Italy
Official Country Name
Italy
Italy Overview
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north. Cities that are main tourist attractions include Florence, Genoa, Milan, Pisa, Venice, Verona.
Italy Economy
Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with 20% unemployment. Most raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported. Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a tight fiscal policy in order to meet the requirements of the Economic and Monetary Unions and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates. The current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term growth. Italy has moved slowly, however, on implementing needed structural reforms, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor market and over-generous pension system, because of the current economic slowdown and opposition from labor unions. But the leadership faces a severe economic constraint: the budget deficit has breached the 3% EU ceiling. The economy experienced low growth in 2006, and unemployment remained at a high level.
Italy Location
Italy is located in Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Region
Italy is located in Europe
Italy Population
Italy has population of 58,133,509 (July 2006 est.)
Italy Climate
Italy has predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Italy Terrain
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Italy Natural Resources
coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
Ethnic Groups in Italy
Italy has the following ethnic groups - Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)
Italy Religions
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third regularly attend services), other 10% (mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Italy Languages
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Italy Capital
Italy capital is Rome
Italy Currency
Italy currency is Euro
Map of Italy
