Italy is located on the two largest islands on the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, in the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe. The capital city Rome(41 54 N, 12 29 E) was the seat of great ancient scholars and elites.Rome was the birth place of the Catholic Church. Italy shares its border with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia to the north.
The Italian Republic is a strong country with 20th highest GDP per capita. Italy ranks 8th in Quality-of-life index, and 20th in Human Development Index. Italy shares a membership of European Union, NATO, OECD, the Council of Europe, the Western European Union, and the Central European Initiative,G8, and from 1st January 2007 also started non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
HISTORY:- History of Italy is mainly dominated by the history of Rome until the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. Italy saw the birth of Renaissance in 15th century. Duchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples came under Spanish control in 1735. The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars (1796–1815) enlightened the urge for democracy in Italy which was resulted in Kingdom of Italy in 1861.In World War I, Italy had initially remained neutral, but later joined the Allies. Italy entered into World War II by occupying Albania. Allies attacked Italy and in 1943, Italy surrendered. Finally on 2nd June, 1946, republic was established in Italy.
GEOGRAPHY:-Geographically Italy is located at 42 50 N, 12 50 E. Italy has covered total 301,230 sq km(land- 294,020 sq km,water- 7,210 sq km) area on the surface of the world. The coastline is 7,600 km long. The lowest point is Mediterranean Sea (0 m) and the highest point is Mont Blanc de Courmayeur (4,748 m). Italy is mostly mountainous while coastal area comprises of low land.
CLIMATE:- The Mediterranean climate dominates in Italy, with chilling winters and mild summers. The northern part is Alpine while the southern part is dry.
GOVERNMENT:-Italy is Parliamentary republic country since 2nd June,1946. The constitution was adopted on 11th December,1947,but imposed on 1st January,1948. Government is divided into three branches:
Executive branch consists of the President (chief of state), and Council of Ministers (cabinet) headed by the president of the council (prime minister).
Legislative branch consists of the bicameral parliament- Chamber of Deputies(630 member), Senate (315 member).
Judicial branch consists of the independent constitutional court and lower magistracy.
Executive branch consists of the President (chief of state), and Council of Ministers (cabinet) headed by the president of the council (prime minister).
Legislative branch consists of the bicameral parliament- Chamber of Deputies(630 member), Senate (315 member).
Judicial branch consists of the independent constitutional court and lower magistracy.
Forza Italia, Democratic Party, National Alliance, Northern League, United Christian Democrats of the Center, Communist Renewal, Italians of Values, Greens, Rose in the Fist, Italian Communist Party, UDEUR are prominent political parties. Voting rights are universal above 18 except senatorial elections, where suffrage is given at 25.
President Giorgio Napolitano
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
President Giorgio Napolitano
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
STATES:-Italy is formed of 20 regions, in which 5 regions are autonomous. These regions are subdivided into 109 provinces and 8,101 municipalities.
CULTURE:-Italy is the abode of highest number of World Heritage Sites(41), recognized by UNESCO. Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Bernini, Titian, Raphael, Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla were the greatest artists of Italy as well as of the universe. Divina Commedia was the creation of Italian philosopher Dante Alighieri.Italy had given birth to great philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Ptolemy, Cicero and Vitruvius. The unique genre of poem, sonnet was invented in Italy. Giovanni Boccaccio, Giacomo Leopardi, Alessandro Manzoni, Torquato Tasso, Ludovico Ariosto, and Petrarch were some of the critically acclaimed sonneteers. Italy’s Galileo Galilei invented binocular. Other prominent scientists were Enrico Fermi, Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Alessandro Volta. Guglielmo Marconi has won the Nobel Prize for inventing radio.
Italy is the birth place of opera, and instruments like piano and violin. Singer Laura Pausini has won the the Grammy. Football is the most popular sport. Italy has been the FIFA world champion for four times. Italy is considered as the fashion capital of the world.
Italy is the birth place of opera, and instruments like piano and violin. Singer Laura Pausini has won the the Grammy. Football is the most popular sport. Italy has been the FIFA world champion for four times. Italy is considered as the fashion capital of the world.
ECONOMY:-Italy is the 7th largest economy in the world and 4th largest in Europe. Italy supports capitalistic economy. But Italy is marked with diversifying economies in northern and southern part of the country. The negative unemployment rate in the developed industrial north is contradicted with 20% unemployment rate in the less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south.
GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $1.8 trillion; per capita $31,000.
Real growth rate: 1.9%.
Real growth rate: 1.9%.
Inflation: 1.7%.
Unemployment: 6.7%.
Arable land: 26%.
Agriculture: fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish.
Labor force: 24.86 million; services 63%, industry 32%, agriculture 5% (2001).
Industries: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics.
Natural resources: coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land.
Exports: $474.8 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals.
Imports: $483.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco.
Major trading partners: Germany, France, U.S., Spain, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, China (2006).
Budget:
Revenues: $976 billion
Expenditures: $1.029 trillion (2007 est.)
Public debt:105.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Revenues: $976 billion
Expenditures: $1.029 trillion (2007 est.)
Public debt:105.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Monetary unit: Euro (formerly lira)
POPULATION:- The population of Italy is 58,147,733 with the minimal growth rate (0.01%).
Density per sq mi: 512
Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.).
Density per sq mi: 512
Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.).
LANGUAGE:-The official language is Italian, while German, French, and Slovene are also spoken.
RACE:- Italian ethnicity includes small clusters of German, French, and Slovene Italians in the north and Albanian and Greek Italians in the south.
RELIGION:- Roman Catholic is followed by 90%, among which one-third is practicing. Other 10% are Protestant, Jewish and Muslim.
UNICEF:-Since 1974, Italian committee for UNICEF works to improve children’s right and concentrates mainly on fundraising. More than 100 Subcommittees, citizens, students, officials, NGOs, goodwill Ambassadors, media, Government are involved in the works of UNICEF in Italy. UNICEF collects funds by selling cards and gifts. Roberto Bolle, Francesco Totti, Lino Banfi, Simona Marchini are UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassadors in Italy.
HEALTH:-
Birth rate:8.36 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:10.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 80.07 years
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 5.61 deaths/1,000 live births
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 2,474
Birth rate:8.36 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:10.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 80.07 years
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 5.61 deaths/1,000 live births
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 2,474
CITIES:-The largest city is capital Rome. Other large cities are Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Bari, Catania, Venice.
TRANSPORTATION:-
Railways: total: 19,460 km (2006).
Highways: total: 484,688 km (2004).
Waterways: 2,400 km (2004).
Ports and harbors: Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna, Taranto, Trieste, Venice.
Airports: 132 (2007)
Railways: total: 19,460 km (2006).
Highways: total: 484,688 km (2004).
Waterways: 2,400 km (2004).
Ports and harbors: Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna, Taranto, Trieste, Venice.
Airports: 132 (2007)
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