Although it may seem unrealistic, there are many who are unsure about Sicily’s nationality. Many even wonder if Sicily is an island. Well, in case you’re unsure yourself, we’ll answer all of those questions. Is Sicily a country? Is it an island? What’s the surface area of Sicily and how many people live there? Here we go.
The question about Sicily being a part of Italy or not may seem kind of foolish, but if we take a look at the historical context of the place, it seems at least a tiny bit more reasonable.
Politics and the past
Since the 15th of May, 1946, Sicily, the Aeolian Islands, Aegadian Islands, the Pelagie Islands and Pantelleria make up an autonomic region of Italy, inhabited by roughly 5,1 mln people. In reality, Sicily’s autonomy is somewhat debatable, but the island has its own president, Nello Musumeci. The legislature is split between the Italian government and the Sicilian Parliament. Since the 1946, when Italy became a republic, there have been efforts to improve the financial situation of Sicily, but after all these years, it still remains one of the poorer parts of the country.
Worth noting however, that this union is still fairly fresh. Under the rule of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the process started in 1859. Sicily became a part of Italy on the 17th of May, 1861. As a result, there were many small, separate countries which to this day still feel a stronger bond to their local area than to Italy as a whole. Sicily’s no different. In the northern part of Italy, there are many people who are not too fond of Sicilians, and will make sure to vocally express that feeling everywhere they go. Very loudly, may we add.
Geography
So, finally, is Sicily an island? Obviously, yes. It’s the biggest island on the Mediterranean Sea. Sicily, sometimes referred to as Trinacria, takes up 25,710 km square, and is inhabited by slightly more than five million people. The highest mountain on Sicily is the still active Etna volcano (if you want to climb it, we have an article about that too!), currently standing at 3340 meters above the sea level. The capital of the island is Palermo. The island’s quite charming for tourists, especially with its Mediterranean climate, making the island one of the most insolated places in all of Europe.
Sicily – summary
If we’re to keep it simple: Yes – Sicily’s an island. Yes – Sicily is a part of Italy, and consequently a part of the European Union. More about security in Sicily, here.
