The province of Palermo (; Sicilian: pruvincia di Palermu) was a province in the autonomous region of Sicily, a major island in Southern Italy. Its capital was the city of Palermo. On 4 August 2015, it was replaced by the Metropolitan City of Palermo.
History and location
Its name is derived from the Latin word Panormus. From 1072 to 1194 Palermo was the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily before Naples became the new capital under the rule of the French Angevin dynasty.
Administration and demographics
The province of Palermo had 82 comuni (: comune), 1,249,533 inhabitants, (24.9% of the Sicilian population) and is (19.4% of the Sicilian territory). Some major towns of the province are Palermo, Alia, Alimena, Sclafani Bagni and Petralia Soprana. In 1840, for the purpose of administration the province was divided into four districts – Palermo, Corleone, Termini and Cefalu.
Economy and tourism
Service is the most important economic sector for the province, accounting for three-quarters of the total employment opportunities, while the industry and agriculture employ 18% and 6% of the population respectively. The unemployment rate is high. Tourism is also an important industry.