Furrowed with deep, narrow valleys at right angles to the
coast, had a maritime civilization before the Roman era. The steep slopes of the
inner valleys are dotted with poor perched villages, watching over groves of
chestnut or olive trees and cultivated terraces.
The rocky indented coastline
has few fish to offer but has enjoyed heavy coastwise traffic since the time of
the Ligurians, facilitated by many small deep-water ports. The Roman Empire gave
its present appearance to the country, with olive groves and vineyards, to which
have been added vegetables, fruit (melons and peaches) and flowers grown on an
industrial scale.
The Italian Riviera: the Riviere di Ponente (Western Riviera), west of Genoa, is
sunnier and more sheltered than the Riviera di Levante (Eastern Riviera), but
the latter has a more luxuriant vegetation. The chief towns are Imperia, Savona
and Genoa (shipyards, oil terminal and thermal power station) and La Spezia
(naval base, commercial port, thermal power station and the manufacturing of
arms).
Liguria