Lampedusa

Lampedusa ( LAM-pih-DEW-zə, US also -⁠sə, Italian: [lampeˈduːza]; Sicilian: Lampidusa [lambɪˈɾuːsa]; Maltese: Lampeduża) is the largest of Italy's Pelagian Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The comune of Lampedusa e Linosa is part of the Sicilian province of Agrigento which also includes the smaller islands of Linosa and Lampione. It is the southernmost part of Italy. Tunisia, which is 113 kilometres (61 nautical miles) away, is the closest landfall to the islands. Sicily is farther at 205 kilometres (110+1⁄2 nautical miles), while Malta is 176 kilometres (95 nautical miles) east of Lampedusa. Lampedusa has an area of 20.2 km2 (7+13⁄16 sq mi) and a population of about 6,000 people. Its main industries are fishing, agriculture, and tourism. A ferry service links the island with Porto Empedocle, near Agrigento, Sicily. There are also year-round flights from Lampedusa Airport to Palermo and Catania on the Sicilian mainland. In the summer, there are additional services to Rome and Milan, besides many other seasonal links with the Italian mainland. In 2013, Spiaggia dei Conigli ("Rabbit Beach"), located in the southern part of the island, was voted the world's best beach by travel site TripAdvisor. Since the early 2000s, the island has become a primary European entry point for migrants, mainly coming from Libya and Tunisia. This is commemorated by a monument on the island: Porta d'Europa. In 2021, the island received the Jan Karski Eagle Award, as the first and only time that the award was given out three times in a year.

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