Italy

Italian RepublicRepubblica Italiana

republicIndependence 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed

Italy as the 2005 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 128 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
2005

Every edition of Italy

Populationas each edition published it
58.1 million July 2005 est. · 57.66m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.07% 2005 est. · 0.2% in 1993
Median ageyears
41.77 years 2005 est. · 41 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
79.68 years 2005 est. · 77.43 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.28 children per woman 2005 est. · 1.4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
5.94 deaths per 1,000 live births 2005 est. · 6 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$27,700 2004 est. · $17,500 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1.3% 2004 est. · 0.9% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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 II. 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 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.

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 27.79%permanent crops 9.53%other 62.68% (2001)irrigated 26,980 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
301,230sq km
land: 294,020 sq kmwater: 7,210 sq kmnote: includes Sardinia and Sicilyslightly larger than Arizona
Coastline
7,600km
territorial sea: 12 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Highest point
4,748m
Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur · (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)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

coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, 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-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:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note

strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

People

19 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2005 est.)

4,698,441
65 and over19.4%
6,590,046
19,554,416
15-6466.7%
19,174,629
4,166,213
0-1413.9%
3,919,288
MaleFemale
Population
58,103,033
(July 2005 est.)growth rate: 0.07% (2005 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2005 est.)

Birth
8.89Death
10.3Net migration
2.07

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2005 est.)79.68
76.75 · 82.81Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)5.94
6.55 · 5.29
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)98.6%
99% · 98.3%Median age years (2005 est.)41.77
40.24 · 43.35
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.28 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 1,000 (2003 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) Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 10 June 2001)

18 fields

Senate, 630 seats, elected 13 May 2001seats by party

House of Liberties (Forza Italia 176, National Alliance 97, UDC 36, Northern League 28) 337Olive Tree (Democrats of the Left 135, Daisy Alliance 79) 214Rifondazione Communista (Italian Communist Party) 11other 68

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

  • 16 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 4 autonomous regions* (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma);
  • Abruzzo, 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

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

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) Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 10 June 2001)
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 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%

note: a four-party government coalition includes Forza Italia, National Alliance, Northern League, and Union of Christian Democrats and Center 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 2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13 May 2001 (next to be held May 2006)
election results:
  • Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  • seats by party - House of Liberties 172 (Forza Italia 77, National Alliance 47, UDC 31, Lega Padana 17), Olive Tree 108 (Democrats of the Left 63, Daisy Alliance 35, Greens 10), Per le Autonomie 10, other 25;
  • Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  • seats by party - House of Liberties 337 (Forza Italia 176, National Alliance 97, UDC 36, Northern League 28), Olive Tree 214 (Democrats of the Left 135, Daisy Alliance 79), Rifondazione Communista (Italian Communist Party) 11, other 68

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
    ;
  • Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO];
  • Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI];
  • Green Federation [Alfonso Pecoraro SCANIO];
  • Italian Communist Party or PdCI [Armando COSSUTTA];
  • Italian Renewal or RI [Lamberto DINI];
  • merged with PPI and I Democratici to form La Margherita (or The Daisy Alliance);
  • Italian Social Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI];
  • Lega Padana [Roberto BERNARDELLI];
  • National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI];
  • Northern League or NL [Umberto BOSSI];
  • Per le Autonomie [leader NA];
  • Socialist Movement-Tricolor Flame or MS-Fiamma [Luca ROMAGNOLI];
  • South Tyrol People's Party or SVP (German speakers) [Elmar Pichler ROLLE];
  • Sunflower Alliance (includes Green Federation, Italian Social Democrats);
  • The Daisy Alliance (includes
    • Italian Popular Party,
    • Italian Renewal,
    • Union of Democrats for Europe,
    • The Democrats) [Francesco RUTELLI]
    ;
  • The Democrats [Arturo PARISI];
  • The Radicals (formerly Pannella Reformers and Autonomous List) [Marco PANNELLA];
  • Union of Democrats for Europe or UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA];
  • Union of Christian and Center Democrats or UDC [Marco FOLLINI]

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 [Guglielmo EPIFANI] 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 [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)

International organization participation

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA
chancery:
3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 612-4400
FAX:
[1] (202) 518-2151
consulate(s) general:
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
consulate(s):
Detroit and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Melvin F. SEMBLER
embassy:
Via Vittorio 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

45 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$1.609trillion
(2004 est.)
Real growth rate
1.3%
(2004 est.)industrial production growth: 0.7% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate
8.6%
(2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2004 est.)

agriculture 2.3%industry 28.8%services 68.9% (2004 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

13.6%
Germany
18%
12.3%
France
10.9%
8%
US
7.2%
Spain
4.6%
6.9%
UK
4.3%
Netherlands
5.9%
Belgium
4.4%
4.2%
Switzerland
China
4.2%
Exports $336.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)Imports $329.3 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)(2004)

Budget

Revenues
$768.9 billionExpenditures
$820.1 billion (2004 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of NA

Electricity

Electricity production
261.6 billion (2002)Electricity consumption
293.9 billion (2002)Electricity exports
900 million (2002)Electricity imports
51.5 billion (2002)

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: the budget has breached the 3% EU deficit ceiling.

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $27,700 (2004 est.)

Labor force

24.27 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
2.1%
highest 10%:
26.6% (2000)

Investment (gross fixed)

19.3% of GDP (2004 est.)

Public debt

105.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

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

Oil - production

79,460 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

1.866 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

456,600 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

2.158 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

586.6 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production

15.49 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

71.18 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

61 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

54.78 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

209.7 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance

$-21.1 billion (2004 est.)

Exports

$336.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

  • engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals;
  • food, beverages and tobacco;
  • minerals and nonferrous metals

Imports

$329.3 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$61.5 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external

$913.9 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $1 billion (2002 est.)

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)

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

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
55.918 million
(2003)
Internet users
1,437,511
(2004)
Fixed lines
26.596 million
(2003) · country code .it

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;
  • 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)

Television broadcast stations

358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)

Internet users

18.5 million (2003)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

6
over 3,047 m
32
2,438 to 3,047 m
16
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
30
914 to 1,523 m
18
12
under 914 m
18
Paved 96Unpaved 38

Networkskm

Highways
479,688Railways
19,319Waterways
2,400
Highways: paved: 479,688 km (including 6,621 km of expressways) · unpaved: 0 km (1999) · Railways: (11,613 km electrified) · standard gauge: 18,001 km 1.435-m gauge (11,333 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km electrified); 1,195 km 0.950-m gauge (158 km electrified) (2004) · Waterways: note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail (2004)

Railways

total:
19,319 km (11,613 km electrified)
standard gauge:
18,001 km 1.435-m gauge (11,333 km electrified)
narrow gauge:
123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km electrified); 1,195 km 0.950-m gauge (158 km electrified) (2004)

Highways

total:
479,688 km
paved:
479,688 km (including 6,621 km of expressways)
unpaved:
0 km (1999)

Waterways

2,400 km note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail (2004)

Pipelines

gas 17,335 km; oil 1,136 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna, Taranto, Trieste, Venice

Merchant marine

total:
565 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 8,970,017 GRT/10,354,685 DWT
by type:
bulk carrier 38, cargo 43, chemical tanker 128, combination ore/oil 1, container 19, liquefied gas 38, livestock carrier 2, passenger 16, passenger/cargo 152, petroleum tanker 53, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 34, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 26
foreign-owned:
47 (France 3, Greece 7, Monaco 2, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 8, Turkey 2, United Kingdom 5, United States 15)
registered in other countries:
125 (2005)

Airports

134 (2004 est.)

Heliports

4 (2004 est.)

Military

Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Corpo dei Carabinieri, CC) (2005)

7 fields

Military branches

Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Corpo dei Carabinieri, CC) (2005)

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 13,491,260 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 10,963,513 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Italy.” The World Factbook 2005. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/italy/2005.

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