Italy is situated in the Mediterranean Europe and has a great deal of variety in the landscape although it is characterized predominantly by two mountain chains: the Alps and the Apennines Mountains.

•Official name: Italian Republic

•Official name: Italian Republic

Capital: Rome

•Official name: Italian Republic

Capital: Rome

Population: over 58,000,000.

•Official name: Italian Republic

Capital: Rome

Flag: The colors of the flag represent the three cardinal virtues: Green:hope; White: faith; Red:charity.

Population: over 58,000,000.

•Official Language: Italian.There are other languages present in Italy: German (parts of Trentino Alto Adige region), French (Valle D’Aosta) and Slovene (Trieste-Gorizia areas)

•Official name: Italian Republic

Capital: Rome

Flag: The colors of the flag represent the three cardinal virtues: Green:hope; White: faith; Red:charity.

Number of regions: 20, five of which enjoy special regional autonomy

Population: over 58,000,000.

•Official Language: Italian.There are other languages present in Italy: German (parts of Trentino Alto Adige region), French (Valle D’Aosta) and Slovene (Trieste-Gorizia areas)

•Official name: Italian Republic

Capital: Rome

Flag: The colors of the flag represent the three cardinal virtues: Green:hope; White: faith; Red:charity.

Size: about 116,000 square miles, including the islands of Sicily and Sardinia

Number of regions: 20, five of which enjoy special regional autonomy

Population: over 58,000,000.

•Official Language: Italian.There are other languages present in Italy: German (parts of Trentino Alto Adige region), French (Valle D’Aosta) and Slovene (Trieste-Gorizia areas)

• Currency: Euro (EUR)1 euro= 100 cents• Religion: 94% Roman Catholic, 6% others• Climate: generally hot summers and cold winters• Products: grapes, olives, other fruits, wheat, wine,

machinery and transport equipment, iron and steel, chemicals, packaged foods, motor vehicles, clothing,

footwear, ceramics. • Industry: tourism, textiles, chemicals, food,wines, motor

vehicles, clothing, shoes. • Internet domain: .it

FACT FILE

OVERVIEW

• In 1946 Italians voted to end monarchy and made their nation a democratic republic.

• Italy was a charter member NATO and one of the six founding members of what is now the European Union, having signed in 1951 the Paris Treaty

• It joined the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999

• It is a member of G8

Italy's largest and most important cities are:

Milan

Venice

Rome

Florence

Naples

Palermo