Apulia could be described as a vast platform reaching out towards the East. Of all the regions of Italy, it has the longest coastline, which is bordered to the east by the Adriatic Sea and to the south by the lonian Sea. The inland borders are with the neighbouring regions of Molise to the north, Basilicata and Campania to the west.
With an overall surface area of 19,363 km² (made up of 50% fiat plains, and 45% hillsides) it is one of the largest Italian regions. It is also one of the most densely populated with its 4,071,518 residents and an average density of 210 inhabitants per square kilometre.
Its typically Mediterranean climate affords warm, dry summers and mild, pleasant winters. This has been instrumental in the development of agriculture and year-round tourism activities in the area.
In terms of local administration, Apulia is divided up into 6 provinces, based around the region's major cities: Bari, BAT (Barletta - Andria - Trani), Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce and Taranto. There is also a large number of smaller towns with over 50,000 inhabitants. The robust social and entrepreneurial fabric of the region has evolved around all of these major and minor centres of population.
