SafekipediaLazio
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
Lazio is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It is in the middle of the country and has more than 5 million people.
Lazio is very important because it is home to Rome, the capital city of Italy. Rome has been important for a very long time.
Lazio has a rich history. The Etruscan people lived there long ago. Later, it became the center of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Many famous artists and important people lived in Rome, especially during the Italian Renaissance.
After World War II, Lazio and Italy grew quickly, especially in Rome. Today, Lazio has many jobs in services, trade, industry, and tourism. It has good transportation, which helps it stay important in the middle of the Italian Peninsula.
History
For the history of ancient Lazio, see Latium.
See also: List of museums in Lazio
The name Lazio comes from an old Latin word. It means the land where the Latins lived. The Latins were an important group of people in ancient times. Rome, Italy’s capital today, started as a city of the Latins.
Over many years, Lazio has had many different rulers. It was part of the Roman Empire. Then it was under the control of the Pope. Later, it was briefly ruled by France. In 1870, Rome was captured and Lazio became part of the unified Kingdom of Italy. In 2016, some towns in Lazio were damaged by an earthquake.
Geography
Lazio covers an area of 17,242 km2 and shares borders with Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The land is mostly hilly and mountainous, with some flat areas along the coast and around the Tiber River.
The coast has sandy beaches and includes places like Cape Circeo and Gaeta. The Pontine Islands are part of Lazio and lie off the southern coast. Near Rome, there is a large flat area called the Roman Campagna. The region's mountains include the Alban Hills and others made from old volcanic craters, which now hold lakes such as Bolsena, Vico, and Bracciano.
Climate
Lazio has different climates depending on the area. Along the coast, the weather is warm and sunny, like a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot summers. Inland, the climate is cooler, especially in the winter nights. Rome, the capital, gets plenty of sunshine throughout the year.
Demographics
As of 2026, Lazio has 5,709,444 people. About half are male and half are female. Many people live close together. There are 331 people for every square kilometer, which is more than the rest of Italy.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 355,682 | — |
| 1871 | 1,173,065 | +229.8% |
| 1881 | 1,256,876 | +7.1% |
| 1901 | 1,585,907 | +26.2% |
| 1911 | 1,770,869 | +11.7% |
| 1921 | 1,997,045 | +12.8% |
| 1931 | 2,348,699 | +17.6% |
| 1936 | 2,654,924 | +13.0% |
| 1951 | 3,340,798 | +25.8% |
| 1961 | 3,958,957 | +18.5% |
| 1971 | 4,689,482 | +18.5% |
| 1981 | 5,001,684 | +6.7% |
| 1991 | 5,140,371 | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 5,112,413 | −0.5% |
| 2011 | 5,502,886 | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 5,714,882 | +3.9% |
| Source: ISTAT | ||
Largest cities or towns in Lazio Source: ISTAT - 1 January 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Province | Pop. | Rank | Province | Pop. | ||||
| 1 | Rome | Rome | 2,745,062 | 11 | Ardea | Rome | 51,374 | ||
| 2 | Latina | Latina | 127,450 | 12 | Civitavecchia | Rome | 51,359 | ||
| 3 | Guidonia Montecelio | Rome | 89,420 | 13 | Nettuno | Rome | 48,111 | ||
| 4 | Fiumicino | Rome | 83,415 | 14 | Marino | Rome | 46,667 | ||
| 5 | Aprilia | Latina | 74,697 | 15 | Terracina | Latina | 45,055 | ||
| 6 | Viterbo | Viterbo | 66,767 | 16 | Rieti | Rieti | 44,866 | ||
| 7 | Pomezia | Rome | 64,970 | 17 | Frosinone | Frosinone | 42,836 | ||
| 8 | Anzio | Rome | 60,063 | 18 | Monterotondo | Rome | 41,185 | ||
| 9 | Tivoli | Rome | 55,321 | 19 | Ladispoli | Rome | 40,968 | ||
| 10 | Velletri | Rome | 53,048 | 20 | Fondi | Latina | 40,310 | ||
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Lazio
Lazio has a system where people choose leaders to help make decisions. The leader of the region is called the President. They work with a group of people to help run things. There is also a group called the Regional Council that helps make laws.
Rome, the capital city, usually supports one group of leaders, while other parts of Lazio support another group. In past elections, people in Lazio have chosen different groups of leaders.
The current president of Lazio is Francesco Rocca. He used to lead an important international organization that helps people in need.
Administrative divisions
Lazio is divided into four areas and one big city area:
| Province | Population (2026) | Area (km2) | Density (inh./km2) | Municipalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Province of Frosinone | 460,266 | 3,247.08 | 141.7 | 91 |
| Province of Latina | 567,130 | 2,256.16 | 251.4 | 33 |
| Province of Rieti | 149,335 | 2,750.52 | 54.3 | 73 |
| Metropolitan City of Rome Capital | 4,224,901 | 5,363.28 | 787.7 | 121 |
| Province of Viterbo | 307,812 | 3,615.24 | 85.1 | 60 |
Economy
Lazio has many ways people make a living, like growing crops, crafting items, raising animals, and fishing. The region is especially famous for growing kiwifruit.
Most people in Lazio work in services such as government, media, and tourism. Rome, the capital, is a big center for many companies and services. The region did well during hard economic times but had challenges during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Industry in Lazio is mostly found south of Rome, influenced by transportation and energy supplies. Rome's main airport, Fiumicino, is very busy and serves many travelers.
Industry
Industry in Lazio is a small part of the economy. Most businesses are small and focus on oil refining, car making, boat building, engineering, electronics, and construction. There is also research in high technology fields.
Consumer goods
Lazio is known for making household products, medicines, and hygiene goods.
Space
Lazio has companies that work on space projects, making rocket parts and satellite services.
Agriculture
Lazio grows many fruits, especially kiwifruit and hazelnuts. The region produces a lot of these fruits.
Animal husbandry
Lazio raises sheep and buffalo mainly for milk used in cheese making.
Viticulture
Lazio has many vineyards, mostly growing white grapes for wine.
Tourism
Lazio is a popular place to visit, especially for its historic sites like the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. People also come for beaches, skiing, and beautiful villages. Rome is the most visited city in Italy, with many famous landmarks.
Statistics
Lazio has many businesses, making up a good part of Italy's total.
Unemployment
In 2022, the unemployment rate in Lazio was 7.7%.
| Cereals | Cultivated area, ha |
|---|---|
| Durum wheat | 53,398 |
| Barley | 14,294 |
| Wheat | 12,850 |
| Maize | 11,720 |
| Oats | 5,635 |
| 2019 | Italy | Share % | Lazio | Share % | % Lazio in Italian Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 5,974,947 | 26.0% | 202,124 | 18.4% | 3.4% |
| Buffalo | 402,286 | 1.8% | 60,821 | 5.5% | 15.1% |
| Sheep | 7,000,880 | 30.5% | 750,529 | 68.2% | 10.7% |
| Goats | 1,058,720 | 4.6% | 35,194 | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| Pigs | 8,510,268 | 37.1% | 51,740 | 4.7% | 0.6% |
| Total | 22,947,101 | 100.0% | 1,100,408 | 100.0% | 4.8% |
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lazio | 181.204,9 | 181,750.8 | 183.417,6 | 190,600.4 | 193,796.8 |
| Macro-economic activity | Product GDP | % sector on regional GDP | % sector on Italian GDP |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | €1,709.3 | 1.06% | 1.84% |
| Industry in the strict sense | €14,208.2 | 8.85% | 18.30% |
| Buildings | €6,872.1 | 4.28% | 5.41% |
| Commerce, repairs, hotels and restaurants, transport and communications | €37,305.5 | 23.24% | 20.54% |
| Monetary and financial intermediation; real estate and entrepreneurial activities | €45,100.7 | 28.10% | 24.17% |
| Other service activities | €39,411.8 | 24.55% | 18.97% |
| VAT, net indirect taxes on products and taxes on imports | €15,909.9 | 9.91% | 10.76% |
| Lazio GDP at market prices | €160,517.5 | ||
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unemployment rate (in %) | 7.5% | 6.4% | 7.5% | 8.4% | 9.2% | 8.7% | 10.6% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 11.8% | 11.1% | 10.7% | 11.2% | 9.9% | 9.1% | 10.0% | 7.7% |
Cuisine
Main article: Roman cuisine
Lazio is famous for its tasty food, especially pasta. Some well-known pasta dishes from this area include Spaghetti alla carbonara, Bucatini all'amatriciana, Penne all'arrabbiata, and Spaghetti alla gricia.
Vegetables are also important in Lazio's cooking. Artichokes are very popular and are cooked in many ways. Other favorite vegetables include Romanesco broccoli, asparagus, fava bean, cima di rapa, romaine lettuce, pumpkin, zucchini, and chicory.
Spices are used a lot in Lazio's kitchen. Common ones include lesser cat-mint, squaw mint, laurel, rosemary, sage, juniper, chili, and grated truffle.
Traditional meat dishes include saltimbocca alla romana and abbacchio alla romana.
Sports
The region has two famous football clubs, SS Lazio and AS Roma. Both play in the top Italian league, Serie A. Their main stadium is Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where they play against each other in a match called the Derby della Capitale. Rome also holds many international sports events. These include the Italian Open tennis tournament, the Rome ePrix for Formula E racing, matches for the Italian national rugby team, and the Rome Marathon.
Images
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Lazio, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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