Basilicata (Italy)

Basilicata

Basilicata lies in southern Italy. It faces the Gulf of Taranto (Ionian Sea) to the southeast and the Gulf of Policastro (Tyrrhenian Sea) to the southwest and borders with Campania to the west, Puglia to the north and to the northeast and Calabria to the south: its borders, largely conventional, are the result of complex historical events. Comparatively small, it exceeds only Molise and Val d'Aosta in number of inhabitants: also the population density is very low and corresponds only to a third of the national average. 

Facts about Basilicata

Area: 9.992 km²

Territory: 46,8% of Basilicata's territory is montainous, 45,2% characterised by hills, only 8% plain

Government

Basilicata is governed by an executive responsible (called Governor, chief of executive cabinet called Giunta Regionale) and a council (the Consiglio Regionale) both of them elected by universal suffrage. The Giunta Regionale exercise the executive power, the membership of this organ is composed by 6 assessor each one responsible of own councillorship. The regional governments have considerable authority. The regional council is representative organ of all the community and exercise legislative and regulation power. The Consiglio Regionale of Basilicata is composed by 30 advisors.  The second local level is the province. The chief executive of each of the provinces, the prefect, is appointed by, and answerable to, the central government and in fact has little power. An elected council and a provincial executive committee administer each province (Basilicata's province are 2 Potenza and Matera). The third local level is Commune, the basic unit of local government, which may range in size from a small village to a large town. Each commune is governed by a communal council elected for a four-year term by universal suffrage. Each council elects a mayor (in Basilicata there are 131 communes). The fourth local level is Comunit Montana (Mountain Community). In Basilicata there are 15 communities. Their mission is to collaborate with Commune for managing territorial instances.                                                    

Economy

Basilicata is the only Italian region where farm workers outnumber the people employed in industry. However, agricultural activities are characterized by low incomes, the result of the use of obsolete equipment, environmental difficulties (poor soil, lack of irrigation systems, degradation of the land) and by the splitting up of farms. The fertile Ionian coast, however, constitutes a magnificent exception. Here the rational application of productive techniques has given excellent results in some specialized crops (vegetables, citrus fruit, sugarbeet, tobacco, hothouse strawberries). In general, the principal crops of the region are cereals, particularly oats, wheat and barley; the most common vegetables are cabbages; there is a good production of leaf salad vegetables and tomatoes, also of apricots and peaches. Of some importance are the traditional vine and olive cultivations. There is a fair amount of livestock, especially goats and sheep, though fishing is insignificant, as is timber exploitation. Important mineral resources are the natural gas deposits at Pisticci, Ferrandina and San Cataldo.
Despite the allocation of public funds to some industrialized centres (Potenza, Maratea, the Basento River valley), the industrial sector is still of little importance. The major industries are the chemical industry, linked to the natural gas deposits (Pisticci, Ferrandina), paper (Venosa), sugar (Policoro), textiles (Maratea), engineering (Potenza, Matera), building materials (Potenza, Matera) and foodstuffs.
Commercial activities are generally concentrated in small areas, while the public sector is of great importance thus emphasizing the weakness of the region's economy. Some typical handcrafts (ceramic, wooden goods, fabrics) are of a certain importance.

GDP is increased between 1992 and 1998 with a middle yew near the 2,1 % (Italy middle yew is 1,2 %). GDP for inhabitant is 11,88 euros (national GDP/inh is 17,91 euros).

Occupation: regional occupation yew: 46%, companies activates for 100/inh 9,5. 

Health System

The Basilicata's Health System is composed by 7 structure that assured the health assistance for all people that lives in Region (but not only), substantially based on the territorial and disease competence. Life expectancy in Basilicata for males is 75,7 years, instead for females is 80,5. During 1999 we have had 5.645 births and 5.503 deaths, so:

• births yew is 9,29 %_o,
• deaths yew is 9,05 %_o,
• natural balance is +142 units,
• natural yew increase is +0,23 %_o.

Security and Social Solidarity Department

Basilicata Health Department competences are:

• Regional Health co-ordination to give strategies and operative lines to Health Local Authorities
• Public hygiene and sanity
• Social politics and assistance
• Family care (childhood, seniority)
• Drug addiction and handicaps
• Health education
• Citizenship solidarity
• Immigration and emigration

The Department has 10 office, the first one is Security and Social Solidarity Department, Health planning Office and audit goals.

Office competences are:

•  Adapting and renovating Regional Health plan
• Predisposing annual commentary about Region Health plan, for audit goals and economic convenience
• Managing relationship with national Conference of Health
• Emanating guide lines about regional program of health
• Rationalizing hospital network
• Evaluation activities and verifying goals of general directors in the Health Local Authorities
• Checking and approval investment plans of Health Local Authorities
• Multi control quality and clinical governance
• Health safety emergency
• Blood emergency