Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol

Flag	Coat of arms

Country

Italy

Capital

Trento

Area

• Total

13,607 km² (5,254 sq mi)

Population

(2008-10-31)

• Total

1,017,246

• Density

74.7590/km² (193.625/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

GDP/ Nominal

€ 30.8 billion (2006)

GDP per capita

€ 31,152 (2006)

NUTS Region

ITD

Website

www.regione.taa.it

Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is a beautiful region in northern Italy. It's known for its stunning mountains, wide valleys, and clear lakes. The two most important cities in this region are Trento and Bolzano (also called Bozen).

Understanding the Region
- Two Main Provinces
- Important Cities to Visit
Geography and Climate
- Trentino's Mountains and Lakes
- Alto Adige/Südtirol's Alpine Beauty
Languages Spoken
- Italian and German Speakers
- The Unique Ladin Language
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

Understanding the Region

This region is special because it is split into two main parts, each with its own capital city.

Two Main Provinces

The region is divided into two large areas called provinces:

The Province of Bolzano-Bozen is in the north. Its capital city is Bolzano.
The Province of Trento is in the south. Its capital city is Trento.

People in the Bolzano province wanted more control over their local decisions. This is because many people there speak German, making it a unique part of Italy. In the Trento province, most people speak Italian.

Important Cities to Visit

The biggest cities in each province are:

In the Trento province (Trentino): Trento and Rovereto.
In the Bolzano province (Alto Adige/Südtirol): Bolzano (also known as Bozen) and Merano (also known as Meran).

Geography and Climate

Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is mostly a mountainous region. It has amazing landscapes and different types of weather.

Trentino's Mountains and Lakes

The Trentino area covers about 6,207 square kilometers. Most of this land is covered by mountains and huge forests. About 20% of the land is higher than 2,000 meters, and 70% is above 1,000 meters. Forests cover half of the area.

The weather changes a lot across Trentino. In the high mountains, it's an alpine climate, meaning cold and snowy winters. In other parts, it's more subcontinental, with warm summers that can have changing weather. This area is very popular for tourists. In winter, people love to ski in the high mountains. In summer, they visit the wide valleys and many beautiful lakes, like the famous Lake Garda.

Alto Adige/Südtirol's Alpine Beauty

Alto Adige/South Tyrol is about 7,398 square kilometers. It is also completely mountainous and covered in large forests. The climate here is continental. This is because of the many mountain ranges that are over 3,000 meters high. The main river, the Adige, flows from north to south through wide valleys.

In Bolzano, the capital of this province, the average temperature is about 12.2°C. The average rainfall is about 717.7 mm. The Brenner Pass, which is the lowest mountain pass across the Alps, is located in the northern part of this region, right on the border with Austria.

Languages Spoken

This region is a mix of different cultures and languages, making it very interesting.

Italian and German Speakers

In Trentino, most people speak Italian. However, there are small groups of people who speak other languages. Some speak Cimbrian in the town of Luserna. Others speak Mòcheno in four towns in the Mòcheni Valley. There are also people who speak Ladin in the Fassa Valley and Non Valley.

In Alto Adige/Südtirol, most people speak German. But in the capital city of Bolzano, more people speak Italian than German.

The Unique Ladin Language

A small group of people called the Ladins live in the Dolomites mountain region. They speak an old language called Rheto-Romanic. This language is spoken in the valleys around the Dolomites, such as Gardena, Badia Mareo Valley (in Alto Adige/Südtirol), and Fassa Valley (in Trentino). Ladin is also spoken in the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo and nearby areas.

The Ladin language spoken in the Fassa Valley is quite similar to Italian. People there often use Italian-style sentences in their Ladin.

Images for kids

The Prince-Bishops of Trent ruled from Buonconsiglio Castle from the 13th until the 19th century
Cathedral Maria Himmelfahrt in Bolzano/Bozen, capital of South Tyrol
Alpine landscape near the village of Stilfs, South Tyrol
Map of the two autonomous provinces of the region
Vineyards at the municipality of Tirol