Italy
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Italy
Italy (officially the Italian Republic) is a country lying in the south of Europe on the Italian Peninsula. The two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia also belong to Italy. On the continent, it shares its boundaries with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. There are two independent states enclaved in Italy – San Marini and Vatican City. Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.
The area of Italy is 301,318 square kilometers, it is the 71st largest country in the world. The peninsula that the state lies on is in the shape of the boot. There are the Alps on the north border and Apennine Mountains form the backbone of the peninsula. The largest plain is the Padan plain. The largest lake is Grada and the principal river is the Po. Italy has several islands; Sardinia and Sicily are the largest. There are also some active volcanoes (Etna, Stromboli, or Vesuvius). The climate in Italy is highly diverse depending on the location. Most of the inland northern areas have a continental climate. The coastal areas and most of the peninsula south have the typical Mediterranean climate.
Italy has been the home of many European cultures. Excavations reveal presence of a modern human back in the Paleolithic period. Ancient Rome was founded circa 8th century BC and Rome was for centuries the center of Western civilization. Italy was also a birthplace of the movement of the Renaissance and Baroque. Italy was unified on 17 March 1861 and it was a colonial empire until the mid 20th century. The Italian Republic was created after the World War Second on 2 June 1946.
There are around 60 million people living in Italy. It is currently the fourth largest population in European Union and 23rd in the world. The density is 197 inhabitants per square kilometer; the highest is in Northern Italy. 95% of the population are the Italians, 5% belong to other nationalities as Italy is very popular with immigrants. The most populous immigrant group is from Romania (nearly 1%). The prevailing religion is Roman Catholicism (90%). The official language is Italian.
Italy is a developed country, ranked as the seventh largest economy in the world according to GDP. This economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south. Tourism is very important to the Italian economy, with over 37 million tourists a year, Italy is ranked as the fifth major tourist destination in the world. Italy is a founding member of the European Union, and a founding member of NATO. It is also a member of many others international organizations and groupings, such as G8, OECD, WTO, the Council of Europe, the Western European Union, the Central European Initiative, and a Schengen state. Currency is Euro.
Italy is subdivided into 20 regions; five of them have a special autonomous status. The regions are further subdivided into 109 provinces and 8,101 municipalities. The capital as well as the largest city is Rome. Other large cities are Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa and Bologna.
Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe remain immense. It is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Many famous names from the field of culture are connected with Italy. Famous painters (Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello), writers (Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Petrarch), philosophers (Giordano Bruno, Niccolò Machiavelli), musicians (Vivaldi, Paganini, Verdi) or scientists (Galileo Galilei, Alessandro Volta).
The internet TLD is .it and the international phone code is +39 and the motor vehicles label is IT.
The area of Italy is 301,318 square kilometers, it is the 71st largest country in the world. The peninsula that the state lies on is in the shape of the boot. There are the Alps on the north border and Apennine Mountains form the backbone of the peninsula. The largest plain is the Padan plain. The largest lake is Grada and the principal river is the Po. Italy has several islands; Sardinia and Sicily are the largest. There are also some active volcanoes (Etna, Stromboli, or Vesuvius). The climate in Italy is highly diverse depending on the location. Most of the inland northern areas have a continental climate. The coastal areas and most of the peninsula south have the typical Mediterranean climate.
Italy has been the home of many European cultures. Excavations reveal presence of a modern human back in the Paleolithic period. Ancient Rome was founded circa 8th century BC and Rome was for centuries the center of Western civilization. Italy was also a birthplace of the movement of the Renaissance and Baroque. Italy was unified on 17 March 1861 and it was a colonial empire until the mid 20th century. The Italian Republic was created after the World War Second on 2 June 1946.
There are around 60 million people living in Italy. It is currently the fourth largest population in European Union and 23rd in the world. The density is 197 inhabitants per square kilometer; the highest is in Northern Italy. 95% of the population are the Italians, 5% belong to other nationalities as Italy is very popular with immigrants. The most populous immigrant group is from Romania (nearly 1%). The prevailing religion is Roman Catholicism (90%). The official language is Italian.
Italy is a developed country, ranked as the seventh largest economy in the world according to GDP. This economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south. Tourism is very important to the Italian economy, with over 37 million tourists a year, Italy is ranked as the fifth major tourist destination in the world. Italy is a founding member of the European Union, and a founding member of NATO. It is also a member of many others international organizations and groupings, such as G8, OECD, WTO, the Council of Europe, the Western European Union, the Central European Initiative, and a Schengen state. Currency is Euro.
Italy is subdivided into 20 regions; five of them have a special autonomous status. The regions are further subdivided into 109 provinces and 8,101 municipalities. The capital as well as the largest city is Rome. Other large cities are Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa and Bologna.
Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe remain immense. It is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Many famous names from the field of culture are connected with Italy. Famous painters (Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello), writers (Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Petrarch), philosophers (Giordano Bruno, Niccolò Machiavelli), musicians (Vivaldi, Paganini, Verdi) or scientists (Galileo Galilei, Alessandro Volta).
The internet TLD is .it and the international phone code is +39 and the motor vehicles label is IT.