The modern administrative divisions in Italy
go from the nation (Italy) down to the
first-level administrative unit, region (for
example, Campania, Sardinia,
Lazio...etc.—there are 20 regions) down to
the second-level unit, provinces
within each region (for example, the region
of Campania has five provinces: Avellino,
Benevento, Caserta, Naples, and Salerno; the
region of Sardinia has eight: Cagliari,
Carbonia-Iglesias, Nuoro, Ogliastra,
Olbia-Tempio, Oristano, Sassari, and Medio
Campidano). Each region has a capital city:
i.e. Naples is the capital of Campania;
Cagliari is the capital of Sardina. (Each
province also has a capital, usually the
largest city in that province: Naples is the
capital off the province of Naples; Cagilari
is the capital of the province of Cagliari,
and so on.)
Italians, however, still make exensive use
of historical geographical names that are
not part of the modern administrative
heirarchy. That is, if you say that you are
"going to Cilento," you are referring to an
historically recognized area in the southern
part of the province of Salerno in the
region of Campania. There is no town of
Cilento, no mayor, no official lines drawn
anywhere, but everyone calls it "Cilento"
and always have and always will. Other such
names in the Campania region are "Sannio,"
and "Irpinia." There are dozens of these
commonly used geographical units throughout
Italy. They often cross modern provincial
and regional boundaries; that is, a
particular historical area is not
necessarily all contained within a single
modern province or region.
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