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South Tyrol

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

South Tyrol is a special province in northern Italy. It sits at the very top of the country.

Val dUltimo - Ultental (4724017376)
Val dUltimo - Ultental (4724017376)

The land is part of the huge Alps mountain range. Most of the area is very mountainous. You will see many forests and shrubs across the hills.

Latemarspitze Karersee
Latemarspitze Karersee

The highest peak in the province is called Ortler. It is located in the far west.

Drei zinnen gross
Drei zinnen gross

This place is known as a very beautiful and rugged landscape.

The way South Tyrol is run is quite unique. It has a lot of self-government, which is called autonomy. This means the local leaders make many of their own rules. They also have special control over their own money. The province can keep 90% of the taxes it collects.

This helps the area stay very wealthy. In fact, it is one of the richest places in the European Union.

Palais Widmann 2019
Palais Widmann 2019

It even has the lowest number of people at risk of poverty in the EU.

The history of this land has many changes. Long ago, it was part of the County of Tyrol. This was part of the Austrian Empire.

Atlas Tyrolensis-small
Atlas Tyrolensis-small

After the First World War, Italy took control of the area in 1919. For a time, the government tried to make everyone speak Italian. They even banned the German language in schools and offices.

Grundschule Südtirol
Grundschule Südtirol

During the Second World War, Nazi Germany also occupied the region. It was a very difficult time for the families living there.

Today, the people of South Tyrol speak many different languages. About 57.6% of people use German as their first language.

Brixen Innenstadt
Brixen Innenstadt

Another 22.6% of the people speak Italian. This is mostly seen in big cities like Bolzano and Merano.

Blick über Meran nach Nordwesten
Blick über Meran nach Nordwesten

A small group of 3.7% speaks a special language called Ladin.

Scuola ladina
Scuola ladina

There are 116 different municipalities in the province. Most of these places have a German-speaking majority. Some have a Ladin majority, and a few have an Italian majority.

South Tyrol stays connected to its neighbors through cooperation. It is part of a group called the Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino Euroregion.

Tirol-Suedtirol-Trentino
Tirol-Suedtirol-Trentino

This group includes parts of Austria and Italy. They work together to keep peace and help each other. The boundaries of this group are almost like the old historic region of Tyrol.

(1874) The Valleys of TIROL
(1874) The Valleys of TIROL

This helps the different groups of people live together well. It shows how different cultures can find a way to work as one.

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🖼️ Images & Media (30)
File:Atlas Tyrolensis-small.jpg
Atlas Tyrolensis-small.jpg
File:(1874) The Valleys of TIROL.jpg
(1874) The Valleys of TIROL.jpg
1946-06-24 Big 4 Turns Down Austria on Tyrol-1.ogv
File:Grundschule Südtirol.jpg
Grundschule Südtirol.jpg
File:Tirol-Suedtirol-Trentino.png
Tirol-Suedtirol-Trentino.png
File:Val dUltimo - Ultental (4724017376).jpg
Val dUltimo - Ultental (4724017376).jpg
File:Comunità comprensoriali Alto Adige.svg
Comunità comprensoriali Alto Adige.svg
File:BozenLaubenGasse.jpg
BozenLaubenGasse.jpg
File:Brixen Innenstadt.jpg
Brixen Innenstadt.jpg
File:Blick über Meran nach Nordwesten.jpg
Blick über Meran nach Nordwesten.jpg
File:Marmolada + Sellaronda tour 12.jpg
Marmolada + Sellaronda tour 12.jpg
File:Drei zinnen gross.jpg
Drei zinnen gross.jpg

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