Native name: Arcipelago toscano | |
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![]() Elba, the biggest island of the Tuscan archipelago | |
![]() Map of the Tuscan Archipelago | |
Geography | |
Location | between Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea |
Archipelago | Tuscan Archipelago |
Total islands | 7 |
Major islands | Elba Pianosa Capraia Montecristo Giglio Gorgona Giannutri |
Area | 295 km2 (114 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 1,018 m (3340 ft) |
Highest point | Monte Capanne |
Administration | |
Region | Tuscany |
Province | Livorno, Grosseto |
Largest settlement | Portoferraio (pop. 12,007) |
Demographics | |
Population | 34,389 |
Pop. density | 108/km2 (280/sq mi) |
The Tuscan Archipelago is a chain of islands between the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Tuscany, Italy.
The islands' proximity to several major cities has made them a favourite tourist location. History and literature have ensured that most people are familiar with the islands of Elba and Montecristo.
Legends says the archipelago originates from a necklace that Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty and sensuality, lost while emerging from the Tyrrhenian sea. In this myth, the seven islands are the seven pearls the goddess was unable to retrieve.[1]