Walker - 1967 - A geography of Italy

PART III: REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
M . Cammarata); they are even more unrewarding than the clays through which
they emerge and the towns on their edges (e.g. Corleone) are often quoted to
illustrate the Sicilian socio-economic environment at its worst. The south-east of
the island, rising to nearly looom in the M ti Iblei, is composed o f almost horizontal
Miocene limestones which present a succession o f tablelands descending
by steps to the sea. These platforms are deeply incised by rivers some o f which
(e.g. the Anapo) are slightly less irregular in regime than most Sicilian rivers.
Their waters are used for irrigation, notably in the citrus groves of Syracuse. The
upper calcareous tablelands are extensively lacking in soil, but the lower peripheral
platforms, especially where Quaternary marine sediments have survived,
are used for wheat and dry tree crops. The coastal lowlands south o f Syracuse
carry a surprisingly high rural population density, often over 200 per sq km. In
the north o f the M ti Iblei the Miocene limestones are intercalated with and are
overlain by basaltic ash and lava o f contemporary age. Detrims derived from
these volcanic rocks contributes to the fertility o f the Lentini area whose citrus
groves rely mainly on well water.
The Pliocene sediments o f Sicily, which occupy large areas to the north-west
and south o f Caltagirone, are mainly conglomerates and sands; they produce a
more active relief than the clays. They are also more amenable to cultivation and
although the higher areas o f the M ti Erei differ little from the rest o f central
Sicily in land-use, the lowlands, for example near Vittoria, produce a variety of
crops including vines, olives, almonds and tomatoes.
Along the southern shore o f Sicily, low cliffs alternate with dune-fringed
alluvial plains the largest o f which extends on either side o f Gela, but between
Sciacca and Trapani a series o f broad marine platforms may be identified. They
are covered with calcareous sands and conglomerates (Quaternary) and they
support the biggest concentration of viticulture in the island. This is the home of
Marsala, a fortified wine, somewhat similar to port, which was first introduced to
a wider market at the time o f the British occupation during the Napoleonic wars.
Although the process has not gone so far as in the Murge, the peasantry here is
also gaining possession o f the land and using it more intensively; this has been
accompanied by a dispersal o f settlement. Near Trapani, one o f several ports
interested in tunny fishing, the coastal flats have been converted into salt pans.
The only large alluvial plain in Sicily is that o f Catania, once notoriously unhealthy
and still proving difficult to exploit. Its erratic rivers are being controlled
by the Cassa and limited areas have been diversified for tree crops, tomatoes,
artichokes and sugar beet, but most o f it retains its extensive character.
Within the Italian agricultural economy as a whole Sicily is mainly significant
for its oranges (60%) and lemons (90%); it is also a notable producer o f wine
(15% ), ohve oil (10%), almonds, wheat and vegetables (artichokes, fennel, early
potatoes). The wheat is almost all o f the hard variety used for making pasta and
although one expects a lower return with this type, yields are very low indeed.
The physical conditions discourage animal rearing but sheep fit well enough into
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