Territorial organization of the city Bergamo stands in the centre of Lombardy. Its territory is characterized by a particular morphological conformation, similar to the neighbouring province of Brescia, and unique if compared with the other provinces of Lombardy: the territories of Bergamo and Brescia are alone in the region in having all the characteristics found singly in the other provinces: the plain (Milan, Mantua, Cremona and Lodi), hills (Pavia), the lakes among low mountains (Como, Lecco and Varese), mountains (Sondrio). The province, which today has nearly a million of inhabitants, is subdivided administratively into 244 municipalities. The territory borders to the North on the Valtellina, to the East on Brescia, to the South on Cremona and to the West on Milano and Lecco. From the map of the territory it is possible to notice that mountains, hills and the plain occupy, from North to South, three wide horizontal bands, of equivalent heights, though overall of differing extents. The mountain area is divided by wide valleys most of which run North to South. Starting from the West, we find the Val Imagna, the Val Brembana, with many secondary valleys, and the Val Seriana, all terminating to the North in high passes; the Val Cavallina is located to the East and opens at the North end to the Val Camonica; the more northerly Val di Scalve is isolated among the mountains and is difficult to access. The area of the foothills has historically undergone greater economic development. A small group of hills, on which Bergamo stands, are located in this area, and has progressively expanded with onto the immediate surrounding plain. The city is as the centre of gravity of its own territory, and at the convergence of the main valleys; it dominates from above both the plain and the rivers flowing down from valleys: the Adda marks the border with Milan; then we have the Brembo, the Serio and the Cherio; the Oglio, together with lake Iseo, marks the border with Brescia to the East.