Southern question
In Italian historiography, the southern question (Italian: questione meridionale) is the perception, dating back to the aftermath of the unification of Italy, that southern Italy is persistently backwards in terms of socioeconomic development compared to the other regions of the country, especially the ones in northern Italy. First used in 1873 by Lombard classical radical and Historical Far Left deputy Antonio Billia, meaning the disastrous economic situation of the south of Italy compared to other regions of united Italy, it is used in common parlance even into the 21st century.