The surface area is 9,992 square kilometres; the 617,000 inhabitants are shared throughout the 131 comuni (town councils) in the provinces of Matera and Potenza: 7/10ths of the territory comprises mountainous areas, 2/10ths are hills, while 1/10 is plain. The mountains are found to the west while the coastal and central area is hilly and in the Melfese area the ground is higher and woodier reaching towards the arid Murgia in the Matera district. The region has only acquired its current name in recent times. In the Classic era it was known as Lucania, and this was brought back during Fascism which lasted until the 27th December 1947 when the new Constitution of Italy officially sanctioned the name Basilicata.