Lampedusa is an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 127 miles (205 kilometers) south of the island of Sicily. It is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) east of the coast of Tunisia, in northern Africa. Lampedusa is nearly 8 square miles (20 square kilometers) in area. It has a small population that lives mainly off fishing and tourism. The island is part of the province of Agrigento, within the region of Sicily.
Lampedusa is considered part of the African continent. It is an arid (dry) island with only occasional rainfall. Lampedusa has mild winters and warm, dry summers. Shrubs, small trees, cactuses, and other desert vegetation grow on the island’s rugged cliffs, valleys, and beaches. Deforestation destroyed many of the island’s original carob, juniper, and olive trees. Lampedusa’s beaches and clear waters attract many tourists.
Lampedusa is well known as a European entry point for African and South Asian refugees. In 2011, uprisings in northern Africa and the Middle East brought an increase in the number of refugees. Many of the refugees who came to Lampedusa were taken to camps in Europe or returned to Africa. Many others remained in temporary camps on Lampedusa. Boats carrying refugees across the Mediterranean are often overfilled and unstable. In 2013, hundreds of people died in shipwrecks near Lampedusa. In 2015, hundreds more died as migrant boats sank near the island.
Lampedusa and two nearby islands—Lampione and Linosa—make up the Pelagie Islands. The Pelagie Islands Marine Reserve is a protected area that includes all three islands. On Lampedusa’s Rabbit Beach, loggerhead sea turtles return each summer to lay eggs.
