Emilia–Romagna is an administrative Region of Northern Italy, comprising the former regions of Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of 22,446 km2 (8,666 sq mi), and about 4.4 million inhabitants.
Emilia–Romagna is one of the richest, most developed regions in Europe, and it has the third highest GDP per capita in Italy. Bologna, its capital, has one of Italy’s highest quality of life indices and advanced social services. Emilia–Romagna is also a cultural and tourist centre, being the home of Bologna university, one of the first universities in the world, containing Romanesque and Renaissance cities (such as Modena, Parma and Ferrara), being a centre for food and automobile production (home of automotive companies such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, De Tomaso and Ducati) and having lively coastal resorts such as Rimini and Riccione.
In spite of the depth and variety of industrial activities in the region, agriculture has not been eclipsed. Emilia–Romagna is among the leading regions in the country, with farming contributing 5.8% of the regional agricultural product. The agricultural sector has aimed for increased competitiveness by means of structural reorganisation and high-quality products, and this has led to the success of marketed brands. Cereals, potatoes, maize, tomatoes and onions are the most important products, along with fruit and grapes for the production of wine (of which the best known are Emilia’s Lambrusco, Romagna’s Sangiovese, Bologna’s Pignoletto and the white Albana).
The region of Emilia–Romagna has a very good system of transport, with 574 km of motorways, 1,053 km of railways and airports in Bologna, Forlì, Parma and Rimini. The main motorway crosses the region from north-west (Piacenza) to the south-east (Adriatic coast), connecting the main cities of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, and from here further to Ravenna, Rimini and the Adriatic coast.
