total area of 1,346 km (520 sq mi), of which 795 sq km (307 sq mi) lie within Trentino-Alto Adige.

III.

Population

Trentino-Alto Adige has 994,703 inhabitants (2007 estimate). The average population density for the region is 72 people per sq km (186 per sq mi). The cities of Trento (population, 2007 estimate, 111,718) and Bolzano (2007 estimate, 99,751) are co-capitals of the region; other important centres of population include Rovereto (2007 estimate, 35,858); Merano (2007 estimate, 36,119); and Bressanone (2007 estimate, 19,786). The chief cities lie in the Adige River valley, a historic transalpine trade route.

Italian and German share official language status in the region. German-speaking inhabitants residing mainly in the Alto Adige district form a significant proportion of the population. Ladin, a minority language of the Rhaeto-Romanic language group, is spoken by around 5 per cent of the population. The chief institution of higher education is the Free University of Trento (1967).

IV.

Economy

The leading crops of the region are cereals, potatoes, fruit, and olives, the cultivation of which is concentrated in the fertile valleys of the Adige. Wine and grappa are produced. Manufactured goods include machinery, chemicals, leather goods, textiles, and processed food. Forestry, tourism, and the generation of hydroelectric power are important industries.

V.

History

The region covered by modern-day Trentino-Alto Adige has been inhabited since the Bronze Age; the area was later occupied by the Celts and the Etruscans, before it became part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century bc. The territory of Trentino-Alto Adige formed part of the Austrian Tirol until the end of World War I, when it was ceded to Italy. From 1919 to 1947 the area was known as Venezia Tridentina. In 1948 Trentino-Alto Adige was established as an autonomous region. In 1970, after local elections which were regarded as realistically representative, a relative peace was established between the German- and Italian-speaking populations of Bolzano and Trento.