Piemonte / Location, Topography & Climate

Question 1

What does the name Piemonte mean?

Answer 1

at the foot of the mountain

Question 2

Which mountain ranges surround it?

Answer 2

Ligurian Apennines (S), Maritime Alps (S) and Western/Northern Alps (NW)

Question 3

What is to the south of Piemonte?

Answer 3

Liguria and France

Question 4

What is to the west of Piemonte?

Answer 4

France

Question 5

What is to the north of Piemonte?

Answer 5

Valle d’Aosta and Switzerland

Question 6

What is to the east of Piemonte?

Answer 6

Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna

Question 7

Is Piemonte landlocked?

Answer 7

Yes

Question 8

Which mountain ranges separate Piemonte from Liguria and France?

Answer 8

Ligurian and Maritime Alps

Question 9

What is the capital of Piemonte?

Answer 9

Torino (Turin)

Question 10

Which 5 provinces contain most of Piemonte’s wine growing areas?

Answer 10

Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo, Navarra and Vercelli

Question 11

How is Piemonte’s landscape generally described?

Answer 11

three concentric topographical rings: mountain ranges, hills and flat plain

Question 12

What does the external ring consist of?

Answer 12

Alpine-Apennine mountain ranges

Question 13

How does the external ring change?

Answer 13

rim thickest to south, west and east

east gives way to plain

Question 14

What does the middle ring consist of?

Answer 14

hills

Question 15

What does the center ring consist of?

Answer 15

internal plain

Question 16

What topographical feature makes up most of Piemonte’s territory?

Answer 16

mountains (43%)

Question 17

Where are most of the mountains located?

Answer 17

western and northern parts

Question 18

What is the region’s largest lake?

Answer 18

Lake Maggiore; NE border with Lombardia

Question 19

Which two regions share Lake Maggiore?

Answer 19

Piemonte and Lombardia

Question 20

What does Piemonte’s western side lack that is a common feature to northern regions of Italy?

Answer 20

intermediate range of mountains or Prealps

Question 21

Where are the majority of Piemonte’s vineyards located?

Answer 21

hills (30%)

Question 22

What are the 6 main groups of hills?

Answer 22

Monferrato, Langhe, Roero, Novara, Vercelli and Tortona

Question 23

What is the largest group of hills? Where are they located?

Answer 23

Monferrato in Asti and Alessandria provinces

Question 24

Where are the Langhe and Roero hills located?

Answer 24

Cuneo province

Question 25

Where are the Novara and Vercelli hills located?

Answer 25

Novara and Vercelli provinces

Question 26

Where are the Tortona hills located?

Answer 26

Alessandria province

Question 27

What is the Italian name for the Tortona hills?

Answer 27

Colli Tortonesi

Question 28

Where is the plain located?

Answer 28

eastern side; part of the upper portion of Po Valley

Question 29

What does the plain grow?

Answer 29

rice

Question 30

What are the major centers of rice production?

Answer 30

Novara and (especially) Vercelli

Question 31

Where is the Po Valley located?

Answer 31

stretches from Piemonte though Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna to Veneto

Question 32

What is the Italian name for the Po Valley?

Answer 32

Pianura Padana

Question 33

What is the major river in Piemonte?

Answer 33

Po River

Question 34

Which direction does the Po River flow?

Answer 34

bisects region as it flows east

Question 35

What is the general climate in Piemonte?

Answer 35

continental

Question 36

What is a problem in late summer and early autumn?

Answer 36

hail

Question 37

What is common during autumn and winter?

Answer 37

fog

Question 38

How does the Ligurian Sea influence the temperature in the southern part of Piemonte?

Answer 38

slightly increases it

Question 39

What is the average annual temperature?

Answer 39

12°C

Question 40

How does the weather vary from the plain to the hills?

Answer 40

plain is hot and muggy in summer; hills slightly cooler due to air more air circulation and higher altitude

Question 41

How do the mountain ranges influence rainfall?

Answer 41

creates rain shadow effect and limits rainfall

Question 42

Which areas have the lowest rainfall?

Answer 42

Monferrato (Asti and Alessandria provinces) and Roero hills (eastern part of Cuneo province)

Question 43

Which areas get the highest rainfall?

Answer 43

mountainous areas in north and south