Over the past century, nearly a million people have left Calabria, though many are now returning. The standard of living is much lower than the national average, as can be deduced from the fact that the pro capite income is the lowest of any region. There are various reasons for this, including the morphology of the region, which has never facilitated communications, consequently increasing its isolation from the rest of Italy, to which historical factors, including the economic policy of exploitation carried out under the various rulers of Southern Italy, have also contributed. Of the cereals, now declining, the main crop is wheat, while the principal crops of the now more widespread horticultural and specialized cultivations include aubergines, tomatoes, onions, water melons, beans and peppers. The industrial sector is underdeveloped and characterized by fairly small manufacturing companies.
Commercial activities are widespread, though often inef ficiently organized.
Employment in the public sector is high and Calabria's immense tourist resources are now being exploited. As a result of considerable effort by the State and various public authorities, the communications network is now gradually improving and the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway has been added to the existing littoral highways. Communications with Sicily centre on Villa S. Giovanni and Reggio di Calabria . Tourism Calabria has enormous tourist potential, and its exploitation should reasonably be expected to boost genuine improvement of the regional economy. A wealth of splendid scenery lies along the littoral which, including the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts, stretches for nearly 800 km.