Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia has a population of 1,194,095 in an area of as of 2025. The denomination Venezia Giulia ('Julian Venetia', not referring to the city of Venice but to the Roman province of Venetia et Histria) was proposed by the Italian linguist Graziadio Isaia Ascoli, with the intention of marking the Italian cultural spirit of the area.

The region's name was Friuli-Venezia Giulia (hyphenated) until 2001, when the official spelling Friuli Venezia Giulia (without hyphen) was adopted following the modification of Article No.116 of the Italian Constitution. The term "Venezia Giulia" was coined by Graziadio Isaia Ascoli.

Geography

thumb|Map of [[Tre Venezie]]

Friuli-Venezia Giulia is Italy's north-easternmost region. It covers an area of 7,858 km<sup>2</sup> and is the fifth smallest region of the country. It borders Austria to the north and Slovenia to the east, the three countries meeting at the tripoint on the mountain of Dreiländereck, known as Monte Forno in Italian. To the south, it faces the Adriatic Sea and to the west the Veneto region.

The region spans a wide variety of climates and landscapes from the mild Oceanic in the south to Alpine continental in the north. The total area is subdivided into 42.5% mountainous-alpine terrain in the north, 19.3% is hilly, mostly to the southeast, while the remaining 38.2% comprises the central and coastal plains.

thumb|A view of the [[Carnia highlands]]

Morphologically the region can be subdivided into four main areas. The mountainous area in the north: this part of the region includes Carnia and the ending section of the Alps (Carnic Alps and Julian Alps), of which the highest peaks exceed 2,700&nbsp;m above sea level (Jôf di Montasio 2,754&nbsp;m). Its landscapes are characterised by vast pine forests and pastures, mountain lakes (e.g. Sauris, Fusine, and Barcis), and numerous streams and small rivers descending from the mountains.

The area is also known for its tourist destinations, especially during the winter season (Monte Zoncolan, Tarvisio, Sella Nevea, Forni di Sopra and Piancavallo). The hilly area is situated to the south of the mountains and along the central section of the border with Slovenia. The main product of agriculture in this area is wine, whose quality, especially the white, is known worldwide. The easternmost part of the hilly area is also known as Slavia Friulana, as it is mostly inhabited by ethnic Slovenes.

The central plains are characterized by poor, arid, and permeable soil. The soil has been made fertile with an extensive irrigation system and through the adoption of modern intensive farming techniques. In this part of the region, most of the agricultural activities are concentrated. The coastal area can be further subdivided into two, western-eastern, subsections separated by the River Isonzo's estuary.

To the west, the coast is shallow and sandy, with numerous tourist resorts and the lagoons of Grado and Marano Lagunare. To the east, the coastline rises into cliffs, where the Karst Plateau meets the Adriatic, all the way to Trieste and Muggia on the border with Slovenia. The Carso has geological features and phenomena such as hollows, cave networks, and underground rivers, which extend inland in the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia, with an altitude ranging between 300m and 600m.

thumb|[[Grado Lagoon]]

The rivers of the region flow from the North and from Slovenia into the Adriatic. The two main rivers are the Tagliamento, which flows west–east in its upper part in the Carnic Alps and then bends into a north–south flow that separates the Julian Alps from Alpine foothills and the Isonzo (Slovenian: Soča) which flows from Slovenia into Italy. The Timavo is an underground river that flows for 38&nbsp; km from Slovenia and resurfaces near its mouth north-west of Duino.

The region Friuli-Venezia Giulia has a temperate climate. However, due to the terrain's diversity, it varies considerably from one area to another. Walled by the Alps on its northern flank, the region is exposed to air masses from the East and the West. The region receives also the southerly Sirocco from the Adriatic Sea, which brings in heavy rainfall. Along the coast, the climate is mild and pleasant.

Trieste records the smallest temperature differences between winter and summer and between day and night. The climate is Alpine-continental in the mountainous areas, where, in some locations, the coldest winter temperatures in Italy can often be found. The Kras plateau has its own weather and climate, influenced, mostly during autumn and winter, by masses of cold air coming from the northeast. These generate a very special feature of the local climate: the north-easterly wind Bora, which descends onto the Gulf of Trieste with gusts occasionally exceeding speeds of 150&nbsp; km/h.

Julian March

thumb|The [[Julian March within the Kingdom of Italy (1923–1947), with its four provinces: the Province of Gorizia (blue), the Province of Trieste (green), the Province of Fiume (red), the Province of Pola (yellow)]]

The Julian March (Croatian and ), also called Julian Venetia (; ; ; ), is an area of southern Central Europe which is currently divided among Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia. The term was coined in 1863 by the Italian linguist Graziadio Isaia Ascoli, a native of the area, to demonstrate that the Austrian Littoral, Veneto, Friuli, and Trentino (then all part of the Austrian Empire) shared a common Italian linguistic identity. Ascoli emphasized the Augustan partition of Roman Italy at the beginning of the Empire, when Venetia et Histria was Regio X (the Tenth Region).

The term was later endorsed by Italian irredentists, who sought to annex regions in which ethnic Italians made up most (or a substantial portion) of the population: the Austrian Littoral, Trentino, Fiume and Dalmatia. The Triple Entente promised the regions to Italy in the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in exchange for Italy's joining the Allied Powers in World War I. The secret 1915 Treaty of London promised Italy territories largely inhabited by Italians (such as Trentino) in addition to those largely inhabited by Croats or Slovenes; the territories housed 421,444 Italians, and about 327,000 ethnic Slovenes.

A contemporary Italian autonomous region, bordering on Slovenia, is named Friuli-Venezia Giulia ("Friuli and Julian Venetia").

Economy

thumb|[[Illy headquartiers in Trieste]]

thumb|Beach in [[Lignano Sabbiadoro]]

thumb|Approximate location of the wine regions of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 38 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 2.2% of Italy's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 31,200 euros or 103% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 106% of the EU average.

The economy of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is one of Italy's most successful. Its core is based on small and middle-size enterprises (the so-called "North-East model"), on specialized farming and on high-quality tourism with a significant inclination towards exports.

Agriculture and farming maintain an essential role in the economy of the region and employed in 2001 around 95,000 persons. Its products are exported not only within the country and Europe (fruit and vegetables, cheese) but have become known worldwide for their acclaimed quality (cured ham and wines, especially white ones). Noteworthy is also the production of soy (third producer in Italy with more than 37,000 hectares cultivated in 2000) and timber production in Carnia. Along with the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia forms the Tre Venezie wine region, which ranks with Tuscany and Piedmont as Italy's world class wine regions.

In the services sector, the city of Trieste plays a leading role (with knock-on effects on the other provincial capitals); it is here that activities such as the regional government, large banking, and insurance companies are concentrated. The unemployment rate stood at 5.7% in 2020.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia has many small and picturesque villages, 13 of them have been selected by (), a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities. These villages are:

  • Clauiano
  • Cordovado
  • Fagagna
  • Gradisca d'Isonzo
  • Palmanova
  • Poffabro
  • Polcenigo
  • Sappada
  • Sesto al Reghena
  • Strassoldo
  • Toppo
  • Valvasone Arzene
  • Venzone

Demographics

As of 2025, the region has a population of 1,194,095, of whom 49.0% are male and 51.0% are female. Minors make up 13.6% of the population, and seniors make up 27.5%, compared to the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively. The population density of 150.7 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup> is lower than the national figure of 195.1. Across the provinces, density varies from a minimum of 103.9 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup> in the province of Udine to 1,073 in the province of Trieste.

{| class="wikitable floatright"

|+Foreign population by country of birth (2024) while the province of Udine remained active until 22 April 2018. In 2019, they were all reactivated as "regional decentralization entities" (, or EDR) beginning on 1 July 2020.

In anticipation of this 2017 and 2018 abolition of the provinces in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the Regional Council created a system of 18 Intermunicipal Territorial Unions (, or UTI). The UTIs progressively took on the local services that the municipalities previously managed, extending across the larger area managed by each UTI, while also taking on some responsibilities previously managed by the provinces; this handling of "wide area local development policies" by the UTIs was conceived as a way allow more focused planning and budgeting for the 215 , divided across the 18 UTIs, than would be possible on a region-wide basis by the Regional Council. However, activity of UTIs was discontinued after the reactivation of former provinces.

The Regional Council also passed a statute which allows, should it desire at some future point, for the establishment of the regional capital of Trieste—with smaller surrounding towns—as a metropolitan city administering wide area local development policies.

Intermunicipal Territorial Unions (UTI)

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 90%;"

|- bgcolor="#ececec"

!

! UTI name

! Seat

! Former province

! Constituent

! data-sort-type="number" | Number of

! data-sort-type="number" | Area (km<sup>2</sup>)

! data-sort-type="number" | Population

|-

|a||UTI Giuliana||Trieste||TS|| Duino-Aurisina, Monrupino, Muggia, San Dorligo della Valle, Sgonico, Trieste ||6||||

|-

|b||UTI Carso Isonzo Adriatico||Monfalcone||GO||Doberdò del Lago, Grado, Fogliano Redipuglia, Monfalcone, Ronchi dei Legionari, Sagrado, San Canzian d'Isonzo, San Pier d'Isonzo, Staranzano, Turriaco ||10||||

|-

|c||UTI Collio - Alto Isonzo||Gorizia||GO||Capriva del Friuli, Cormons, Dolegna del Collio, Farra d'Isonzo, Gorizia, Gradisca d'Isonzo, Mariano del Friuli, Medea, Moraro, Mossa, Romans d'Isonzo, San Floriano del Collio, San Lorenzo Isontino, Savogna d'Isonzo, Villesse ||15||||

|-

|d||UTI del Canal del Ferro - Val Canale|| Tarvisio||UD||Chiusaforte, Dogna, Malborghetto-Valbruna, Moggio Udinese, Pontebba, Resia, Resiutta, Tarvisio ||8||||

|-

|e||UTI del Gemonese||Gemona del Friuli||UD||Artegna, Bordano, Gemona del Friuli, Montenars, Trasaghis, Venzone||6||||

|-

|f||UTI della Carnia||Tolmezzo||UD||Amaro, Ampezzo, Arta Terme, Cavazzo Carnico, Cercivento, Comeglians, Enemonzo, Forni Avoltri, Forni di Sopra, Forni di Sotto, Lauco, Ovaro, Paluzza, Paularo, Prato Carnico, Preone, Ravascletto, Raveo, Rigolato, Sappada, Sauris, Socchieve, Sutrio, Tolmezzo, Treppo Ligosullo, Verzegnis, Villa Santina, Zuglio ||28||||

|-

|g||UTI del Friuli Centrale||Udine||UD||Campoformido, Martignacco, Pagnacco, Pasian di Prato, Pavia di Udine, Pozzuolo del Friuli, Pradamano, Reana del Rojale, Tavagnacco, Tricesimo, Udine ||11||||

|-

|h||UTI del Torre||Tarcento||UD||Attimis, Cassacco, Faedis, Lusevera, Magnano in Riviera, Nimis, Povoletto, Taipana, Tarcento ||9||||

|-

|i||UTI Mediofriuli||Codroipo||UD||Basiliano, Bertiolo, Camino al Tagliamento, Castions di Strada, Codroipo, Lestizza, Mereto di Tomba, Mortegliano, Sedegliano, Talmassons, Varmo ||11||||

|-

|j||UTI Collinare||San Daniele del Friuli||UD||Buja, Colloredo di Monte Albano, Coseano, Dignano, Fagagna, Flaibano, Forgaria nel Friuli, Majano, Moruzzo, Osoppo, Ragogna, Rive d'Arcano, San Daniele del Friuli, San Vito di Fagagna, Treppo Grande ||15||||

|-

|k||UTI del Natisone||Cividale del Friuli||UD||Buttrio, Cividale del Friuli, Corno di Rosazzo, Drenchia, Grimacco, Manzano, Moimacco, Premariacco, Prepotto, Pulfero, Remanzacco, San Giovanni al Natisone, San Leonardo, San Pietro al Natisone, Savogna, Stregna, Torreano ||17||||

|-

|l||UTI Riviera - Bassa Friulana||Latisana||UD||Carlino, Latisana, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Marano Lagunare, Muzzana del Turgnano, Palazzolo dello Stella, Pocenia, Porpetto, Precenicco, Rivignano Teor, Ronchis, San Giorgio di Nogaro ||12||||

|-

|m||UTI Agro Aquileiese||Cervignano del Friuli||UD||Aiello del Friuli, Aquileia, Bagnaria Arsa, Bicinicco, Campolongo Tapogliano, Cervignano del Friuli, Chiopris-Viscone, Fiumicello Villa Vicentina, Gonars, Palmanova, Ruda, San Vito al Torre, Santa Maria la Longa, Torviscosa, Terzo di Aquileia, Trivignano Udinese, Visco ||17||||

|-

|n||UTI del Tagliamento||San Vito al Tagliamento||PN||Casarsa della Delizia, Cordovado, Morsano al Tagliamento, San Giorgio della Richinvelda, San Martino al Tagliamento, San Vito al Tagliamento, Sesto al Reghena, Spilimbergo, Valvasone Arzene ||9||||

|-

|o||UTI delle Valli e delle Dolomiti Friulane||Maniago||PN||Andreis, Arba, Barcis, Castelnovo del Friuli, Cavasso Nuovo, Cimolais, Claut, Clauzetto, Erto e Casso, Fanna, Frisanco, Maniago, Meduno, Montereale Valcellina, Pinzano al Tagliamento, Sequals, Tramonti di Sopra, Tramonti di Sotto, Travesio, Vajont, Vito d'Asio, Vivaro ||22||||

|-

|p||UTI Livenza - Cansiglio - Cavallo||Sacile||PN||Aviano, Brugnera, Budoia, Caneva, Polcenigo, Sacile ||6||||

|-

|q||UTI Sile e Meduna||Azzano Decimo||PN||Azzano Decimo, Chions, Fiume Veneto, Pasiano di Pordenone, Prata di Pordenone, Pravisdomini ||6||||

|-

|r||UTI del Noncello||Pordenone||PN||Cordenons, Fontanafredda, Porcia, Pordenone, Roveredo in Piano, San Quirino, Zoppola ||7||||

|-

|}

thumb|upright=2.25|Map of the Unione territoriale intercomunale of Friuli-Venezia Giulia; letters correspond to those in leftmost column of the table above.

Regional decentralization entities

thumb|350px|Former provinces of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, now EDRs

thumb|Municipalities ([[Comune|comuni) of Friuli-Venezia Giulia]]

Until 2017–18, Friuli-Venezia Giulia was divided into four provinces. The Regional Council voted to abolish them effective 30 September 2017, (and adopted in 2001) to represent the region which in 1963 took the administrative setup of today. The historical symbol of the eagle dates back to (at least) the 13th century, the time of the Patriarchate of Aquileia.

Transport

thumb|The [[port of Trieste]]

thumb|A traffic sign in Italian, [[Friulan, German and Slovene]]

thumb|[[Autostrada A4 (Italy)|Autostrada A4 near Sistiana]]

With its commercial Free Port, Trieste also plays an essential role in the trade sector: special custom regulations ensure exclusive financial conditions to operators. The Port of Trieste is today the most important centre worldwide for the trade of coffee and plays a strategic key role in trade with northern and eastern Europe.