Italy

Italian RepublicRepubblica Italiana

republicIndependence 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed

Italy as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 111 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalRome
Position42 50 N, 12 50 E
Area301,230 sq km
LocationSouthern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
2000

Every edition of Italy

Populationas each edition published it
57.63 million July 2000 est. · 57.66m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.09% 2000 est. · 0.2% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 41 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
79.03 years 2000 est. · 77.43 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.18 children per woman 2000 est. · 1.4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
5.92 deaths per 1,000 live births 2000 est. · 6 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$21,400 1999 est. · $17,500 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1.3% 1999 est. · 0.9% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Italy became a nation-state belatedly - in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula and Sicily were united under King Victor EMMANUEL. The Fascist dictatorship of Benito MUSSOLINI that took over after World War I led to a disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany and Italian defeat in World War II. Revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC) and joined the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe, including the introduction of the euro 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 more prosperous north.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 301,230 sq km

arable land 31%permanent crops 10%permanent pastures 15%forests and woodland 23%other 21% (1993 est.)irrigated 27,100 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
301,230sq km
land: 294,020 sq kmwater: 7,210 sq kmnote: includes Sardinia and Sicilyslightly larger than Arizona
Coastline
7,600km
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
4,807m
Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco)lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
1,932.2km
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

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

42 50 N, 12 50 E

Climate

  • predominantly Mediterranean;
  • Alpine in far north;
  • hot, dry in south

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Natural resources

mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal, arable land

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 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

People

15 fields
Population
57,634,327
(July 2000 est.)growth rate: 0.09% (2000 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)

Birth
9.13Death
9.99Net migration
1.74
Literacy
98%
(1998)definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: NA%female: NA%

Age structure

0-14 years:
14% (male 4,220,973; female 3,977,962)
15-64 years:
68% (male 19,413,219; female 19,596,668)
65 years and over:
18% (male 4,297,962; female 6,127,543) (2000 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.06 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 (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

5.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
79.03 years
male:
75.85 years
female:
82.41 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.18 children born/woman (2000 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)

Government

Republic; President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13 May 1999); Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) Massimo D'ALEMA (since 21 October 1998)

19 fields

Senate, 630 seats, elected 21 April 1996seats by party

Olive Tree 284Freedom Alliance 246Northern League 59Communist Renewal 35Southern Tyrol People's Party 3Autonomous List 2other 1

Country name

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

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

Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)

Constitution

1 January 1948

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)
head of government:
Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) Massimo D'ALEMA (since 21 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 13 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2006);
  • prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament
election results:
Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 70%

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 plus, 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 21 April 1996 (next scheduled for NA April 2001); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 1996 (next scheduled for NA April 2001)
election results:
  • Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League-Padania 27, Communist Renewal 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-Tricolored 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, Communist Renewal 35, Southern Tyrol People's Party 3, Autonomous List 2, other 1

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

  • Bonino List or LB (used to be the Autonomous List, a group of minor parties) [Emma BONINO];
  • Center-Left Coalition (used to be the Olive Tree) [Massimo D'ALEMA] - Democrats, DS, FdV, PdCI, PPI, RI, UDEUR;
  • Christian Democratic Center or CCD [Pier Ferdinando CASINI];
  • Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Rocco BUTTIGLIONE];
  • Communist Renewal or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI];
  • Democratic Party [Arturo PARISI];
  • Democratic Party of the Left or DS [Walter VELTRONI];
  • Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI];
  • Freedom Alliance (a center-right coalition) [leader Silvio BERLUSCONI] - FI, AN, CCD;
  • Green Federation or FdV [Grazia FRANCESCATO];
  • Italian Communist Party or PdCI [Armando COSSUTA];
  • Italian Democratic Socialists or SDI [Enrico BOSSELLI];
  • Italian Popular Party or PPI [Pierluigi CASTAGNETTI];
  • Italian Renewal or RI [Lamberto DINI];
  • Italian Social Movement-Tricolored Flame or MSI-FT [Pino RAUTI];
  • National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI];
  • Northern League-Padania or NL-Padania [Umberto BOSSI];
  • Radical Party (formerly Panella Reformers) [Marco PANELLA];
  • Republican Party or PR [Giorgio LA MALFA];
  • Southern Tyrols People's Party or SVP (German speakers) [Siegfried BRUGGER];
  • Union of Democrats for Europe or UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA];
  • Union for the Republic or UPR [Francesco COSSIGA]

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 [Sergio D'ANTONI] which is 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 (non-regional), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, 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, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, 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
telephone:
[1] (202) 328-5500
FAX:
[1] (202) 483-2187
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
telephone:
[39] (06) 46741
FAX:
[39] (06) 488-2672
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

31 fields
Real growth rate
1.3%
(1999 est.)industrial production growth: 1.9% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate
11.5%
(1999 est.)
Labor force
23.193million

GDP - composition by sector(1998)

agriculture 2.6%industry 31.6%services 65.8% (1998)

Budget

Revenues
$530 billionExpenditures
$522 billion (1999 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 80.22%hydro 17.3%other 2.48% (1998)nuclear 0%
Electricity production
243.027 billion (1998)Electricity consumption
266.705 billion (1998)Electricity exports
900 million (1998)Electricity imports
41.59 billion (1998)

Economy - overview

Italy has a diversified industrial economy with approximately 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 more than 20% unemployment.

Most raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported. For several years Italy has adopted budgets compliant with the requirements of the European Monetary Union (EMU); representatives of government, labor, and employers also 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.

Italy must work to stimulate employment, promote wage flexibility, hold down the growth in pensions, and tackle the informal economy. Growth was 1.3% in 1999 and should edge up to 2.6% in 2000, led by investment and exports.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.212 trillion (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $21,400 (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
2.9%
highest 10%:
23.7% (1991)

Labor force - by occupation

services 61%, industry 32%, agriculture 7% (1996)

Industries

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

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$242.6 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

EU 56% (Germany 16.5%, France 12.7%, UK 7.2%, Spain 5.8%, Netherlands 2.9%), US 8.5% (1998)

Imports

$206.9 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

EU 61% (Germany 18.8%, France 13.12%, UK 6.47%, Netherlands 6.2%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4.7%), US 5.1% (1998)

Debt - external

$45 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $1.3 billion (1997)

Currency

1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi

Exchange rates

  • euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999);
  • 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)

note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is now being used for non-cash transactions in some member countries at 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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
17.7 million
(1998)
Fixed lines
25 million
(1998)

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

Radio broadcast stations

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

Radios

50.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

6,317 (of which only 117 have 2 kW or more of transmitter power) (1997)

Televisions

30.3 million (1997)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

5
over 3,047 m
33
2,438 to 3,047 m
16
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
31
914 to 1,523 m
19
12
under 914 m
18
Paved 97Unpaved 39

Networkskm

Highways
654,676Railways
19,394
Highways: paved: 654,676 km (including 6,957 km of expressways) · unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 18,071 km 1.435-m gauge; Italian Railways (FS) operates 16,014 km of the total standard gauge routes (11,322 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 112 km 1.000-m gauge (112 km electrified); 1,211 km 0.950-m gauge (153 km electrified) (1998)

Railways

total:
19,394 km
standard gauge:
18,071 km 1.435-m gauge; Italian Railways (FS) operates 16,014 km of the total standard gauge routes (11,322 km electrified)
narrow gauge:
112 km 1.000-m gauge (112 km electrified); 1,211 km 0.950-m gauge (153 km electrified) (1998)

Highways

total:
654,676 km
paved:
654,676 km (including 6,957 km of expressways)
unpaved:
0 km (1998 est.)

Waterways

2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value

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 (Sardigna), Salerno, Savona, Taranto, Trieste, Venice

Merchant marine

total:
427 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,971,578 GRT/9,635,770 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 41, cargo 45, chemical tanker 73, combination ore/oil 2, container 20, liquified gas 38, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 87, roll-on/roll-off 58, short-sea passenger 26, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 16 (1999 est.)

Airports

136 (1999 est.)

Heliports

3 (1999 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 14,315,634 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 12,331,306 (2000 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

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 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Central Intelligence Agency. “Italy.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/italy/2000.

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