Florence, in the region of Tuscany, is the main city after which the province is named. It rises on the banks of the Arno in a vast plain surrounded by the Careggi, Fiesole, Settignano, Arcetri and Bellosguardo hills.
The river divides the city into two parts.
The local economy is based on tourism, industry (textiles and clothes, metalwork, optics, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, glass and ceramics) and on Florentine handicrafts (embroidery, jewellry, products made from straw).
The climate is temperate but rather variable, with humid and breezy winters characterized by periods of intense cold, and hot and muggy summers.