Europe: Italy
About Italy
Italy became a nation-state belatedly - in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL. 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 European Monetary Union 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.
| Vital Statistics | |
| Capitol City: | Rome |
| Population: | 57,679,825 (July 2001 est.) |
| Percent below poverty: | NA% |
| Language: | 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) |
| Date of independence: | 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy pro |
| Form of government: | republic |
| Title of Leader: | Prime Minister (referred to in Ital |
| Natural Resources: | mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal, arable land |
| Environmental 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 |
| Agricultural Products: | fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish |
| Imports: | engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages and tobacco |
| Exports: | engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals and nonferrous metals |
| Trading Partners: | IMPORTS: EU 61% (Germany 19.3%, France 12.6%, Netherlands 6.3%, Spain 4.4%), US 5.0% (1999) ,br>EU 56.8% (Germany 16.4%, France 12.9%, Netherlands 7.1%, Spain 6.3%, Netherlands 2.9%), US 9.5% (1999) EXPORTS: |
Italy Headlines
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[Ad - World3News.com/JOBS] - Sep 7 2010 1:06 p.m.
Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz still wants Italy move / Transfer news
[IMScouting] - Sep 7 2010 1:06 p.m.
Venice film festival fights its corner as crisis bites
[DNA India] - Sep 7 2010 12:54 p.m.
Financial crisis bites Venice
[Reuters] - Sep 7 2010 12:34 p.m.
Italy Begins to Destroy Illegal Roma Camps
[Sofia News Agency] - Sep 7 2010 12:33 p.m.
Italy: President warns Iran against Sakineh's stoning
[ADN Kronos International] - Sep 7 2010 12:26 p.m.
Globe/CP say Bombardier defends Italy contract in court
[Stockwatch] - Sep 7 2010 12:26 p.m.
Globe makes it easy to reach C? Italian Dining and panizza
[Central Luzon Daily] - Sep 7 2010 12:26 p.m.
Chipolopolo to camp in Italy ahead of Libya clash
[Zambian] - Sep 7 2010 12:18 p.m.
Affleck doc screened at Venice
[Yahoo! UK and Ireland] - Sep 7 2010 12:16 p.m.
New website launched by Fiat Professional
[Fleet Directory UK] - Sep 7 2010 12:14 p.m.
Canadian parents more lenient than Italians and French
[Keep Media] - Sep 7 2010 12:10 p.m.
Cono Italiano's Pizza Cone Craze Hits Monmouth University
[Quote.com France] - Sep 7 2010 12:10 p.m.
Berlusconi wants rival removed
[News24.com] - Sep 7 2010 12:09 p.m.
Michelle Williams takes on Venice Film Festival 2010 with a smile
[OK! Magazine] - Sep 7 2010 12:08 p.m.
UPDATE: Cono Italiano and AOL Conduct Pizza Cono Taste Test
[Yahoo! Canada] - Sep 7 2010 12:05 p.m.
Italy: Berlusconi moves to oust rival
[ADN Kronos International] - Sep 7 2010 12:05 p.m.
Italy: Nigerian 'ex-slaves' help bust drug trafficking ring
[ADN Kronos International] - Sep 7 2010 12:05 p.m.
Italy: Brothers skip house arrest in Palermo
[ADN Kronos International] - Sep 7 2010 12:04 p.m.
State Street Global Advisors awarded mandate by Italian pension fund
[Global Fund Wire] - Sep 7 2010 11:56 a.m.
Swiss Generali more than doubles net profit in H1 2010
[ADP News] - Sep 7 2010 11:54 a.m.
Piramal: Cavaal Fininvest to pick up 7.28% stake
[Healthcare Digital] - Sep 7 2010 11:43 a.m.
Italian Fe scrap prices up on higher demand
[Metal Bulletin] - Sep 7 2010 11:40 a.m.
TIM GUNN EXCERPT: 'Gunn's Golden Rules'
[ABC News] - Sep 7 2010 11:33 a.m.
Venice film fest fights its corner as crisis bites
[Yahoo! UK and Ireland] - Sep 7 2010 11:30 a.m.
Italy to issue USD-denominated 3-yr global bond
[ADP News] - Sep 7 2010 11:30 a.m.
Connect by Hertz Becomes Only Car Sharing Club to Sign Fleet Partnership With Fiat
[MoreRFID] - Sep 7 2010 11:23 a.m.
Rome's mayor calls on New York mayor Bloomberg to oppose Ahmadinejad visit
[National Council of Resistance of Iran] - Sep 7 2010 11:21 a.m.
Boston Dawna, the Batman of Venice Bea...
[STLtoday.com] - Sep 7 2010 11:20 a.m.
Venice film fest fights its corner as crisis bites
[Reuters Canada] - Sep 7 2010 11:16 a.m.
Cono Italiano's Pizza Cone Craze Hits Monmouth University
[Interest!ALERT] - Sep 7 2010 11:11 a.m.
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