Southern Italy or
Mezzogiorno (, literally "midday") is the traditional term for the southern regions of
Italy, encompassing the southern section of the continental
Italian Peninsula and the island of
Sicily. It coincides with the administrative regions of
Abruzzo,
Apulia,
Basilicata,
Campania,
Calabria,
Molise, and
Sicily. Some also include the most southern and eastern parts of
Lazio (
Sora,
Cassino,
Gaeta,
Cittaducale and
Amatrice districts) within the
Mezzogiorno, because these territories were also part of the
Kingdom of Two Sicilies. The island of
Sardinia, although for cultural and historical reasons having less in common with the aforementioned regions, is frequently included as Southern Italy, often for statistical and economical purposes.