Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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Background:
|
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. |
|
Location:
|
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central
Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
|
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
42 50 N, 12 50 E
|
|
Map references:
|
Europe |
|
Area:
|
total: 301,230 sq km
land: 294,020 sq km
water: 7,210 sq km
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly larger than Arizona |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 1,932.2 km
border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy
See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232
km, Switzerland 740 km |
|
Coastline:
|
7,600 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation |
|
Climate:
|
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry
in south |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de
Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc) |
|
Natural resources:
|
coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos,
pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas
and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 26.41%
permanent crops: 9.09%
other: 64.5% (2005)
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
27,500 sq km (2003)
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence
in Venice |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur
dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial
and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes;
inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal
facilities |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well
as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe |
|
Population:
|
58,147,733 (July 2007 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 4,121,246/female 3,874,971)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 19,527,203/female
19,059,897)
65 years and over: 19.9% (male 4,823,244/female
6,741,172) (2007 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 42.5 years
male: 41.1 years
female: 44.1 years (2007 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.01% (2007 est.)
|
|
Birth rate:
|
8.54 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
10.5 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.064 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.025 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.715 male(s)/female
total population: 0.959 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 5.72 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 79.94 years
male: 77.01 years
female: 83.07 years (2007 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.29 children born/woman (2007 est.)
|
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.5% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
140,000 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
less than 1,000 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
|
noun: Italian(s)
adjective: Italian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and
Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and
Greek-Italians in the south) |
|
Religions:
|
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third regularly
attend services), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and
Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
|
|
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)
|
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 98.8%
female: 98% (2001 census)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
local short form: Italia
former: Kingdom of Italy |
|
Government type:
|
republic |
|
Capital:
|
name: Rome
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in
March; ends last Sunday in October
|
|
Administrative divisions:
|
15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous
regions* (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma);
Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna,
Friuli-Venezia Giulia*, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia,
Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia),
Sardegna* (Sardinia), Sicilia*, Toscana (Tuscany),
Trentino-Alto Adige* (Trentino-South Tyrol), Umbria, Valle
d'Aosta* (Aosta Valley), Veneto |
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Independence:
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17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not
finally unified until 1870)
|
|
National holiday:
|
Republic Day, 2 June (1946) |
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Constitution:
|
passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended
many times |
|
Legal system:
|
based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials;
judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional
Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections,
where minimum age is 25) |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since
15 May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in
Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) Romano
PRODI (since 17 May 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime
minister and approved by the president
elections: president elected by an electoral college
consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional
representatives for a seven-year term (no term limits);
election last held 10 May 2006 (next to be held in May
2013); prime minister appointed by the president and
confirmed by parliament
election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected
president on the fourth round of voting; electoral college
vote - 543 |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or
Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; members elected by
proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region
receiving 55% of seats from that region; to serve five-year
terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati
(630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning
national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats; to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 10 April 2006 (next to
be held in 2011); Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 April
2006 (next to be held in May 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - The Union 158 (DS 62, DL 39, RC 27,
Together with the Union 11, other 19), House of Freedoms 154
(FI 79, AN 41, UDC 21, LEGA 13), other 3; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
The Union 348 (DS 220, RC 41, Rose in the Fist 18, Italy of
Values 17, PdCI 16, Greens Federation 15, UDEUR 10, other
11), House of Freedoms 276 (FI 140, AN 71, Union of
Christian and Center Democrats 39, LEGA 26), other 6 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15
judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third
elected by parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and
administrative Supreme Courts) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Center-Left Union Coalition [Romano PRODI]: Ulivo
Alliance (including Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero
FASSINO]; Daisy-Democracy is Freedom or DL [Francesco
RUTELLI]); Rose in the Fist (including Italian Social
Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI]; Italian Radical Party
[Emma BONINO]); Together with the Union (including Italian
Communist Party or PdCI [Oliviero DILIBERTO]; Green
Federation [Alfonso PECORARO SCANIO]; United Consumers);
Communist Renewal or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI]; Italy of Values
or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]; Union of Democrats for Europe or
UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA]; Republican European Movement or
MRE [Luciana SBARBATI]
Center-Right Freedom House Coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI]:
Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; National Alliance or
AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Union of Christian Democrats and
Centrist Democrats or UDC [Pier Ferdinando CASINI]; Northern
League or LEGA [Umberto BOSSI]; Christian Democracy (Per la
Autonomie) [Gianfranco ROTONDI]
other non-allied parties: New Italian Socialist Party
or New PSI [Gianni DE MICHELIS]; Italian Republican Party or
PRI [Giorgio LA MALFA]; Social Alternative [Alessandra
MUSSOLINI]; Social Movement-Tricolor Flame or MSI-Fiamma
[Luca ROMAGNOLI]; Social Idea Movement with Rauti or MIS
[Pino RAUTI]; South Tyrol People's Party or SVP (German
speakers) [Elmar Pichler ROLLE]; Union of Valley Aosta
Region or UV [Guido CESAL] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
Italian manufacturers and merchants associations
(Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups
(Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura); Roman Catholic Church;
three major trade union confederations (Confederazione
Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Guglielmo EPIFANI]
which is left wing, Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati
Lavoratori or CISL [Savino PEZZOTTA], which is Roman
Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL
[Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)
|
|
International organization participation:
|
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS
(observer), CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA,
EU, FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA
(observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen
Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA
chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400
FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston,
Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
consulate(s): Detroit |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald P. SPOGLI
embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (06) 46741
FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356
consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples |
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Flag description:
|
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is
green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the
flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed -
orange (hoist side), white, and green; inspired by the
French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797 |
|
Economy - overview:
|
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.
|
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$1.756 trillion (2006 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$1.785 trillion (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
1.9% (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$30,200 (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 1.9%
industry: 28.9%
services: 69.2% (2006 est.)
|
|
Labor force:
|
24.64 million (2006 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture: 5%
industry: 32%
services: 63% (2001) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
7% (2006 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 26.8% (2000) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
36 (2000) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
2.1% (2006 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
20.8% of GDP (2006 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $845.2 billion
expenditures: $928.2 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
106.7% of GDP (2006 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans,
grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish |
|
Industries:
|
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food
processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear,
ceramics |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
1.5% (2006 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
278.5 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
307.1 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
1.109 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
50.26 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production:
|
145,100 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
1.881 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports:
|
521,400 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
2.182 million bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
621.7 million bbl (1 January 2005)
|
|
Natural gas - production:
|
11.49 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
82.64 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
379.8 million cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
70.45 billion cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
217.3 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
|
Current account balance:
|
-$47.31 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$417.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities:
|
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production
machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals;
food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
|
|
Exports - partners:
|
Germany 13.2%, France 11.7%, US 7.6%, Spain 7.3%, UK 6.1%
(2006) |
|
Imports:
|
$428.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities:
|
engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy
products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and
clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Germany 16.7%, France 9.2%, Netherlands 5.6%, China 5.2%,
Belgium 4.2%, Spain 4.1% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $1 billion (2002 est.) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$75.77 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$1.957 trillion (30 June 2006 est.)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
|
$294.8 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
$375.8 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares:
|
$798.2 billion (2005)
|
|
Currency (code):
|
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union
introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by
financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January
2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday
transactions within the member countries |
|
Exchange rates:
|
euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054
(2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
|
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
25.049 million (2005) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
71.5 million (2005) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: modern, well developed, fast;
fully automated telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio
relay trunks
international: country code - 39; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for
Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic
Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine cables |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.it |
|
Internet hosts:
|
4.117 million (2007) |
|
Internet users:
|
28.855 million (2006)
|
|
Airports:
|
132 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 101
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 13 (2007)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 19 (2007) |
|
Heliports:
|
5 (2007) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 17,589 km; oil 1,136 km (2006) |
|
Railways:
|
total: 19,460 km
standard gauge: 18,038 km 1.435-m gauge (11,354 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km
electrified); 1,299 km 0.950-m gauge (161 km electrified)
(2006) |
|
Roadways:
|
total: 484,688 km
paved: 484,688 km (includes 6,621 km of expressways)
(2004)
|
|
Waterways:
|
2,400 km
note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall
value compared to road and rail (2006)
|
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 604 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,529,192 GRT/13,150,989
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 53, cargo 46, carrier 1,
chemical tanker 141, combination ore/oil 1, container 32,
liquefied gas 33, livestock carrier 3, passenger 17,
passenger/cargo 156, petroleum tanker 40, refrigerated cargo
4, roll on/roll off 35, specialized tanker 14, vehicle
carrier 28
foreign-owned: 62 (Denmark 2, France 5, Germany 1,
Greece 13, Sweden 1, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 11, Turkey 1, UK
7, US 16)
registered in other countries: 169 (Bahamas 1, Belize
4, Bolivia 1, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 5, France 2,
Gibraltar 1, Greece 1, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 31, Malta 45,
Marshall Islands 3, Norway 4, Panama 10, Portugal 11,
Singapore 4, Slovakia 1, Spain 1, St Vincent and The
Grenadines 19, Sweden 7, Turkey 3, UK 4) (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals:
|
Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna,
Taranto, Trieste, Venice
|
|
Military branches:
|
Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare
Italiana, MMI), Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana,
AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Corpo dei Carabinieri, CC) (2005)
|
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18-27 year of age for voluntary military service;
conscription abolished January 2005; women may serve in any
military branch; 10-month service obligation, with a reserve
obligation to age 45 (Army and Air Force) or 39 (Navy)
(2006) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males age 18-49: 13,491,260
females age 18-49: 12,886,033 (2005 est.)
|
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males age 18-49: 10,963,513
females age 18-49: 10,452,189 (2005 est.)
|
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
|
