Veneto

Veneto (also Venetia), administrative region, northeastern Italy, divided into the provinces of Belluno, Padua (Padova), Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Verona, and Vicenza, all named after their chief cities. Veneto is made up of two distinct topographical areas: the mountain ranges of the Carnic Alps and Dolomite Alps in the north and the Venetian Plain in the south, connected by some hilly terrain. Among the many rivers that drain the plain are the Po, Adige, and Piave, the mouths of which form coastal lagoons along the Adriatic Sea.

The region takes its name from the Veneti, an ancient people conquered by the Romans in the 2nd century bc. The Romans organized the area as the colony of Aquileia. Later, the region was subject to barbarian invasions. It was not until the 10th century ad that important towns and, later, free communes developed. Venice came to dominate much of the surrounding area in the 15th century. From the late 18th century until 1866, when it joined the kingdom of Italy, Veneto was under Austrian and French control. The province of Udine was detached from Veneto after World War II to form the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Area, 18,379 sq km (7,096 sq mi); population 4,773,554 (2007 estimate).