Relevance: Mains: G.S paper I: Geography
context
- Italy has declared a state of emergency in Venice after the Italian city was engulfed by 1.87m (6ft) high water levels, flooding its historic basilica and cutting power to homes. More than 80% of the city, a Unesco world heritage site, was under water when tides were at their highest.
Venice:
- Venice is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region.
- It is situated on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The islands are located in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay that lies between the mouths of the Po and the Piave rivers.
- Venice has been known as “La Dominante”, “La Serenissima”, “Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges”, “The Floating City”, and “City of Canals”. The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Acqua alta:
- Acqua alta is the term used in Veneto for the exceptional tide peaks that occur periodically in the northern Adriatic Sea.
- The peaks reach their maximum in the Venetian Lagoon, where they cause partial flooding of Venice and Chioggia.
- The phenomenon occurs mainly between autumn and spring, when the astronomical tides are reinforced by the prevailing seasonal winds that hamper the usual reflux. The main winds involved are the sirocco, which blows northbound along the Adriatic Sea, and bora, which has a specific local effect due to the shape and location of the Venetian lagoon.