Campania, administrative region, southern Italy, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, between Lazio (Latium) and Basilicata, comprising the provinces of Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, Naples, and Salerno. The islands of Capri and Ischia in the Bay of Naples form part of the region. The capital is Naples. The eastern section of Campania is crossed by the Apennines. The coastal plain, which is exceptionally fertile and thickly populated, is noted for the production of citrus fruits and garden vegetables. Corn, oats, tobacco, olives, and wine grapes also are grown here. Other leading regional industries are livestock raising; fishing; lumbering; tanning; canning; oil refining; shipbuilding; and the manufacture of glass, ceramics, chemicals, machinery, textiles, and iron and steel. The tourist industry is also important. Among the notable landmarks are Mount Vesuvius and Lake Avernus.
Greeks settled on the Campanian coast about 1030 bc and founded, among other colonies, the cities of Cumae and Neapolis (Naples). In the 4th century bc the district fell under Roman rule and became a favorite resort of wealthy Romans. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century ad , Campania was occupied successively by Goths, Byzantines, and Lombards. The Normans, who conquered it in the 11th century, ruled it as part of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The region was incorporated subsequently in the kingdom of Naples and united in 1861 with the kingdom of Italy. During the invasion of Italy by the Allies in World War II, Campania suffered extensive destruction. Area, 13,595 sq km (5,249 sq mi); population 5,788,986 (2005 estimate).
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