ABSTRACT
Italy, because of its geographic location, military commitments in NATO, and political and economic relations with the riparian nations, is ‘by necessity’ a Mediterranean country. From a geostrategic point of view, Italy’s Mediterranean character is evident. The peninsula juts into the Sea towards the African coast and this projection is accentuated by the position of Sicily and the smaller islands, Lampedusa and Pantelleria. The central position occupied by Sardinia in the western Mediterranean also gives Italy an important role in the area. The peninsula’s shape and the position of the islands make an ideal platform for extensive radar coverage of NATO’s Southern Region, for air coverage of the entire Mediterranean and for control and screening of maritime traffic through the important choke point of the Straits of Sicily.
