Most of Italy's economic wealth is created in the North, and this has even led to calls for the North to break away from the rest of the country, in a movement known as Padania Libera (some Northerners see the South as a burden).
This politically-contentious situation has arisen due to the North's perceived success, and is attributed to a combination of factors, including:
- geography
- politics
- natural resources
- logistics
Why the North of Italy is successful.
The north of Italy is a triangle of prosperity which contains the richest region in Italy. The points of the triangle are Turin, Milan and Genoa. Within them lies the biggest stretch of lowlands belonging to the North Italian Plains.
Geographical factors include the proximity of Northern Italy to the markets of Western Europe, namely Germany, France and the United Kingdom; the weather, which is excellent for agriculture, and access to the sea through Genoa.
Political factors do contribute, too, even though efforts are now being made to bring the South up to economic parity with the North by developing tourism, industry and agriculture - as early politics in Italy was dominated by the North. Despite several measures being taken, this gap continues to widen.
The north is advantaged not just by geographical advantages but also by the possession of an extremely skilled labour force (in comparison to the South).
Finally, logistics and a well-developed infrastructure (in the form of road and rail connectivity with Europe through the Alps, plus the well developed ports in Genoa) facilitate the movement of goods.