ABSTRACT
Venice is the capital city and administrative centre of the Veneto region, in the heart of the Italian northeast. The Municipality of Venice extends for 189.4 km2, partly on islands located in the middle of the Venice lagoon, with the historical centre occupying a major cluster of islands. The rest of the municipal territory includes a section facing the sea, and a main inland section including a middle-sized city in its own right, Mestre – 150,000 inhabitants – and Marghera, a smaller town but a major industrial and port area.
