Geography
Location	Southern Europe
Coordinates	42°N 14°E / 42°N 14°E / 42; 1437°N 15°E / 37°N 15°E / 37; 15
Area	150,000 km2 (58,000 sq mi)
Country
Italy
Demographics
Demonym	Apennine
Population	26,170,000
Density	199.27/km2 (516.1/sq mi)

Satellite image of the Italian Peninsula in Spring 2003

A map of the Italian Peninsula and its location in Europe.

The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Italian: Penisola italiana, Penisola appenninica) is a large peninsula of Southern Europe. It extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Ionian and Adriatic Seas on the east and the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west. It is located in between two larger peninsulas, the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkan Peninsula. Because of the peninsula's shape, it is nicknamed Lo Stivale ("The Boot"). Three smaller peninsulas contribute to this characteristic shape, namely Calabria (the "toe"), Salento (the "heel") and Gargano (the "spur").