The most important city of northern Italy, capital of the province and of the Lombard region, Milan stands at the center of the Padana Plain between the pre-Alps and the Po, and between the Adda and the Ticino rivers.

A financial and economic capital as well as major political and cultural center, it is the second most populous city in Italy, with 1,371,000 inhabitants.

Milan is a hub of European industry, with its concentration of major Italian companies. It holds the lead in volume of commercial activity.

With its favorable geographic location, Milan is a communications center of great importance.

Extending out from the city are train lines and national and international highways. It is a central point for the Italian superhighway system, leading to Venice, Bologna-Rome-Naples, Genoa and Turin.