Italy
Italian RepublicRepubblica Italiana
republicIndependence 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
Italy as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 136 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
20 fieldsLand useshare of 301,340 sq km
Location
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Natural resources
coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 41.98 cu km/yr (18%/37%/45%)
- per capita:
- 723 cu m/yr (1998)
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-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
Geography - note
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
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 (2009 est.)
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
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes 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 Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006); Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 8 May 2008) note - in Italy the prime minister is referred to as the president of the Council of Ministers
18 fieldsSenate, 630 seats, elected 13-14 April 2008seats by party
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Italian Republic
- conventional short form:
- Italy
- local long form:
- Repubblica Italiana
- local short form:
- Italia
- former:
- Kingdom of Italy
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
Administrative divisions
15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma)
- regions:
- Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto (Venetia)
- autonomous regions:
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia;
- Sardegna (Sardinia);
- Sicilia (Sicily);
- Trentino-South Tyrol, also known as Trentino-Alto Adige (Italian), Trentino-Suedtirol (German);
- Aosta Valley, also known as Valle d'Aosta (Italian), Vallee d'Aoste (French)
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (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
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 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held April 2013)
- 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
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
- Silvio BERLUSCONI coalition:
- People of Freedom or PdL [Silvio BERLUSCONI];
- Lega Nord or LN [Umberto BOSSI];
- Movement for Autonomy or MpA [Raffaele LOMBARDO]
- Walter VELTRONI coalition:
- Democratic Party or PD [Walter VELTRONI]; Italy of Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]
- other non-allied parties:
- Union of the Center or UdC [Savino PEZZOTTA]
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)
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-20, 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), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Giulio TERZI di Sant'Agata
- 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, San Francisco
- consulate(s):
- Detroit
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Elizabeth DIBBLE
- embassy:
- Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 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;
- inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797
Economy
Italy has a diversified industrial economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with high unemployment.
49 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Italy has a diversified industrial economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with high unemployment. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises.
Italy also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 15% of GDP. These activities are most common within the agriculture, construction, and service sectors. Italy has moved slowly on implementing needed structural reforms, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor market and over-generous pension system and these conditions will be exacerbated by the recent global financial crisis.
The Italian government is seeking to rein in government spending, but the leadership faces a severe economic constraint: Italy's official debt remains above 100% of GDP, and the fiscal deficit - 1.5% of GDP in 2007 - could approach 3% in 2009 as political pressure to stimulate the economy and the costs of servicing Italy's debt rise. The economy will continue to contract through 2009 as the global demand for exports drop.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
32 (2006) · 27.3 (1995) country comparison to the world: 104
Central bank discount rate
3% (31 December 2008) · 5% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 108 note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate
11.34% (31 December 2008) · 10.93% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 75
Stock of domestic credit
$3.046 trillion (31 December 2008) · $2.932 trillion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 8
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
Natural gas - proved reserves
94.15 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Current account balance
-$78.03 billion (2008 est.) · -$51.03 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Exports - commodities
- engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals;
- food, beverages and tobacco;
- minerals, and nonferrous metals
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
$105.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $94.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Debt - external
$2.328 trillion (31 December 2008) · $2.5 trillion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 7
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$376.6 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $364.8 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$565.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $520.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 609 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 19,729 km
country comparison to the world: 15
- standard gauge:
- 18,317 km 1.435-m gauge (12,458 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified);
- 1,058 km 0.950-m gauge (151 km electrified);
- 231 km 0.850-m gauge (2008)
Roadways
- total:
- 487,700 km
country comparison to the world: 12
- paved:
- 487,700 km (includes 6,700 km of expressways) (2005)
Waterways
2,400 km country comparison to the world: 38 note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail (2008)
Military
Italian Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC) (2009)
6 fieldsMilitary 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) (2009)
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)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 13,884,079
- females age 16-49:
- 13,158,378 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Italy.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/italy/2009.