:{{lang-aae|Pulia}}.}} is a [[Regions of Italy|region of Italy]], located in the [[Southern Italy|southern peninsular section]] of the country, bordering the [[Adriatic Sea]] to the east, the [[Strait of Otranto]] and [[Ionian Sea]] to the southeast and the [[Gulf of Taranto]] to the south. The region comprises {{convert|19345|sqkm|sqmi|0|sp=us}}, and its population is about four million people. It is bordered by the other Italian regions of [[Molise]] to the north, [[Campania]] to the west, and [[Basilicata]] to the southwest. Its chief town is [[Bari]].
In ancient times, more precisely at the the beginning of the first millennium BC, the region of Apulia was inhabited by the [[Iapygians]], while during the 8th century BC its coastal areas were populated by [[Magna Graecia|ancient Greeks]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Popoli e culture dell'Italia preromana. Gli Iapigi, gli Apuli e i Dauni - Treccani |url=https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/popoli-e-culture-dell-italia-preromana-gli-iapigi-gli-apuli-e-i-dauni_(Il-Mondo-dell'Archeologia)/,%20https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/popoli-e-culture-dell-italia-preromana-gli-iapigi-gli-apuli-e-i-dauni_(Il-Mondo-dell'Archeologia)/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Treccani |language=it}}</ref> Later, the region was conquered by the [[ancient Romans]]. It was then conquered by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]], followed by the [[Normans]], the [[Kingdom of Aragon|Aragonese]] and the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]]. Subsequently, it became part of the [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]], to then be annexed to the unified [[Kingdom of Italy]] after the [[Expedition of the Thousand]].
