Manufacturing Manufacturing in the Mezzogiorno has been slow to develop, especially compared to its neighbouring regions. This lack of development is due to the interaction of a number of different factors.
Physical factors
Raw materials The Mezzogiorno was left behind when other regions’ economies transitioned from agriculture to industry in the mid-19th century. Local supplies of coal and iron ore were very small, limiting the production of steel that was needed to build machines, railways and other industrial infrastructure.
Industrial development was further hindered in the 20th century, as the region didn’t have the necessary supply of raw materials to produce the vast amounts of energy required for manufacturing. Supplies of oil found in Sicily and gas found in Basilicata, Sicily and Puglia were small and unable to support large-scale energy production. While hydro-electric power (HEP) was rapidly developing in the north of Italy, opportunities to develop it in the Mezzogiorno were hindered by low levels of rainfall, high evaporation rates and the permeable nature of the underlying limestone.
Industrial development based on food processing occurred in the coastal lowlands where agriculture was most developed or close to ports to facilitate the importation of the necessary raw materials. Industries that did develop were typically small in scale. Local supplies of olives supported small-scale olive oil production (Fig. 21.13). Tomatoes grown in Puglia and Campania were used in the production of tinned tomatoes and tomato paste. Poor-quality wine was produced for local consumption or for sale to France and Germany as a blending wine.
Fig. 21.13 Olive groves in the Mezzogiorno.
Locally quarried limestone provided one of the raw materials for the iron and steel industry (e.g. Palermo). Cheap transport of bulky raw materials by sea led to the development of the iron and steel industry at a number of ports including Taranto. Importation of crude oil to ports such as Bari allowed the development of oil refining and petro-chemical industries.
