Statistical information Italy 1997

Italy in the World
Italy - Introduction 1997
top of pageBackground: Italy failed to secure political unification until the 1860s, thus lacking the military and imperial power of Spain, Britain, and France. The fascist dictatorship of MUSSOLINI after World War I, led to the disastrous alliance with HITLER's Germany and defeat in World War II. Italy was a founding member of the European Economic Community (EEC) and joined in the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe. On-going problems include illegal immigration, the ravages of organized crime, high unemployment, and the low incomes and technical standards of Southern Italy compared with the North.
top of pageLocation: Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Geographic coordinates: 42 50 N, 12 50 E
Map reference:
EuropeAreaTotal: 301,230 km²
Land: 294,020 km²
Water: 7,210 km²
Note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
Comparative: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundariesTotal: 1,932.2 km
Border countries: (5) Austria 430 km;
, France 488 km;
, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km;
, San Marino 39 km;
, Slovenia 232 km;
, Switzerland 740 kmCoastline: 7,600 km
Maritime claimsContinental 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal
Land useArable land: 31%
Permanent crops: 10%
Permanent pastures: 15%
Forests and woodland: 23%
Other: 21% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 27,100 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
GeographyNote: strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
top of pagePopulation: 56,830,508 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: -0.08% (1997 est.)
NationalityNoun: 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)
Languages: Italian, 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)
Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 15% (male 4,234,767; female 3,997,589)
15-64 years: 68% (male 19,314,674; female 19,442,196)
65 years and over: 17% (male 4,028,659; female 5,812,623) (July 1997 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: -0.08% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 8.96 births/1000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 10.07 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.27 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt 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: 0.69 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 6.5 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 78.25 years
Male: 75.13 years
Female: 81.58 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.16 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97%
Male: 98%
Female: 96% (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Italian Republic
Conventional short form: Italy
Local long form: Repubblica Italiana
Local short form: Italia
Former: Kingdom of Italy
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
Dependent areasIndependence: 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Constitution: 1 January 1948
Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
Executive branchChief of state: President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992)
Head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) Romano PRODI (since 18 May 1996)
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 25 May 1992 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Oscar Luigi SCALFARO elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (326 seats, 315 popularly elected of which 232 are directly elected and 83 by regional proportional representation, 11 appointed senators-for-life; 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 to be held by NA April 2001); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 1996 (next to be held by NA April 2001)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League 27, Refounded Communists 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-Tricolor 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, Refounded Communists 35, Southern Tyrol List 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 leadersInternational organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CE (observer), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, 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, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ferdinando SALLEO
In the us chancery: 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009 and 2,700 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 328-5,500
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 483-2,187
In the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
In the us consulates: Detroit and New Orleans
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Reginald BARTHOLOMEW
From the us embassy: Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome
From the us mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 9,624
From the us telephone: [39] (6) 46,741
From the us FAX: [39] (6) 488-2,672
From the us consulates 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Since World War II, the Italian economy has changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. This basically capitalistic economy is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with large public enterprises. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. In the second half of 1992, Rome became unsettled by the prospect of not qualifying to participate in EU plans for economic and monetary union later in the decade; thus, it finally began to address its huge fiscal imbalances. Subsequently, the government has adopted fairly stringent budgets, abandoned its inflationary wage indexation system, and started to scale back its generous social welfare programs, including pension and health care benefits. In November 1996 the lire rejoined the European monetary system, which it had left in September 1992 when under extreme pressure in currency markets. Italy in early 1997 faces the problem of restructuring its economy to meet Maastricht criteria for inclusion in the EMU, together with other problems of refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing industrial pollution, and adjusting to new EU and global competitive forces.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 0.8% (1996 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,600 (1996 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 3.3%
Industry: 33%
Services: 63.7% (1994)
Agriculture products: fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; meat and dairy products; fish catch of 525,000 metric tons in 1990
Industries: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1996 est.)
Labor forceTotal: 22.851 million
By occupation services: 61%
By occupation industry: 32%
By occupation agriculture: 7% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1996 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $416 billion
Expenditures: $506 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1996 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExportsTotal value: $250 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: metals, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transportation equipment, chemicals
Partners: EU 53.4%, US 7.8%, OPEC 3.8%
ImportsTotal value: $205 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
Commodities: industrial machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, petroleum, metals, food, agricultural products
Partners: EU 56.3%, OPEC 5.3%, US 4.6%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $45 billion (1996 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,568.1 (January 1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 57.19 million kW (1994)
Production: 241.6 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 4,238 kWh (1995 est.)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaItaly - Communication 1997
top of pageTelephones: 25.6 million (1996 est.)
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
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $20.4 billion (1995)
Percent of gdp: 1.9% (1995)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsItaly - Transportation 1997
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 132 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 112
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 34
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 15
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 24
With paved runways under 914 m: 34 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 20
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 18 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1996 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 1,703 km; petroleum products 2,148 km; natural gas 19,400 km
RailwaysTotal: 18,961 km
Standard gauge: 17,981 km 1.435-m gauge; Italian Railways (FS) operates 16,118 km of the total standard gauge routes (10,560 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 113 km 1.000-m gauge (113 km electrified); 867 km 0.950-m gauge (144 km electrified)
RoadwaysWaterways: 2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value
Merchant marineTotal: 396 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,503,637 GRT/7,794,505 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 36, cargo 50, chemical tanker 39, combination ore/oil 2, container 17, liquefied gas tanker 36, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 106, passenger 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 54, short-sea passenger 30, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 7 (1996 est.)
Ports and terminalsItaly - Transnational issues 1997
top of pageDisputes international: Italy is negotiating with Slovenia over property and minority rights issues dating from World War II; Croatia and Italy have not resolved a bilateral issue dating from WWII over property and ethnic minority rights
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market