Pelagie Islands

The Pelagie Islands (Italian Isole Pelagie ) are an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea between Tunisia, Malta and Sicily. They are of volcanic origin. Politically, they are now the province of Agrigento, the Autonomous Region of Sicily in Italy.

The name of the islands derives from the Greek word πέλαγος Pélagos for " sea ".

Geography

Geologically they are part of the African continent. Due to its location between the 35th and the 36th degree of latitude they are the southernmost part of Italy.

The archipelago consists of the following islands:

• Lampedusa ( with south exposed rock island Isola dei Conigli and the north upstream Scoglio A'Barca Abboccata, as well as other unnamed rocks )
• Linosa
• Lampione

The islands form the municipality of Lampedusa e Linosa with 6,170 inhabitants ( 2009). The smallest with about four hectares Lampione island is uninhabited, as are approximately the same size rock island Isola dei Conigli, which is the main island of Lampedusa in front immediately. The climate is mainly in the summer months, characterized by intense heat and low rainfall.

Flora and Fauna

The flora is dominated African. It grow many cactus species that do not exist in Europe. Some of the species occurring here are so-called pelago - Maltese endemics, so they are found only on the Pelagie Islands and Malta ( eg Linaria pseudolaxiflora, Elatine gussonei and Daucus lopadusanus ).

Some beaches of the Pelagie Islands are the turtles as a place to lay their eggs. In order to protect the endangered species, in 2002 parts of the Pelagie Islands were put under protection and set up the Nature Reserve Riserva Marina Isole Pelagie.

Economy and Transport

The people of Lampedusa and Linosa living from fishing, agriculture and increasingly tourism.

Lampedusa and Linosa can be reached daily by ferry from the Sicilian port city of Porto Empedocle. After Lampedusa daily runs from a plane from Palermo. During the summer season flights from other major Italian cities are offered.