The territory occupies about one-fifteenth of the national territory (area 19 363 km²) and is the seventh in population among the Italian regions (4,087,697 residents; density: 211 people per km²). Situated between the Fortore river, the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea at the southeastern end of the peninsula. The terrain is dominated by limestone, and its physical characteristics, which distinguish our land from neighboring regions, influenced the shape of the terrain - flat and rarely uneven: vast plains, such as Tavoliere and the peninsula of Salento; plateau or terrace reliefs the heights range descending from north to south (Mount Calvo in Gargano reaches 1055 m, Murgia's highest points vary between 700 and 300 m, in Salento the highest point is only 200 m above sea level). Poor surface waters, except for the rivers Fortore and Ofanto; frequent karst features (sinkholes, caves), particularly the plateau of Murgia and in some places washed by the sea. The coasts extend for over 800 km: high and steep at one part of Gargano, along the Murgia or in the Otranto area, elsewhere - as much as 34% - low and sandy. The economic structure is reflected in the distribution of the employed labor force, of which 16.86% are in agriculture sector - in absolute terms the largest in Italy, 24.85% in manufacturing and 58.26% in the tertiary (services) sector (national averages are 9, 32 and 59% respectively).