Situated in the North of Italy, in the heart of Europe, Lombardy represents a bridge to the Mediterranean.  With its surface area of about  24,000 square kilometres and almost 10 million inhabitants, it can be compared to a nation. For population, it is 1st most populated region in Italy and 3rd most populated region in Europe after Île-de-France and Baden-Württemberg.

Located in Northern Italy, between the mountain range of the Alps and the flow of the Po river, Lombardy is in a strategic position, exactly at the intersection of the axis that links the Atlantic Ocean with eastern Europe and northern Europe with the Medi-terranean region. Besides mountains and the Padana Plain, the region is also graced by beautiful lakes, like Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and Lake Como.

Lombardy is divided in 11 provinces, 1 metropolitan area (Milan) and 1523 municipalities. Milan is the capital of Lombardy. It is a dynamic and competitive reality that, thanks to its geographic position and the resourcefulness of its inhabitants, is a privile-ged actor in the international market.