page_title: Apulia
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Apulia / Geography
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Panorama del Bastimento a Torre Sant'Andrea, mare Adriatico. È una località costiera che fa parte del territorio comunale di Melendugno, provincia di Lecce, Italia English: Panoramic view of the Bastimento in Torre Sant'Andrea, Adriatic sea. It is a bathing locality part of the town of Melendugno, Province of Lecce, Italy
context_page_description: Apulia is a region of Italy, located in the southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto to the south. The region comprises 19,345 square kilometers, and its population is about four million.
  It is bordered by the other Italian regions of Molise to the north, Campania to the west, and Basilicata to the southwest. Its capital city is Bari.
context_section_description: Apulia's coastline is longer than that of any other mainland Italian region. In the north, the Gargano promontory extends out into the Adriatic like a 'sperone' ("spur"), while in the south, the Salento peninsula forms the 'tacco' ("heel") of Italy's boot. The highest peak in the region is Mount Cornacchia (1,152 meters above sea level) within the Daunian Mountains, in the north along the Apennines.
  It is home to two national parks, the Alta Murgia National Park and Gargano National Park.
  Outside national parks in the North and West, most of Apulia and particularly Salento is geographically flat with only moderate hills.
  The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry and sunny summers and mild, rainy winters. Snowfall, especially on the coast is rare but has occurred as recently as January 2019 (following on from snow in March 2018 and January 2017). Apulia is among the hottest and driest regions of Italy in summer with temperatures sometimes reaching up to and above 40 °C in Lecce and Foggia.
  The coastal areas, particularly on the Adriatic and in the southern Salento region are frequently exposed to winds of varying strengths and directions, strongly affecting local temperatures and conditions, sometimes within the same day. The Northerly Bora wind from the Adriatic can lower temperatures, humidity and moderate summer heat while the Southerly Sirocco wind from North Africa can raise temperatures, humidity and occasionally drop red dust from the Sahara.
  On some days in spring and autumn, it can be warm enough to swim in Gallipoli and Porto Cesareo on the Ionian coast while at the same time, cool winds warrant jackets and sweaters in Monopoli and Otranto on the Adriatic coast.
caption: Torre Sant'Andrea, Salento
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