south of Central Europe, primarily surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. To its north, Italy shares borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The country is shaped like a high-heeled boot and lies to the west of the Balkan Peninsula and east of the Iberian Peninsula. It is southeast of France and south of Switzerland and Austria. Additionally, the islands of Sicily and Sardinia are part of Italy, located to the southwest of the mainland in the Mediterranean Sea.
