Apulia (Italian Puglia), region, southeastern Italy. It is on the Gulf of Taranto, an arm of the Ionian Sea, and on the Adriatic Sea, opposite Albania. The southernmost part of Apulia forms the topographical heel of the Italian boot. The region, which consists of the five provinces of Bari, Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce, and Taranto, is primarily a plain. It also contains hills that are part of the plateaus of the eastern Apennines. The Testa del Gargano, a peninsula in northeastern Apulia, rises to about 1,000 m (about 3,300 ft); it has a steep rocky coast spotted by inlets where the Adriatic towns of Rodi, Peschici, and Viesti are nested. Facing the peninsula are the Tremiti Islands, with grottoes, castles, and monasteries. To the south of the Gargano is the Tavoliere, a vast grain-growing plain extending to the Ofanto River; farther south are hills and the plains of Bari and of the Salento Peninsula, where olives, almonds, and grapes are cultivated. The coastline of Apulia is lined with fishing villages and resorts. Among the many major attractions are Castellana Caves, the marine grotto of Polignano, and the 13th-century stone-turreted fortress of the Castel del Monte in Andria. The industry that exists in Apulia, such as winemaking and olive-oil refining, is linked to the agriculture of the region. The raising of sheep and livestock is also important. The region has little water, but the Apulian Aqueduct conducts water into the region from the Sele River through the Apennines via a tunnel. Major cities are Bari (the capital), Foggia, Lecce, Margherita di Savoia, and Taranto.

The original inhabitants of Apulia probably came from Illyria. Their pottery indicates that they were exposed to Greek influence about the 8th century bc. Captured by Rome in the 4th century bc, Apulia was the site of a victory by the Carthaginian general Hannibal during the Second Punic War in 216 bc. Apulia was subject to a series of invasions before it was made a duchy by the Normans in the 11th century. In the 13th century Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II joined Apulia to the kingdom of Sicily. Europeans embarked from Apulian ports during the Crusades. Apulia was part of the kingdom of Naples before becoming part of the kingdom of Italy in 1861. Area, 19,363 sq km (7,476 sq mi); population 4,068,167 (2005 estimate).