Abby Torgerson Italy

Tourist Attraction

Geography Area: 301,225 sq. km. (116,303 sq. mi.); about the size of Georgia and Florida combined. Cities: Capital--Rome (pop. 2.8 million, 3.7 million metro). Other cities--Milan (1.3 million, 3.9 metro), Naples (975,000, 3 million metro), Turin (900,000, 2.1 million metro). Terrain: Mostly rugged and mountainous. Climate: Generally mild Mediterranean; cold northern winters.

Government As the head of the state, the President of the Republic represents the unity of the nation and has many of the duties previously given to the king of Italy. The president serves as a point of connection between the three branches: he is elected by the lawmakers, he appoints the executive, and is the president of the judiciary. The president is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces. ype of government Giorgio Napolitano

People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Italians. Population (November 2009 est.): 60.3 million. Annual population growth rate (2008 est.): 0.07%, mostly due to immigration. Ethnic groups: Primarily Italian, but there are small groups of German-, French-, Slovene-, and Albanian-Italians. Religion: Roman Catholic (majority). Language: Italian (official). Education: Years compulsory--16. Literacy--98%. Health: Infant mortality rate--3.7/1,000 live births. Life expectancy years for men; 84.1 years for women. Work force (24.97 million, 2009): Services--67%; industry and commerce--29%; agriculture--4%. Unemployment rate is 7.8%.

Economy Type: Republic since June 2, Constitution: January 1, Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), Council of Ministers (cabinet) headed by the president of the council (prime minister). Legislative--bicameral parliament: 630-member Chamber of Deputies, 315-member Senate (plus a varying number of "life" Senators). Judicial--independent constitutional court and lower magistracy. Subdivisions: 94 provinces, 20 regions. Political parties: People of Liberty, Democratic Party, Northern League, Italy of Values, Union of the Center, Movement for Autonomy. Suffrage: Vote for House is universal over 18; vote for Senate is universal over 25.

History Italy is largely homogeneous linguistically and religiously but is diverse culturally, economically, and politically. Italy has the fifth- highest population density in Europe--about 200 persons per square kilometer (about 500 per sq. mi.). Minority groups are small, the largest being the German-speaking people of Bolzano Province and the Slovenes around Trieste. There are also small communities of Albanian, Greek, Ladino, and French origin. Immigration has increased in recent years, however, while the Italian population is declining overall due to low birth rates. Although Roman Catholicism is the majority religion--85% of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic--all religious faiths are provided equal freedom before the law by the constitution.