2008 Edition

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 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.

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) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 41.98 cu km/yr (18%/37%/45%) per capita: 723 cu m/yr (1998)

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

27,500 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 1,899.2 km border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 199 km, Switzerland 740 km

Land use

arable land: 26.41% permanent crops: 9.09% other: 64.5% (2005)

Location

Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural hazards

regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice

Natural resources

coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Total renewable water resources

175 cu km (2005)

Age structure

0-14 years: 13.6% (male 4,086,951/female 3,842,765) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 19,534,247/female 19,024,776) 65 years and over: 20% (male 4,864,189/female 6,792,393) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

8.36 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

10.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2005)

Ethnic groups

Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 1,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

140,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 5.61 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.07 years male: 77.13 years female: 83.2 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.4% male: 98.8% female: 98% (2001 census)

Median age

total: 42.9 years male: 41.4 years female: 44.4 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Italian(s) adjective: Italian

Net migration rate

2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

58,145,320 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.019% (2008 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years male: 16 years female: 17 years (2006)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.3 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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 (Venetia)

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

Constitution

passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many times

Country name

conventional long form: Italian Republic conventional short form: Italy local long form: Repubblica Italiana local short form: Italia former: Kingdom of Italy

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400

Executive branch

chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) (since 8 May 2008) note - in Italy the prime minister is referred to as the president of the Council of Ministers 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

FAX

[1] (202) 518-2151 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco consulate(s): Detroit

[39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356 consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

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

Government type

republic

Independence

17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Arctic Council (observer), 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, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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)

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

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 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held April 2010); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2010) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - S. BERLUSCONI coalition 174 (PdL 147, LN 25, MpA 2), W. VELTRONI coalition 132 (PD 118, IdV 3), UdC 3, other 6; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - S. BERLUSCONI coalition 344 (PdL 276, LN 60, MpA 8), W. VELTRONI coalition 246 (PD 217, IdV 29), UdC 36, other 4

National holiday

Republic Day, 2 June (1946)

Political pressure groups and leaders

manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio; Confindustria; 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 [Raffaele BONANNO], which is Roman Catholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)

Silvio BERLUSCONI coalition

People of Freedom or PdL [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Lega Nord or LN [Umberto BOSSI]; Movement for Autonomy or MpA [Raffaele LOMBARDO]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)

Walter VELTRONI coalition

Democratic Party or PD [Walter VELTRONI]; Italy of Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO] other non-allied parties: Union of the Centre or UdC [Savino PEZZOTTA]

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish

Budget

revenues: $991.2 billion expenditures: $1.031 trillion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.93% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)

Currency code

EUR

Current account balance

-$51.03 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$996.3 billion (31 December 2007)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

33 (2005)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $3.641 billion (2006)

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: Italy's official debt remains above 100% of GDP, and the government has found it difficult to bring the budget deficit down to a level that would allow a rapid decrease in that debt. The economy continues to grow by less than the euro-zone average and growth is expected to decelerate from 1.9% in 2006 and 2007 to under 1.5% in 2008 as the euro-zone and world economies slow.

Electricity - consumption

316.3 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

2.64 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

48.57 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

292.1 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 78.6% hydro: 18.4% nuclear: 0% other: 3% (2001)

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Exports

$502.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 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 12.9%, France 11.4%, Spain 7.4%, US 6.8%, UK 5.8% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2% industry: 27% services: 70.9% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$30,900 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.4% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.105 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.8 trillion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 26.8% (2000)

Imports

$498.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco

Imports - partners

Germany 16.9%, France 9%, China 5.9%, Netherlands 5.5%, Belgium 4.3%, Spain 4.2% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

0.6% (2007 est.)

Industries

tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

21% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

24.74 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 5% industry: 32% services: 63% (2001)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$798.2 billion (2005)

Natural gas - consumption

84.89 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

68 million cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

73.95 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

9.706 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

94.15 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

1.702 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports

616,700 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

2.223 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

166,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

406.5 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

104% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$94.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$520.1 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$364.8 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$3.084 trillion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

NA note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders

Stock of quasi money

NA (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

6.2% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.it

Internet hosts

17.702 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

93 (Italy and Holy See) (2000)

Internet users

32 million (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)

Radios

50.5 million (1997)

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; a series of submarine cables provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US; 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

Telephones - main lines in use

26.89 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

78.571 million (2006)

Television broadcast stations

358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

30.3 million (1997)

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)

Merchant marine

total: 609 by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 47, carrier 2, chemical tanker 159, combination ore/oil 1, container 25, liquefied gas 27, passenger 22, passenger/cargo 154, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 27 foreign-owned: 64 (Denmark 3, France 2, Greece 6, Japan 1, Lebanon 1, Nigeria 1, Norway 2, Portugal 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 8, Taiwan 13, Turkey 1, UK 7, US 17) registered in other countries: 208 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 4, Belize 3, Cayman Islands 4, Cyprus 7, France 2, Liberia 41, Malta 50, Marshall Islands 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 4, Panama 28, Portugal 12, Russia 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Singapore 5, Slovakia 2, Spain 2, Sweden 9, Turkey 3, UK 5) (2008)

Pipelines

gas 18,863 km; oil 1,258 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Sarroch, Taranto, Trieste, Venice

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: 487,700 km paved: 487,700 km (includes 6,700 km of expressways) (2005)

Waterways

2,400 km note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail (2006)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 13,884,079 females age 16-49: 13,158,378 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 11,285,488 females age 16-49: 10,680,672 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 290,740 female: 273,569 (2008 est.)

Military branches

Italian Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC) (2008)

Military expenditures

1.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

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)

Disputes - international

Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa

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 This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008