Piemonte / Location, Topography & Climate Flashcards
What does the name Piemonte mean?
at the foot of the mountain
Which mountain ranges surround it?
Ligurian Apennines (S), Maritime Alps (S) and Western/Northern Alps (NW)
What is to the south of Piemonte?
Liguria and France
What is to the west of Piemonte?
France
What is to the north of Piemonte?
Valle d’Aosta and Switzerland
What is to the east of Piemonte?
Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna
Is Piemonte landlocked?
Yes
Which mountain ranges separate Piemonte from Liguria and France?
Ligurian and Maritime Alps
What is the capital of Piemonte?
Torino (Turin)
Which 5 provinces contain most of Piemonte’s wine growing areas?
Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo, Navarra and Vercelli
How is Piemonte’s landscape generally described?
three concentric topographical rings: mountain ranges, hills and flat plain
What does the external ring consist of?
Alpine-Apennine mountain ranges
How does the external ring change?
rim thickest to south, west and east
east gives way to plain
What does the middle ring consist of?
hills
What does the center ring consist of?
internal plain
What topographical feature makes up most of Piemonte’s territory?
mountains (43%)
Where are most of the mountains located?
western and northern parts
What is the region’s largest lake?
Lake Maggiore; NE border with Lombardia
Which two regions share Lake Maggiore?
Piemonte and Lombardia
What does Piemonte’s western side lack that is a common feature to northern regions of Italy?
intermediate range of mountains or Prealps
Where are the majority of Piemonte’s vineyards located?
hills (30%)
What are the 6 main groups of hills?
Monferrato, Langhe, Roero, Novara, Vercelli and Tortona
What is the largest group of hills? Where are they located?
Monferrato in Asti and Alessandria provinces
Where are the Langhe and Roero hills located?
Cuneo province
Where are the Novara and Vercelli hills located?
Novara and Vercelli provinces
Where are the Tortona hills located?
Alessandria province
What is the Italian name for the Tortona hills?
Colli Tortonesi
Where is the plain located?
eastern side; part of the upper portion of Po Valley
What does the plain grow?
rice
What are the major centers of rice production?
Novara and (especially) Vercelli
Where is the Po Valley located?
stretches from Piemonte though Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna to Veneto
What is the Italian name for the Po Valley?
Pianura Padana
What is the major river in Piemonte?
Po River
Which direction does the Po River flow?
bisects region as it flows east
What is the general climate in Piemonte?
continental
What is a problem in late summer and early autumn?
hail
What is common during autumn and winter?
fog
How does the Ligurian Sea influence the temperature in the southern part of Piemonte?
slightly increases it
What is the average annual temperature?
12°C
How does the weather vary from the plain to the hills?
plain is hot and muggy in summer; hills slightly cooler due to air more air circulation and higher altitude
How do the mountain ranges influence rainfall?
creates rain shadow effect and limits rainfall
Which areas have the lowest rainfall?
Monferrato (Asti and Alessandria provinces) and Roero hills (eastern part of Cuneo province)
Which areas get the highest rainfall?
mountainous areas in north and south
