|
Background:
|
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. 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 European Monetary Union in 1999.
Persistent problems include illegal immigration, the ravages of
organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, 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
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
water: 7,210 sq km
land: 294,020 sq km |
|
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:
|
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
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:
|
mercury, potash,
marble, sulfur, natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal, arable
land |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 28%
permanent crops: 9%
other: 63% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
26,980 sq km (1998
est.) |
|
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-Sulphur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, 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 |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location
dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air
approaches to Western Europe |
|
Population:
|
57,715,625 (July 2002
est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
14.1% (male 4,198,569; female 3,954,159)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 19,334,208; female 19,492,048)
65 years and over: 18.6% (male 4,436,073; female 6,300,568)
(2002 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.05% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
8.93 births/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
10.13 deaths/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
1.73 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.07
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
5.76 deaths/1,000 live
births (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population:
79.25 years
female: 82.63 years (2002 est.)
male: 76.08 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.19 children
born/woman (2002 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.35% (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
95,000 (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
1,000 (1999 est.) |
|
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:
|
predominately Roman
Catholic with 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% (1998)
male: NA%
female: NA% |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long
form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
former: Kingdom of Italy
local short form: Italia |
|
Government type:
|
republic |
|
Capital:
|
Rome |
|
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 |
|
Independence:
|
17 March 1861 (Kingdom
of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870) |
|
National holiday:
|
Republic Day, 2 June
(1946) |
|
Constitution:
|
1 January 1948 |
|
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 Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13 May 1999)
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 NA
May 2006); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by
Parliament
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
election results: Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected president;
percent of electoral college vote - 70%
note: a five-party government coalition includes Forza Italia,
National Alliance, Northern League, Democratic Christian Center,
United Christian Democrats |
|
Legislative branch:
|
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 NA
2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13 May 2001 (next to be held NA
2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - House of Liberties 177 (Forza Italia 82, National
Alliance 46, CCD-CDU 29, Northern League 17, others 3), Olive Tree 128
(Democrats of the Left 62, Daisy Alliance 42, Sunflower Alliance 16,
Italian Communist Party 3, independents 5), non-affiliated with either
coalition 10, senators for life 9; Chamber of Deputies - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - House of Liberties 367 (Forza
Italia 189, National Alliance 96, CCD-CDU 40, Northern League 30,
others 12), Olive Tree 248 (Democrats of the Left 138, Daisy Alliance
76, Sunflower Alliance 18, Italian Communist Party 9, independents 7),
non-affiliated with either coalition 15 |
|
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 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; Christian
Democratic Center or CCD [Marco FOLLINI]; Communist Party or PdCI [Oliviero
DILIBERTO]; Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO]; Forza Italia
or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Green Federation [Alfonso Pecoraro SCANIO];
Italian Communist Party or PdCI [Oliviero DILIBERTO]; Italian Popular
Party or PPI [Pierluigi CASTAGNETTI]; Italian Renewal or RI [Lamberto
DINI]; Italian Social Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI]; Socialist
Movement-Tricolor Flame or MS-Fiamma [Pino RAUTI]; National Alliance
or AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Northern League or NL [Umberto BOSSI];
Southern Tyrols People's Party or SVP (German speakers) [Siegfried
BRUGGER]; Sunflower Alliance (includes Green Federation, Italian
Social Democrats); The Daisy Alliance (includes Italian Popular Party,
Italian Renewal, Union of Democrats for Europe, The Democrats); The
Democrats [Arturo PARISI]; The Radicals (formerly Pannella Reformers
and Autonomous List) [Marco PANNELLA]; The Whiteflower Alliance
(includes Christian Democratic Center, United Christian Democrats);
Union of Democrats for Europe or UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA]; United
Christian Democrats or CDU [Rocco BUTTIGLIONE] |
|
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 [Sergio COFFERATI] 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 [Pietro LARIZZA] which is lay centrist) |
|
International organization participation:
|
AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MONUC,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ferdinando SALLEO
consulate(s): Detroit
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New
York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151
telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400
chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission:
Ambassador Melvin SEMBLER
embassy: Via Vittori 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 |
|
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
note: 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 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.
Italy's economic performance has lagged behind that of its EU
partners, and the current government has enacted numerous short-term
reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term growth. Rome
has moved slowly, however, on implementing needed structural reforms,
such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid
labor market and expensive pension system, because of the current
economic slowdown and opposition from labor unions. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity
- $1.402 trillion (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
1.8% (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity
- $24,300 (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
2.4%
industry: 30%
services: 67.6% (2001 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 26.6% (2000) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
27.3 (1995) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
2.7% (2001) |
|
Labor force:
|
23.6 million (2001
est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
services 63%, industry
32%, agriculture 5% (2001) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
10% (2001 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $504
billion
expenditures: $517 billion, including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
tourism, machinery,
iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles,
clothing, footwear, ceramics |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
-0.4% (2001) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
257.408 billion kWh
(2000) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
80.01%
hydro: 17.07%
other: 2.92% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
283.737 billion kWh
(2000) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
484 million kWh (2000)
|
|
Electricity - imports:
|
44.831 billion kWh
(2000) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
fruits, vegetables,
grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy
products; fish |
|
Exports:
|
$243 billion (f.o.b.,
2001 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:
|
EU 54.9% (Germany
15.1%, France 12.6%, UK 6.9%, Spain 6.2%), US 10.4% (2000) |
|
Imports:
|
$226 billion (f.o.b.,
2001 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
engineering products,
chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and
nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages and tobacco
|
|
Imports - partners:
|
EU 56.3% (Germany
17.5%, France 11.4%, Netherlands 5.9%, UK 5.4%), US 5.3% (2000) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$NA |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $1 billion (2002
est.) |
|
Currency:
|
euro (EUR); Italian
lira (ITL)
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 |
|
Currency code:
|
EUR; ITL |
|
Exchange rates:
|
euros per US dollar -
1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999);
Italian lire per US dollar - 1,688.7 (January 1999), 1,736.2 (1998),
1,703.1 (1997) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
25 million (1999) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
20.5 million (1999)
|
|
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: 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) |
|
Radios:
|
50.5 million (1997)
|
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
358 (plus 4,728
repeaters) (1995) |
|
Televisions:
|
30.3 million (1997)
|
|
Internet country code:
|
.it |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
93 (Italy and Holy See)
(2000) |
|
Internet users:
|
19.25 million (2001)
|
|
Railways:
|
total: 19,786 km
standard gauge: 18,761 km 1.435-m gauge (11,251 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 113 km 1.000-m gauge (113 km electrified); 912 km
0.950-m gauge (192 km electrified) (2001) |
|
Highways:
|
total: 668,669
km
paved: 668,669 km (including 6,460 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
|
Waterways:
|
2,400 km
note: serves various types of commercial traffic, although of
limited overall value (2002) |
|
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 (2001) |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 467 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,499,248 GRT/10,383,988 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a
flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Denmark 4, France 1, Greece 3, Man,
Isle of 1, Monaco 7, Netherlands 6, Norway 1, Panama 2, Spain 1,
Switzerland 1, Taiwan 15, Turkey 1, United Kingdom 6, United States 12
(2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 45, cargo 41, chemical tanker 91,
combination ore/oil 4, container 24, liquefied gas 37,
multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 15, petroleum tanker
80, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 70, short-sea passenger 27,
specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 16 |
|
Airports:
|
135 (2001) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 97
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
914 to 1,523 m: 30
under 914 m: 12 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 18 (2001) |
|
Heliports:
|
4 (2001) |
|
Military branches:
|
Army, Navy, Air Force,
Carabinieri |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
18 years of age (2002
est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age 15-49:
14,184,307 (2002 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males age 15-49:
12,157,753 (2002 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males: 304,369
(2002 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$20.2 billion (2002)
|
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.64% (2002) |
|
Transnational Issues |
Italy |
|
Disputes - international:
|
Croatia and Italy are
still trying to resolve bilateral property and ethnic minority rights
dating from World War II |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
important gateway for
and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin
entering the European market |
|
