Introducing Italy, a country located in southern Europe, with most of its territory stretching into the Mediterranean Sea on the Apennine Peninsula. The shape is narrow and long, extending southward along the Apennine Mountains, where 90% of the land is mountainous or hilly. Rome, the capital city, has been the center of Christianity since the 8th century and is now a hub for national politics, culture, and transportation. Other notable cities include Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples, Turin, Genoa, and Palermo. Italy is often divided into several parts, with Milan being the main city in northern Italy, Tuscany and the states formerly ruled by the Old Papal Kingdom belonging to central Italy, and the states formerly ruled by the Old Kingdom of Naples being known as southern Italy. The island of Sicily in the south is the largest island in Italy and the Mediterranean, while the western part is Sardinia, a small island with many smaller islands scattered throughout.