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National Map
Of |
Italy |
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National Flag
Of |
Italy |
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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
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Italy |
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National Anthem
Of |
Italy |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Italy |
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Background:
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Italy
became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-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. |
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Location:
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Southern
Europe, a peninsula extending into the central
Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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42 50 N,
12 50 E |
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total:
301,230 sq km
land: 294,020 sq km
water: 7,210 sq km
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
larger than Arizona |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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7,600 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation |
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Climate:
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predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot,
dry in south |
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Terrain:
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mostly
rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de
Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc) |
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Natural resources:
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coal,
mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice,
fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and
crude oil reserves, fish, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 27.79%
permanent crops: 9.53%
other: 62.68% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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26,980 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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regional
risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land
subsidence in Venice |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
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: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe |
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Population:
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58,103,033 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 13.9% (male 4,166,213/female 3,919,288)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 19,554,416/female
19,174,629)
65 years and over: 19.4% (male 4,698,441/female
6,590,046) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
41.77 years
male: 40.24 years
female: 43.35 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.07%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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8.89
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.3
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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2.07
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
5.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 79.68 years
male: 76.75 years
female: 82.81 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.28
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.5%
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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140,000
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
1,000 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Italian(s)
adjective: Italian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Italian
(includes small clusters of German-, French-, and
Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and
Greek-Italians in the south) |
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Religions:
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predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and
Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant
community |
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Languages:
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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) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99%
female: 98.3% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
local short form: Italia
former: Kingdom of Italy |
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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Rome |
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Administrative divisions:
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16
regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 4 autonomous
regions* (regioni autonome, singular - regione
autonoma); Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania,
Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia*, Lazio, Liguria,
Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna*,
Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige*, Umbria, Valle
d'Aosta*, Veneto |
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Independence:
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17 March
1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally
unified until 1870) |
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National holiday:
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Republic
Day, 2 June (1946) |
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Constitution:
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passed 11
December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many
times |
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Legal system:
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based on
civil law system; appeals treated as new trials;
judicial review under certain conditions in
Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where
minimum age is 25) |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13
May 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister (referred to
in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers)
Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 10 June 2001)
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; election
last held 13 May 1999 (next to be held May 2006); prime
minister appointed by the president and confirmed by
parliament
election results: Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected
president; percent of electoral college vote - 70%
note: a four-party government coalition includes
Forza Italia, National Alliance, Northern League, and
Union of Christian Democrats and Center Democrats |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or
Senato della Repubblica (315 seats elected by popular
vote of which 232 are directly elected and 83 are
elected by regional proportional representation; in
addition, there are a small number of senators-for-life
including former presidents of the republic; members
serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or
Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 475 are directly
elected, 155 by regional proportional representation;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 13 May 2001 (next
to be held 2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13 May
2001 (next to be held May 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - House of Liberties 172
(Forza Italia 77, National Alliance 47, UDC 31, Lega
Padana 17), Olive Tree 108 (Democrats of the Left 63,
Daisy Alliance 35, Greens 10), Per le Autonomie 10,
other 25; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party
- NA%; seats by party - House of Liberties 337 (Forza
Italia 176, National Alliance 97, UDC 36, Northern
League 28), Olive Tree 214 (Democrats of the Left 135,
Daisy Alliance 79), Rifondazione Communista (Italian
Communist Party) 11, other 68 |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Center-Left Olive Tree Coalition [Francesco RUTELLI] -
Democrats of the Left, Daisy Alliance (including Italian
Popular Party, Italian Renewal, Union of Democrats for
Europe, The Democrats), Sunflower Alliance (including
Green Federation, Italian Democratic Socialists),
Italian Communist Party; Center-Right Freedom House
Coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI] (formerly House of
Liberties and Freedom Alliance) - Forza Italia, National
Alliance, The Whiteflower Alliance (includes Christian
Democratic Center, United Christian Democrats), Northern
League; Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO];
Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Green Federation
[Alfonso Pecoraro SCANIO]; Italian Communist Party or
PdCI [Armando COSSUTTA]; Italian Renewal or RI [Lamberto
DINI]; merged with PPI and I Democratici to form La
Margherita (or The Daisy Alliance); Italian Social
Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI]; Lega Padana [Roberto
BERNARDELLI]; National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI];
Northern League or NL [Umberto BOSSI]; Per le Autonomie
[leader NA]; Socialist Movement-Tricolor Flame or
MS-Fiamma [Luca ROMAGNOLI]; South Tyrol People's Party
or SVP (German speakers) [Elmar Pichler ROLLE];
Sunflower Alliance (includes Green Federation, Italian
Social Democrats); The Daisy Alliance (includes Italian
Popular Party, Italian Renewal, Union of Democrats for
Europe, The Democrats) [Francesco RUTELLI]; The
Democrats [Arturo PARISI]; The Radicals (formerly
Pannella Reformers and Autonomous List) [Marco
PANNELLA]; Union of Democrats for Europe or UDEUR
[Clemente MASTELLA]; Union of Christian and Center
Democrats or UDC [Marco FOLLINI] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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) |
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International organization participation:
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AfDB,
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CDB, CE,
CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G-
8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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, and San
Francisco
consulate(s): Detroit and San Francisco |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Melvin F. SEMBLER
embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 119/A, 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:
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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
note: inspired by the French flag brought to
Italy by Napoleon in 1797 |
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Economy - overview:
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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 has breached the 3% EU deficit ceiling. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$1.609
trillion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.3%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $27,700 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 2.3%
industry: 28.8%
services: 68.9% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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24.27
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 5%, industry 32%, services 63% (2001) |
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Unemployment rate:
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8.6%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 26.6% (2000) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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27.3
(1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.3%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.3% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $768.9 billion
expenditures: $820.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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105.6% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fruits,
vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans,
grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish |
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Industries:
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tourism,
machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing,
textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0.7%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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261.6
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 78.6%
hydro: 18.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 3% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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293.9
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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900
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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51.5
billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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79,460
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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1.866
million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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456,600
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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2.158
million bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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586.6
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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15.49
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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71.18
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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61
million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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54.78
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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209.7
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$-21.1
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$336.4
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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engineering products, textiles and clothing, production
machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment,
chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals and
nonferrous metals |
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Exports - partners:
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Germany
13.6%, France 12.3%, US 8%, Spain 7.2%, UK 6.9%,
Switzerland 4.2% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$329.3
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment,
energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals,
textiles and clothing; food, beverages and tobacco |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany
18%, France 10.9%, Netherlands 5.9%, Spain 4.6%, Belgium
4.4%, UK 4.3%, China 4.2% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$61.5
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$913.9
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $1
billion (2002 est.) |
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Currency (code):
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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 |
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Currency code:
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EUR |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per
US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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26.596
million (2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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55.918
million (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM about
100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998) |
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Radios:
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50.5
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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358 (plus
4,728 repeaters) (1995) |
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Televisions:
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30.3
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.it |
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Internet hosts:
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1,437,511
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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93 (Italy
and Holy See) (2000) |
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Internet users:
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18.5
million (2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
19,319 km (11,613 km electrified)
standard gauge: 18,001 km 1.435-m gauge (11,333
km electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km
electrified); 1,195 km 0.950-m gauge (158 km
electrified) (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
479,688 km
paved: 479,688 km (including 6,621 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
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Waterways:
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2,400 km
note: used for commercial traffic; of limited
overall value compared to road and rail (2004) |
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Pipelines:
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gas
17,335 km; oil 1,136 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Augusta,
Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna, Taranto,
Trieste, Venice |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
565 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 8,970,017 GRT/10,354,685
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 38, cargo 43, chemical
tanker 128, combination ore/oil 1, container 19,
liquefied gas 38, livestock carrier 2, passenger 16,
passenger/cargo 152, petroleum tanker 53, refrigerated
cargo 4, roll on/roll off 34, specialized tanker 11,
vehicle carrier 26
foreign-owned: 47 (France 3, Greece 7, Monaco 2,
Switzerland 5, Taiwan 8, Turkey 2, United Kingdom 5,
United States 15)
registered in other countries: 125 (2005) |
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Airports:
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134 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
96
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 30
under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 18 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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4 (2004
est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army
(Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana,
MMI), Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI),
Carabinieri Corps (Corpo dei Carabinieri, CC) (2005)
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Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years
of age (2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 13,491,260 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 10,963,513 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
286,344 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$28,182.8
million (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.8%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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Italy's
long coastline and developed economy entices tens of
thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe
and northern Africa |
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Illicit drugs:
|
important
gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and
Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market;
money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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