Chapter 26: The Dynamics of European Regions II: The Mezzogiorno

Chapter 26: The Dynamics of European Regions II: The Mezzogiorno
SECTION (2): CONTRASTING EUROPEAN REGIONS II: THE MEZZOGIORNO

Soils Thin upland soils as over half the land area of the region is mountainous Richer soils are found on the densely populated coastal plains Volcanoes of Vesuvius in the fertile plain of Campania and around Mt Etna in Sicily Deep layer of alluvial soils deposited by rivers and soils Common soil in the region is Terra Rosa - a red soil Only suitable for growing vines – winemaking

PHYSICAL PROCESSES Climate Warm temperate climate also known as a Mediterranean type climate Hot, sunny and dry summers with temperatures averaging around 29ºC, influenced by a high pressure belt from the Azores Dry stable weather conditions causing cloudless skies Rainfall is low as high pressure brings no fronts North-east trade winds that are dry Droughts in summertime

PHYSICAL PROCESSES Climate Winters in the Mezzogiorno are warm, mild and damp, temperatures average around 11ºC South-west winds Rainfall averages between 500 and 900 mm East of the region is drier, approximately 400 mm of rain Rain shadow affect of the Apennine Mountains Convectional rainfall Influenced by the hot wind from the Sahara, the Sirocco Sardinia is affected by the cold mistral wind

PHYSICAL PROCESSES Relief and drainage The Apennines dominate the landscape of the Mezzogiorno and 85 per cent of the region is classified as upland, with 45 per cent as mountainous upland

PHYSICAL PROCESSES Alpine Fold Mountains Formed 30–35 million years ago and mainly consist of limestone Coastal plains most productive areas of the region, e.g. the Puglia lowlands Contain alluvial soils They contained swamps and marshes that were home to mosquitoes carrying malaria The area is also affected by mudslides, earthquakes and volcanoes as the region is tectonically active

PHYSICAL PROCESSES Alpine Fold Mountains (continued) It is on a plate boundary between the African and the Eurasian plates Home to many famous volcanoes, e.g. Mt Vesuvius Most recent earthquakes – 2009 5.8 on the Richter scale Town of L’Aquila in Abruzzo killing 308 people

PRIMARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Agriculture Climate Limiting effect on agriculture Irrigation is necessary Most agriculture is carried out during the winter months Tree crops such as vines, olives and citrus fruits, e.g. lemons and limes Sheep are grazed in upland areas 9 per cent of the workforce is involved in agriculture

PRIMARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Agriculture (continued) High dependency on EU grants as farm incomes are 50 per cent lower than the EU average The Mezzogiorno contains 50 per cent of Italy’s agricultural employment In the 1950s the land of the Mezzogiorno was divided into estates called latifundi owned by absentee landlords Only 25 per cent of people at that time owned their own land Some peasants rented small plots called minifundia but most people worked the land of the estates as landless labourers called braccianti

PRIMARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Agriculture (continued) Production levels were low Farming was extensive Land was subdivided and therefore farm holdings were small 70 per cent below 3 hectares in size Overgrazing and overcultivation were common Land worked intensively to support large families As people didn’t own the land there was no incentive for them to try to improve their farming methods

Cassa per il Mezzogiorno In the 1950s the Italian government introduced the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno (Fund for the South), backed by the EU, to modernise farming practices in the South Changes introduced: Land reform so that the local people could have access to their own lands Holdings of approximately 5 hectares were created. Farmers were introduced to new farming techniques Farmers were trained in crop rotation, cash crops were introduced and intensive farming practices Cassa invested in mechanisation and technology for farms

Cassa per il Mezzogiorno Changes introduced (continued): Irrigation schemes Co-ops were formed to help farmers market and sell their produce to the north of the country Improvements to infrastructure and ports Building of the Autostrada del Sole (a motorway) Communication links and services to rural villages were ungraded Malarial swamps were drained Marshes of Metapontino were reclaimed Agricultural output increased tenfold

Mezzogiorno is now one of the main producers of citrus fruits and olives for the European market Olive oil is also produced in the region Warmth and sunshine that encourages the early ripening of crops Tree crops are suitable – deep roots to bind the soil Waxy leaves prevent moisture loss The most productive area – ‘plain of Campania’ Deep fertile soils derived from the weathered lava of Mt Vesuvius Referred to as the ‘Cultura promiscua’ by Italians

Cassa undesirable effects Mainly benefited the coastal plains Undesired effect of widening the income gap between the upland areas and the coastal plains Farmers grow crops such as tomatoes, olives and grapes There has been a 200 per cent increase in the amount of tomatoes grown in this region alone

Cassa undesirable effects (continued) Limited amount of crops Seasonal overproduction of these crops Dramatic fall in prices Irrigation systems introduced were very expensive Expansion into new farming practices such as pastoral is limited in the region

SECONDARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Manufacturing activities Did not experience the Industrial Revolution of the late nineteenth century 17 per cent of the Italian workforce and industrial output were located in the region Poor and uneducated workforce Few large urban areas Poor local markets and upland terrain limits Peripheral location makes it difficult to attract Multinational Companies (MNCs) Lacks natural resources

SECONDARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Manufacturing activities (continued) Limited supply of water Energy supplies are also limited – small gas and oil deposits Food processing industries are difficult to develop because of the limited amount of agricultural products Rail brought cheap mass-produced goods from the North Small companies in the region could not compete Long distance from EU markets Little local capital

Cassa per il Mezzogiorno From 1957 onwards the the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno (Fund for the South) scheme focused on improvements to industrial development in the region Over the next 25 years €2.3 billion was invested under the Vanoni Plan 1965–1970 Created over 300,000 new jobs Introduced grants, subsidies and tax relief to encourage new private companies The government also passed a new law requiring 40 per cent of all new state companies to locate in the Mezzogiorno

Cassa per il Mezzogiorno (continued) New industrial estates, tax exemptions and transport subsidies Fund for vocational training of the local labour force Building of new international airport at Calabria Money was invested Autostrada del Sole was constructed Benefited the food processing industries – transport perishable food to the EU markets quickly and efficiently

Cassa per il Mezzogiorno (continued) Heavy industries, e.g. steel, oil refining, petrochemical and gas distribution, has as much as 60 per cent new investment in the south during this period Develop four growth poles (cities) in the south The industrial triangle of Bari-Brindisi-Taranto Petrochemicals and steel brought much-needed jobs to the region Most successful: new state owned industries is Finsider Steelworks based in Taranto – Italy’s largest steel works

Cassa per il Mezzogiorno (continued) Taranto is third most important port in Italy In 2002 the port handled over 36 million tonnes of freight EU funds have also been used to improve ports In the 1970s the Cassa changed its approach and focused on more labour intensive industries such as food processing, fruit canning and vitamin manufacture Cassa was eventually disbanded in 1984

EU structural funds were used by the Italian government to improve the region and from 1989 to 1993 and more than €13 billion was invested. The workforce of the Mezzogiorno has almost tripled since the 1960s to 1.4 million in recent years. The economy of the south has become more diversified and outward migration has decreased

Cassa undesirable effects The ‘Cassa per il Mezzogiorno’ it did not reach its potential: Heavy industries only Not much spin-off employment Oil refineries were set up in Naples; they were capital intensive and created few jobs Environment was not a priority for the government The region’s waters polluted

Cassa undesirable effects (continued) 2 million jobs were lost in agriculture due to mechanisation and industrial development figures fell from 57 per cent of the workforce in the 1950s to 9 per cent today Over-reliance on state investment Unemployment rates in the region are still very high at 20 per cent Development not evenly spread 23 per cent of families in the south still live in poverty

Cassa undesirable effects (continued) Infant mortality rate is four times that of northern Italy and twice the rate of Western Europe Housing is substandard and 24 per cent of children drop out after primary school Foreign companies wary of the influence of the Mafia and the Camorra (Naples mafia) Infrastructure in the south still lags behind the north

TERTIARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Tourism Beautiful coastline, e.g. Amalfi Coast Dotted with ancient ruins Volcanic landscapes, e.g. Mt Vesuvius Cheaper and less crowded than other better known Italian resorts Mediterranean type climate with guaranteed sunshine 29ºC in summer

TERTIARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Tourism (continued) Developed originally in the 1950s with the introduction of package holidays and cheap flights Mezzogiorno lagged behind in the new tourist trade Poor transport facilities and peripheral location Growth in this area was limited to coastal regions In the 1950s, 15 per cent of the budget of the ‘Cassa per il Mezzogiorno’ was targeted towards the development of the tourist industry in the south

TERTIARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Tourism (continued) Improvements made to hotels and self-catering apartments in the region Communication links developed New airport was built at Calabria and ferry links were introduced to Sicily and Sardinia Cassa developed more than 25 areas for tourism providing direct and indirect employment 17 million visitors annually descend on the Mezzogiorno but two-thirds of these are from the north of Italy

TERTIARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES The Mezzogiorno has failed to be marketed to the international tourist trade Employment in the tourist industry in the south is seasonal Increased both noise and environmental pollution Newly formed interest by foreign investors has created inflated land prices Often beyond the reach of locals wishing to build and live in their own area Pressures on an already strained water supply Budget airlines have started flying to the south, opened up the region to visitors from Ireland and the UK, e.g. Ryanair fly from London to Bari

TERTIARY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES TRANSPORT Communication links in the south were poorly developed €2.5 million of the Cassa funds directed to the south were spent on improving the infrastructure of the region Two main motorways constructed Investment in the south was put into upgrading the region’s ports especially the deep water ports of Taranto and Sicily New container port of Gioia Tauro in Calabria – developed 1995 Second largest container port in the Mediterranean employing more than 1,000 people

Chapter 26: The Dynamics of European Regions II: The Mezzogiorno

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Chapter 26: The Dynamics of European Regions II: The Mezzogiorno

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