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Modena
is situated between the 44th and 45th parallels, at about the
same latitude as Montreal. It is further north than New York and
the province is crossed by the same parallel as the northern part
of Japan.
Modena is in a central position with respect to  the
most developed regions of Europe. It is 400 km from Rome, 530
km from Munich, 1100 km from Paris and 1430 km from London.
The province lies at the centre of the Emilia-Romagna region and
extends from north to south over the Po Valley and the Northern
Apennines covering a total surface area of 2,689.81 sq. km (12%
of the total regional and 0.89% of the total national area). Physically
the province can be divided into two clearly distinct areas of
nearly equal size, a flat plain in the north and a mountainous
area in the south.
Expressed in figures, 48% of the provincial territory lies in
the plain, 17% in the hills and 35% in the mountains, where peaks
reach over 2,000 metres.
There are two main rivers, the Panaro and the Secchia, both of
which flow the length of the province.
Tributaries of the river Po, they descend from the peaks of the
Apennines and flow northwards, running near, and sometimes defining,
the provincial borders, in the east the Panaro and in the west
the Secchia. The climate is semi-continental, which means annual
temperatures of between 12°C and 14°C .In January the
average  temperature
varies between –2°C and 0°C, and in July between
24°C and 26°C. Mean annual rainfall varies between 600
and 800 mm, with snowfalls in winter. The snow cover generally
remains on the ground for between 1 and 3 months.
The province of Modena is divided into 47 municipalities and has
a total population of more than 630,000; the population density
is 235 inhabitants per sq. km, a substantially higher amount than
regional and national averages.
The city of Modena, with its 177,000 inhabitants, is located in
the plain (34 m above sea level), roughly at the centre of the
province, 40 km from Bologna, 130 km from Florence, 170 km from
Milan and 200 km from Venice.
This central geographic allocation coupled with a high concentration
of industry and intensive agricultural production make Modena
one of the most important centres of trade between Northern and
Southern Italy and between Italy and the rest of the world.
It is here that two vitally important roads intersect, the motorway
to the Brenner pass (A22) and the «Autostrada del Sole"
(A1). The Brenner motorway starts in Modena and connects Italy
to the road networks of Northern and Eastern Europe. The "Autostrada
del Sole" is ltaly's most important motorway, running the
entire length of the country.
Modena is connected by motorway and rail to the most important
Italian cities. It is 320 Km from the Austrian border.
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