Ischia

Ischia
View of Ischia from Procida
Highest point
Elevation789 m (2,589 ft)
Coordinates40°43′52″N 13°53′45″E / 40.731204°N 13.895721°E / 40.731204; 13.895721
Geography
Ischia
Ischia
Ischia (Italy)
Geology
Mountain typeComplex volcano
Last eruptionJanuary to March 1302
Ischia
Geography
LocationTyrrhenian Sea
Area47 km2 (18 sq mi)
Highest elevation789 m (2589 ft)
Highest pointMount Epomeo
Administration
Italy
RegionCampania
Metropolitan CityNaples
Largest settlementIschia (pop. 18,253)
Demographics
Population62,027 (2024)
Pop. density1,339.7/km2 (3469.8/sq mi)

Ischia (/ˈɪskiə/ ISK-ee-ə, Italian: [ˈiskja], Neapolitan: [ˈiʃkjə]) is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Although inhabited since the Bronze Age, as a Greek emporium it was founded in the 8th or 9th century BCE, and known as Πιθηκοῦσαι, Pithekoūsai.

Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures approximately 10 km (6 miles) east to west and 7 km (4 miles) north to south and has about 34 km (21 miles) of coastline and a surface area of 47 square kilometres (18.1 sq mi). It is almost entirely mountainous; the highest peak is Mount Epomeo, at 788 metres (2,585 feet).

Ischia is the name of the main comune of the island. The other comuni of the island are Barano d'Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, Forio, Lacco Ameno and Serrara Fontana. The island is very densely populated, with more than 62,000 residents as of 2024 census data, corresponding to a population density of roughly 1320 inhabitants per squared kilometer.