Basilicata

Basilicata (UK: /bəˌsɪlɪˈkɑːtə/ bə-SIL-ih-KAH-tə, US: /-ˌzɪl-/ -⁠ZIL-, Italian: [baziliˈkaːta]), also known by its ancient name Lucania (/luːˈkeɪniə/ loo-KAY-nee-ə, US also /luːˈkɑːnjə/ loo-KAHN-yə, Italian: [luˈkaːnja]), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometre stretch on the Gulf of Policastro (Tyrrhenian Sea) between Campania and Calabria, and a longer coastline along the Gulf of Taranto (Ionian Sea) between Calabria and Apulia. The region can be thought of as "the arch" of "the boot" of Italy, with Calabria functioning as "the toe" and Apulia "the heel".

The region has a population of 529,897 in an area of 10,073.32 km² (3,889.33 sq mi). The regional capital is Potenza. The region comprises two provinces: Potenza and Matera. Its inhabitants are generally known as Lucanians (Italian: lucani), and to a lesser extent as basilicatesi or by other very rare terms.

In ancient times, part of its territory belonged to Magna Graecia, subject to coastal Greek colonies (including Sybaris). Later the region was conquered by the ancient Romans. It was then conquered by the Byzantines, and then by the Normans around the year 1000 with the Hauteville family. Their presence explains the persistence of the Gallo-Italic linguistic enclaves of Basilicata. The area was later dominated by the Aragonese and by the Spanish. Subsequently, it became part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, before annexation to the unified Kingdom of Italy (proclaimed in 1861) after the 1860 Expedition of the Thousand.

The name probably derives from basilikos (Greek: βασιλικός), which refers to the basileus, the Byzantine emperors, who ruled the region for 200 years, from 536/552 to 571/590 and from 879 to 1059. Others argue that the name may refer to the Basilica of Acerenza, which held judicial power in the Middle Ages.

During the ancient Greek and Roman eras, Basilicata was known as Lucania. This was possibly derived from leukos (Greek: λευκός), meaning "white", from lykos (Greek: λύκος), meaning "wolf", or from Latin lūcus, meaning "sacred wood". More probably, the name Lucania derived, like the forename (praenomen) Lucius, from the Latin word Lux (gen. lucis), meaning "light" (from PIE *leuk-, "brightness", also the root of the Latin verb lucere, "to shine"), which is a cognate of the name Lucas. Another proposed etymology is a derivation from the Etruscan word Lauchum (or Lauchme), meaning "king", which passed into Latin as Lucumo.

Basilicata covers an extensive part of the southern Apennine Mountains, between the Ofanto river in the north and the Pollino massif in the south. It is bordered on the east by a large part of the Bradano river depression, which is traversed by numerous streams and declines to the southeastern coastal plains on the Ionian Sea. The region also has a short coastline to the southwest on the Tyrrhenian Sea side of the peninsula.

Basilicata is the most mountainous region in the south of Italy, with 47% of its area of 9,992 km² (3,858 sq mi) covered by mountains. Of the remaining area, 45% is hilly, and 8% is made up of plains. Notable mountains and ranges include the Pollino massif, the Dolomiti lucane, Monte Vulture, Monte Alpi, Monte Carmine, Monti Li Foj and Toppa Pizzuta.

Geological features of the region include the volcanic formations of Monte Vulture, and the seismic faults in the Melfi and Potenza areas in the north, and around Pollino in the south. Much of the region was devastated in the 1857 Basilicata earthquake. More recently, the 1980 Irpinia earthquake destroyed many towns in the northwest of the region.