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Italy Capital: Rome Population: 58,133,509 The Geography of Italy Total Size: 301,230 square km Size Comparison: slightly larger than Arizona Geographical Coordinates: 42 50 N, 12 50 E World Region: Europe General Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands Geographical Low Point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m Geographical High Point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc) Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south The People of Italy Type of Government: republic Languages Spoken: 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) Independence: 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870) National Holiday: Republic Day, 2 June (1946) Nationality: Italian(s) Religions: approximately 90% Roman Catholic (about one-third regularly attend services); mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community Economy of Italy Major Industries: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics Agricultural Products: fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish Natural Resources: coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land Major Exports: engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals Major Imports: engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco Currency: euro (EUR) National GDP: $1,698,000,000,000 Total Export Revenue: $371,900,000,000 Brief History of Italy: 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. Back to Geography Home Page

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