Trentino-Alto Adige

This Italian region has two names because it is composed of two formerly separate areas. The southern part of the region, Trentino, takes its name from the main city, Trento, and is Italian-speaking. The north, Adige, or Suditrol, is mainly German-speaking and once belonged to the Austrian territory of Tirol.

The chief products in the region are potatoes, vegetables, cherries, plums and apples. Most of the region's wealth comes from its production of hydroelectric power that it uses and exports.

Trentino-Alto Adige borders Switzerland and Austria in the north; Veneto and Lombardy in the south; and Lombardy in the west. The land is covered with forests of red firs, beech trees and pine trees. The Dolomites rise from the eastern part of Trentino-Alto Adige. They are mountains made of dolomite, a white rock rich in magnesium. As a popular tourist attraction, the Dolomites provide opportunities for hiking, skiing and walking.

Links: http://www.regione.taa.it
http://www.initaly.com/regions/taa/taa.htm