Varese

It is the capital of the province with the same name; other important towns in the province are Busto Arsizio[?], Gallarate[?], Saronno[?], Tradate[?].

Geographical features

The province of Varese lies below the Alps, so mountains and hills constitute 32% and 46% of its territory respectively; other common features are rivers (including the Ticino and Olona[?]) and glacial lakes (Lake Maggiore[?], Lake Lugano[?], Lake of Varese[?] and four other smaller ones). The southern part of the province belongs to the Pianura Padana (which means the Po flatlands – see Po river).

Population

In 2001 Varese had 82,282 inhabitants (38,424 male and 43,858 female), with a density of 1497.9 people.km². (Source (http://www.istat.it) - in Italian)

History

Economy

The economy of Varese is mainly based on industry and, to a lesser extent, specialized agriculture; some famous Varese-based firms are:

• Aermacchi
• Agusta[?] (helicopters)
• Cagiva[?] (motorbikes)
• former Ignis[?] (now part of Wirpool[?]) (electronics)