Sicily on the Map
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   Sicily is the greater of the islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and it is the greater of the Italian Regions. She is one twelfth of the Italian territory. Sicily took its name from the Siculi, a people whose history starts in the most remote of times. For its triangular shape, Sicily, before being called such, was given, by the Greeks, the name of Trinacria, which means "Land of the three Promontories", or land with the three points: Capo Faro, or Peloro, East, by Messina; Capo Boeo, or Lilibeo, West, by Marsala; and Capo Dell'Isola delle Correnti, South, by Capo Passero. Sicily is bathed by the warm waters of three seas: Mare Tirreno from the North, Mare di Sicilia from the South, and Mare Ionio from the East. All three seas, in the context of world geography, take one name: Mare Mediterraneo, which means: sea between lands.

 

Interactive map of Sicily. Click to view.

 

   Sicily has a most strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea, with the Strait of Gilbratar to the West, The Suez Canal to the South, and the Strait of Messina to the East. The closest point to Italy in the strait of Messina is of three and one half kilometers; the closest point to the African Continent in the Canal of Sicily is of fifty kilometers. It is in Sicily that we have the greatest volcano of Europe, with a height of 3263 meters, or almost twelve thousand feet.

 

   The base of the Volcano is of two hundred kilometers. This volcano during the Arabic domination was given, by the Arabs, the name of Mongibello which has the sicilian root Mon for mount and the arabic suffix Gebel which also means mount. We do not know why the Arabs wanted to call Mount Etna: "Mount-Mount", unless they did it for greater respect, as to say that Mount Etna is The Father of All Mounts.