1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Introduction
Background
Italy failed to secure political unification until the 1860s, thus lacking the military and imperial power of Spain, Britain, and France. The fascist dictatorship of MUSSOLINI after World War I, led to the disastrous alliance with HITLER's Germany and defeat in World War II. Italy was a founding member of the European Economic Community (EEC) and joined in the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe, including the introduction of the euro in January 1999. On-going problems include illegal immigration, the ravages of organized crime, high unemployment, and the low incomes and technical standards of Southern Italy compared with the North.
Geography
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
Climate
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Coastline
7,600 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) 4,807 m
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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geographic coordinates
42 50 N, 12 50 E
Geography--note
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
Irrigated land
27,100 sq km (1993 est.)
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
Land use
arable land: 31% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures: 15% forests and woodland: 23% other: 21% (1993 est.)
Location
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Map references
Europe
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Natural resources
mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal
Terrain
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 14% (male 4,161,841; female 3,925,413) 15-64 years: 68% (male 19,205,293; female 19,285,848) 65 years and over: 18% (male 4,169,098; female 5,987,637) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
9.27 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
10.28 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)
Infant mortality rate
6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Italian, 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)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.51 years male: 75.4 years female: 81.82 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 98% female: 96% (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun: Italian(s) adjective: Italian
Net migration rate
0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
56,735,130 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.08% (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.22 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
20 regions (regioni, singular--regione); Abruzzi, 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
Capital
Rome
Constitution
1 January 1948
Country name
conventional long form: Italian Republic conventional short form: Italy local long form: Repubblica Italiana local short form: Italia former: Kingdom of Italy
Data code
IT
Executive branch
chief of state: President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992) head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) Massimo D'ALEMA (since 27 October 1998) 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 25 May 1992 (next to be held NA June 1999); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament election results: Oscar Luigi SCALFARO elected president; percent of electoral college vote--NA
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
Government type
republic
Independence
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed)
International organization participation
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ferdinando SALLEO chancery: 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 and 2700 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco consulate(s): Detroit Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas M. FOGLIETTA embassy: Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624 consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples
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: MARINI] Political pressure groups and leaders: the Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale D'ANTONI] which is Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)
Legal system
based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (326 seats--315 elected by popular vote of which 232 are directly elected and 83 are elected by regional proportional representation, 11 are appointed senators-for-life; 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 21 April 1996 (next to be held by NA April 2001); Chamber of Deputies--last held 21 April 1996 (next to be held by NA April 2001) election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League 27, Refounded Communists 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-Tricolor Flames 1, Panella Reformers 1; Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--Olive Tree 284, Freedom Alliance 246, Northern League 59, Refounded Communists 35, Southern Tyrol List 3, Autonomous List 2, other 1
National holiday
Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
Economy
Agriculture--products
fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish
Budget
revenues: $559 billion expenditures: $589 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Currency
1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi
Debt--external
$45 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid--donor
ODA, $1.6 billion (1995)
Economy--overview
Since World War II, the Italian economy has changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. This basically capitalistic economy is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with large public enterprises and more than 20% unemployment. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. In the second half of 1992, Rome became unsettled by the prospect of not qualifying to participate in EU plans for economic and monetary union later in the decade; thus, it finally began to address its huge fiscal imbalances. Subsequently, the government has adopted fairly stringent budgets, abandoned its inflationary wage indexation system, and started to scale back its generous social welfare programs, including pension and health care benefits. In December 1998, Italy adopted a budget compliant with the requirements of the European Monetary Union (EMU); representatives of government, labor, and employers agreed to an update of the 1993 "social pact," which has been widely credited with having brought Italy's inflation into conformity with EMU requirements. In 1999, Italy must adjust to the loss of an independent monetary policy, which it has used quite liberally in the past to help cope with external shocks. Italy also must work to stimulate employment, promote wage flexibility, and tackle the informal economy.
Electricity--consumption
264.007 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
800 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
38.1 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
226.707 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 80.02% hydro: 18.25% nuclear: 0% other: 1.73%
Exchange rates
Italian lire (Lit) per US$1--1,688.7 (January 1999), 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 1,936.27 lire per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Exports
$243 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
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 16.4%, France 12.2%, US 7.9%, UK 7.1%, Spain 5.2%, Netherlands 2.8% (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$1.181 trillion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 3.3% industry: 33% services: 63.7% (1994)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$20,800 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
1.5% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 23.7% (1991)
Imports
$202 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities
engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages and tobacco
Imports--partners
Germany 18.0%, France 13.2%, UK 6.7%, Netherlands 6.2%, US 5.0%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4.7% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
0.5% (1996 est.)
Industries
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.8% (1998 est.)
Labor force
23.193 million
Labor force--by occupation
services 61%, industry 32%, agriculture 7% (1996)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
12.5% (1998 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 135, FM 28 (repeaters 1,840), shortwave 0
Radios
45.7 million (1996 est.)
Telephone system
modern, well-developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks international: 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
Telephones
25.6 million (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations
6,317 (consisting of 117 public stations with two kW of power or more, about 5,300 low-power public stations, and about 900 low-power private stations, mostly in local service) (1997)
Televisions
17 million (1996 est.)
Transportation
Airports
136 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 97 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 30 under 914 m: 12 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 39 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 18 (1998 est.)
Heliports
2 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 317,000 km paved: 317,000 km (including 9,500 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 393 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,982,870 GRT/8,413,850 DWT ships by type: bulk 38, cargo 46, chemical tanker 60, combination ore/oil 2, container 16, liquefied gas tanker 35, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 84, passenger 6, roll-on/roll-off cargo 53, short-sea passenger 28, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 11 (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 1,703 km; petroleum products 2,148 km; natural gas 19,400 km Ports and harbors: Augusta (Sicily), Bagnoli, Bari, Brindisi, Gela, Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Milazzo, Naples, Porto Foxi, Porto Torres (Sardinia), Salerno, Savona, Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Railways
total: 19,272 km standard gauge: 17,983 km 1.435-m gauge; Italian Railways (FS) operates 15,942 km of the total standard gauge routes (10,889 km electrified) narrow gauge: 112 km 1.000-m gauge (112 km electrified); 1,177 km 0.950-m gauge (19 km electrified) (1996)
Waterways
2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$21.095 billion (FY97)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
1.9% (1995)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 14,142,889 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 12,200,780 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 315,952 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
Italy and Slovenia made progress in resolving bilateral issues; Croatia and Italy made progress toward resolving a bilateral issue dating from World War II over property and ethnic minority rights
Illicit drugs
important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market