Map of Italy | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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 is 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 sluggish economic growth low youth and female employment organized crime corruption and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.


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

Geographic coordinates: 42 50 N 12 50 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 72
Comparative: slightly larger than Arizona

Land boundaries

Coastline: 7,600 km

Maritime claims

Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot dry in south

Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains coastal lowlands

Elevation

Natural resources: coal mercury zinc potash marble barite asbestos pumice fluorspar feldspar pyrite (sulfur) natural gas and crude oil reserves fish arable land

Land use

Irrigated land: 39,500 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 175 km³ (2005)

Natural hazards: regional risks include landslides mudflows avalanches earthquakes volcanic eruptions flooding; land subsidence in Venice

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


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Population: 61,261,254 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 23
Growth rate: 0.38% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 157
Below poverty line: (2011)

Nationality

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 (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)

Religions: Christian 80% (overwhelming Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehova Witnesses and Protestants) Muslims NEGL (about 700,000 but growing) Atheists and Agnostics 20%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.38% (2012 est.)
Rank: 157

Birth rate: 9.06 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 208

Death rate: 9.93 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 54

Net migration rate: 4.67 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 22

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 215

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 10

Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 204

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 4.242 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 3.7 beds/1000 population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 83
People living with hivaids: 140,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 34
Deaths: fewer than 1000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 78

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.8% (2005)
Rank: 56

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.3% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 90

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital

Administrative divisions: 15 regions (regioni singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome singular - regione autonoma)

Dependent areas

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

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections where minimum age is 25)

Executive branch

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; members to serve five-year terms; and up to 5 senators for life appointed by the president of the Republic) 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; members to serve five-year terms); note - it has not been clarified if each president has the power to designate up to five senators or if five is the number of senators for life who might sit in the Senate

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); Supreme Court of Cassation or Corte Suprema di Cassazione

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CBSS (observer) CD CDB CE CEI CERN EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EITI (implementing country) EMU ESA EU FAO FATF G-20 G-7 G-8 G-10 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAIA (observer) MIGA MINURSO NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA PIF (partner) Schengen Convention SELEC (observer) SICA (observer) UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL Union Latina UNMISS UNMOGIP UNRWA UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) white and red; design inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797; colors are those of Milan (red and white) combined with the green uniform color of the Milanese civic guard

National symbols: white five-pointed star (Stella d'Italia)

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Italy has a diversified industrial economy which is divided into a developed industrial north dominated by private companies and a less-developed highly subsidized 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 many of them family owned. Italy also has a sizable underground economy which by some estimates accounts for as much as 17% of GDP. These activities are most common within the agriculture construction and service sectors. Italy is the third-largest economy in the euro-zone but its exceptionally high public debt and structural impediments to growth have rendered it vulnerable to scrutiny by financial markets. Public debt has increased steadily since 2007 topping 126% of GDP in 2012 and investor concerns about the broader euro-zone crisis at times have caused borrowing costs on sovereign government debt to rise to euro-era records. During the second half of 2011 the government passed a series of three austerity packages to balance its budget and decrease its public debt. These measures included a hike in the value-added tax pension reforms and cuts to public administration. The government also faces pressure from investors and European partners to sustain its recent efforts to address Italy's long-standing structural impediments to growth such as an inflexible labor market and widespread tax evasion. In 2012 economic growth and labor market conditions deteriorated with growth at -2.3% and unemployment rising to nearly 11%. Although the government has undertaken several economic reform iniatiatives in the longer-term Italy's low fertility rate productivity and foreign investment will increasingly strain its economy. Italy's GDP is now 7% below its 2007 pre-crisis level.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 11

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 207

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 45

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: fruits vegetables grapes potatoes sugar beets soybeans grain olives; beef dairy products; fish

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 0.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 147

Labor force: 25.28 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 25

Unemployment rate: 8.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 117

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: (2011)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 27.3 (1995)
Rank: 106

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 105

Taxes and other revenues: 48.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 23

Public debt: 120.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 8

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 78

Central bank discount rate: 1.75% (31 December 2010)
Rank: 115

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 4.6% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 162

Stock of narrow money: $1.147 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 6

Stock of broad money: $1.957 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 10

Stock of domestic credit: $3.209 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 8

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 27

Current account balance: -$71.87 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 184

Exports: $524.9 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 10
Commodities: engineering products textiles and clothing production machinery motor vehicles transport equipment chemicals; food beverages and tobacco; minerals and nonferrous metals
Partners: Germany 13.3% France 11.8% US 5.9% Spain 5.4% Switzerland 5.4% UK 4.7% (2011)

Imports: $549.6 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 13
Commodities: engineering products chemicals transport equipment energy products minerals and nonferrous metals textiles and clothing; food beverages and tobacco
Partners: Germany 16.5% France 8.8% China 7.7% Netherlands 5.5% Spain 4.7% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $158.9 billion (2010 est.)
Rank: 14

Debt external: $2.684 trillion (30 June 2011 est.)
Rank: 9

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $338.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 16

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $492.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 12

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 302.6 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 14
Consumption: 313.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 14
Exports: 1.787 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 49
Imports: 47.52 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 3
Installed generating capacity: 122.3 million kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 9
Generation sources fossil fuels: 65% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 129
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 112
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 18% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 98
Generation sources other renewable sources: 15.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 10

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 99,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 49
Crude oil exports: 6,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 59
Crude oil imports: 1.591 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 8
Crude oil proven reserves: 523.2 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 51

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 1.887 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 13
Products consumption: 1.454 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 17
Products exports: 628,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 11
Products imports: 393,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 15

Natural gas
Production: 8.364 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 47
Consumption: 77.83 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 12
Exports: 123 million m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 46
Imports: 70.37 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 6
Proven reserves: 66 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 61

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 416.4 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 16

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 22.116 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 13
Mobile cellular: 96.005 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 11

Telephone system

Broadcast media: two Italian media giants dominate - the publicly-owned Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) with 3 national terrestrial stations and privately-owned Mediaset with 3 national terrestrial stations; a large number of private stations and Sky Italia - a satellite TV network; RAI operates 3 AM/FM nationwide radio stations; some 1300 commercial radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .it
Hosts: 25.662 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 4
Users: 29.235 million (2009)
Users rank: 13

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 79

Military and security forces

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)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 130 (2012)
Rank: 43

Heliports: 5 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 18,348 km; oil 1241 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 13

Roadways
Rank: 13

Waterways: 2,400 km (used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail) (2012)
Rank: 37

Merchant marine
Rank: 17

Ports and terminals: Augusta Cagliari Genoa Livorno Taranto Trieste Venice


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Disputes international: Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by