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: ''For a topic outline on this subject, see ]. For other uses, see ].''
{{redirect|Italia|other uses of the name "Italia"|Italia (disambiguation)}}
{{redirect|Italian Republic|the Napoleonic state of 1802–1805|Italian Republic (Napoleonic)}}
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = ''Repubblica Italiana''
|conventional_long_name = Italian Republic
|common_name = Italy
|image_flag = Flag of Italy.svg
|image_coat = Italy-Emblem.svg
|symbol_type = Coat of arms
|image_map = Location Italy EU Europe.png
|map_caption = {{map_caption |location_color=dark green |region=] |region_color=dark grey |subregion=the ] |subregion_color=light green |legend=Location Italy EU Europe.png}}
|national_motto =
|national_anthem = '']''<br /><small>(also known as ''Inno di Mameli'')</small><br />''The Song of the Italians''
|official_languages = ]{{smallsup|1}}
|capital = ]
|latd=41 |latm=54 |latNS=N |longd=12 |longm=29 |longEW=E
|largest_city = capital
|demonym = ]
|government_type = ]
|leader_title1 = ]
|leader_name1 = ]
|leader_title2 = ]
|leader_name2 = ]
|accessionEUdate = 25 March 1957 (founding member)
|EUseats = 78
|area_rank = 71st
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area_km2 = 301,338
|area_sq_mi = 116,346.5 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|percent_water = 2.4
|population_estimate = 59,619,290<ref></ref>
|population_estimate_rank = 23rd
|population_estimate_year = 1 January 2008
|population_census = 57,110,144
|population_census_year = October 2001
|population_density_km2 = 197.6
|population_density_rank = 54th
|population_density_sq_mi = 511.7 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|GDP_PPP = $1.888 trillion<ref></ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank = 8th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2007
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $32,319<ref></ref>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 25th
|GDP_nominal = $2.067 trillion<ref></ref>
|GDP_nominal_rank = 7th
|GDP_nominal_year = 2007
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $35,386<ref></ref>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 20th
|sovereignty_type = ]
|established_event1 = ]
|established_date1 = 17 March 1861
|established_event2 = ]
|established_date2 = 2 June 1946
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.941
|HDI_rank = 20th
|HDI_year = 2005
|HDI_category = <span style="color:#090;">high</span>
|currency = ] (]){{smallsup|2}}
|currency_code = EUR
|country_code =
|time_zone = ]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = ]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
|cctld = ]{{smallsup|3}}
|calling_code = 39
|Gini = 36
|Gini_year = 2000
|Gini_category = <span style="color:#ffcc00;">medium</span>
|footnote1 = ] is co-official in the ]; ] is co-official in ]; ] and ] are co-official in the ]; ] is co-official in ].
|footnote2 = Before 2002, the ]. The euro is accepted in ] (but the official currency is the ]).<ref></ref>
|footnote3 = The ] domain is also used, as it is shared with other ] member states.
}}

'''Italy''' {{Audio-IPA|en-us-Italy.ogg|}} ({{lang-it|Italia}}), officially the '''Italian Republic''', ({{lang-it|Repubblica Italiana}}), is located on the ] in ], and on the two largest islands in the ], ] and ]. Italy shares its northern ] ] with ], ], ] and ]. The independent states of ] and the ] are ]s within the Italian Peninsula, while ] is an Italian ] in Switzerland.

Italy has been the home of many ]s, such as the ] and the ], and later was the birthplace of the ] and of the movement of the ], that began in ] and spread all over Europe. Italy's capital ] was for centuries the center of ]; it also spawned the ] movement and seats the ]. ] from the mid-] to the mid-].

Today, Italy is a democratic republic and a ] with the 8th-highest ] in the world.<ref>, ]</ref> It is a founding member of what is now the ] (having signed the ] in 1957), and a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (]). It is a member of the ] (having the world's ]), ] (OECD), ] (WTO), the ], the ], the ], and a ] state. It has the world's ] and shares ]. On 1 January 2007, Italy began a two year term as a ] of the ].
==Etymology==
The origin of the term ''Italy'' (It: ''Italia''), from Latin ''Italia'',<ref>], p. 974: "first syll. naturally short (cf. ]''Inst.''1.5.18), and so scanned in <span style="font-variant:small-caps">]</span>825, but in dactylic verse lengthened ''metri gratia''."</ref> is uncertain. According to one of the more common explanations, the term was borrowed through ], from ] ''Víteliú'', meaning "land of young cattle" (cf. ] ''vitulus'' "calf", ] ''vitlo'' "calf") and named for the god of cattle, ].<ref>J.P. Mallory and D.Q. Adams, ''Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture'' (London: Fitzroy and Dearborn, 1997), 24.</ref> The bull was a symbol of the southern Italian tribes and is often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the ].

The name ''Italia'' applied to a part of what is now ]. According to ], it originally only referred to the southern portion of the ] peninsula (modern ]), but by his time ]ns and Italy had become synonymous, and the name also applied to most of ] as well. The Greeks gradually came to apply the name "Italia" to a larger region, but it was not until the time of the Roman conquests that the term was expanded to cover the entire peninsula.<ref>Guillotining, M., History of Earliest Italy, trans. Ryle, M & Soper, K. in Jerome Lectures, Seventeenth Series, p.50</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of Italy}}

===Prehistory to Roman Empire===
] in Rome, perhaps the most enduring symbol of Italy]]

Excavations throughout Italy reveal a modern human presence dating back to the ] period some 200,000&nbsp;years ago.<ref>Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers 2001, ch. 2. ISBN 0306464632.</ref> In the 8th and 7th centuries BC ] were established all along ] and the southern part of the Italian Peninsula. Subsequently Romans referred to this area as '']'' as it was so densely inhabited by ].<ref>Luca Cerchiai, Lorena Jannelli, Fausto Longo, Lorena Janelli, 2004. ''The Greek Cities of Magna Graecia and Sicily'' (Getty Trust) ISBN 0-89236-751-2</ref><ref>T. J. Dunbabin, 1948. ''The Western Greeks''</ref><ref>A. G. Woodhead, 1962. ''The Greeks in the West''</ref>
Ancient ], at first a small agricultural community founded circa 8th century BC, grew the next centuries into a colossal ] encompassing the whole ], in which ] and Roman cultures merged into one civilization, so influential that parts of it survive in modern ], ], ] and ] forming the ground where ] is based upon. In its twelve-century existence, it transformed from a ] to ] and finally to ]. In steady decline since 2nd century AD, the empire finally broke into two parts in 285 AD, a ] and an ]. The western part under the pressure of ] finally dissolved leaving the Italian peninsula divided into small independent kingdoms and feuding ]s for the next 14 centuries, and the ] as the sole heir to Roman legacy.

===Middle Ages===
] with which Lombard rulers were crowned.]]
] Italy was divided into small city states and kingdoms.]]

Following a short recapture of the peninsula by ], ] at 6th cen. AD from the ] a new wave of ], the ], soon arrived to Italy from the north. For several centuries the armies of ] were strong enough to prevent ], ], or the ] from establishing a unified Italian Kingdom, but at the same time too weak to fully unify the former Roman lands. Nevertheless during early Middle Ages Imperial orders such as the ]s, the ]s and ]s managed to impose their overlordship in Italy.

Italy's regions eventually interlocked to their neighbouring empires' conflicting interests and would remain divided up to 19th century. It was during this vacuum of authority that the region saw the rise of ] and ]. In the anarchic conditions that often prevailed in medieval Italian city states, people looked to strong men to restore order and disarm the feuding elites. In times of anarchy or crisis, cities sometimes offered the Signoria to individuals perceived as strong enough to save the state, most notably ] family in ], ] in ] and ] in ].

Italy during this period became notable for its merchant ]. These city-states, ] in reality, had a dominant merchant class which under a relative ] nurtured academic and artistic advancement. The four classic Maritime Republics in Italy were ], ], ], ] reflecting the temporal sequence of their dominance.

Venice and Genoa were Europe's gateway to trade with the East, with the former producer of the renown ], whilst Florence was the capital of ], ], banks and ]. The Maritime Republics were heavily involved in the ], taking advantage of the new political and trading opportunities, most evidently in the conquest of ] and ] funded by Venice.

During late ] Italy was divided into smaller ] and territories: the ] controlled the south, the ] and the ] the centre, the ] and the ]ese the north and west, and the ] the east. Fifteenth-century Italy was one of the most urbanised areas in Europe and the birthplace of ]. ], in particular with the writings of ] (1265–1321), ] (1304–1374) and ] (c. 1313–1375), as well as the painting of ] (1267–1337) is considered the center of this cultural movement. Scholars like ] and ] scoured the libraries in search of works of classical authors as ], ], ], ], ] and ].

The ] ] in 1348 left its mark on Italy by killing one third of the population.<ref>Stéphane Barry and Norbert Gualde, "The Biggest Epidemics of History" (La plus grande épidémie de l'histoire, in L'Histoire n°310, June 2006, pp.45–46 </ref> The recovery from the disaster led to a resurgence of cities, trade and economy which greatly stimulated the successive phase of the ] and ]. In 1494 the French king ] opened the first of a series of invasions, lasting up to ], and a competition between France and Spain for the possession of the country. Ultimately Spain prevailed through the ] which recognised Spanish dominance over the ] and the ]. The holy alliance between ] and the Holy See resulted in the systematic persecution of any Protestant movement. ] succeeded Spain as hegemon in Italy under the ]. Through Austrian domination, the northern part of Italy, gained economic dynamism and intellectual fervor. The ] and the ] (1796–1815) introduced the ideas of ], ], ] and ].

===Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)===
{{main2|Kingdom of Italy}}

], "''Hero of the Two Worlds''".]]
].]]

The creation of the ] was the result of the efforts by Italian nationalists and monarchists loyal to the ] to establish a united kingdom encompassing the entire ]. In the context of ] that swept through Europe an unsuccessful ] on Austria.
] popular amongst southern Italians led the Italian republican drive for unification in southern Italy<ref>(Smith, Dennis Mack (1997). ''Modern Italy; A Political History''. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472108956, pp. 15.)</ref> , while the northern Italian monarchy of the ] whose government was led by ], had the ambition of establishing a united Italian state under its rule. The kingdom successfully challenged ] in the ] with the help of ], liberating the ].
In 1866 ] aligned the kingdom to ] during the ] waging the ] which allowed Italy to annex Venice. In 1870, as France during the disastrous ] abandoned its positions in ], Italy rushed to fill the power gap by taking over the ] from French sovereignty. Italian unification finally was achieved, and shortly afterwards Italy's capital was moved to Rome.

As ] was ] and ], the ] became overcrowded, forcing millions of people to emigrate for a better life abroad. The Sardinian ] of 1848, extended to the whole ] in 1861, provided for basic freedoms, but the electoral laws excluded the non-propertied and uneducated classes from voting. In 1913 male universal suffrage was allowed. The ] Party became the main political party, outclassing the traditional liberal and conservative organisations. Starting from the last two decades of the nineteenth century, Italy developed into a colonial power by forcing ], ] and later ] and ] under its rule. <ref>(Bosworth (2005), pp. 49.)</ref> During ] Italy stayed at first neutral, but in 1915, signed the ] entering ], promised ], ], ], ] and parts of ]. During the war, 600,000 Italians died and the economy collapsed. Under the ], Italy obtained just ], ], ] and Istria in a victory defined as "mutilated" by public.

The turbulence that followed the devastations of World War I, inspired by the ], led to turmoil and anarchy. The liberal establishment, fearing a ] revolution, started to endorse the small ], led by ]. In October 1922 the fascists attempted a ] (the ''"Marcia su Roma"'', i.e. ]); but the king ordered the army not to intervene, instead forming an alliance with Mussolini. Over the next few years, Mussolini banned all political parties and curtailed personal liberties thus forming a dictatorship. In 1935, Mussolini subjugated ] after a surprisingly lengthy campaign. This resulted in international alienation and the exodus of the country from the ]. A first pact with ] was concluded in 1936, and a second in ]. Italy strongly supported Franco in the ] and ] ] and ].

On 7 April 1939 Italy occupied ], a ''de facto'' protectorate for decades and entered ] in 1940 taking part in the late stages of the ]. Mussolini wanting a quick and swift victory which would emulate Hitler's ] in Poland and France, invaded ] in October 1940 via Albania but was forced to a humiliating defeat after a few months. At the same time Italy after initially conquering ], saw an allied counter-attack leading to the loss of all possessions in the ]. Italy was also defeated by ] forces in North Africa and was only saved by the urgently dispatched ] led by ]. Italy was invaded by Allies in June 1943 leading to the collapse of the fascist regime and the arrest of Mussolini. In September 1943, Italy ]. Immediately Germany invaded its former ally with the country becoming a ] for the rest of the war. The country was liberated on 25 April 1945.

===The Italian Republic (1946-)===
{{main|History of the Italian Republic}}

], during his kidnapping by the ].]]

In 1946 ]'s son, ], was forced to abdicate. ] after a ] held on 2 June 1946, a day celebrated since as ]. This was the first election in Italy allowing women to vote.<ref>{{it icon}} </ref> The Republican Constitution was approved and came into force on 1 January 1948. Under the ] of 1947, the eastern border area was lost to ] and the free territory of Trieste was divided between the two states. The ] in 1949 helped to revive the Italian economy which in 1950s and 1960s enjoyed a prolonged economic growth. Italy is a founding member of ] (EU). In the 1970s and 1980s the country experienced the ], a period characterised by widespread social conflicts and terrorist acts carried out by extra-parliamentary movements. The assassination of the leader of the ] , ], led to the end of a ] between the DC and the ].

From 1992 to 1997, the Italian economy faced significant challenges with massive government debt, extensive corruption, and organized crime's considerable influence collectively called the political system ]. The Tangentopoli scandals involved all major parties, and between 1992 and 1994 the ] underwent a severe crisis splitting up into several factions, including the ] and the ]. The ] (PSI) completely dissolved.
The 1994 elections put media magnate ] into the Prime Minister's seat. However he was forced to step down in December when ] withdrew its support. In April 1996, national elections led to the victory of a centre-left coalition under the leadership of ]. Prodi's first government became the third-longest to stay in power before he narrowly lost a vote of confidence, by three votes, in October 1998. A new government was formed by ], but in April 2000 he resigned. In 2001 the centre-right ] and ] was able to remain in power for a complete five year mandate, but with two different governments. The first one (2001–2005) became the longest government in post-war Italy. Italy participated in the ]. The ] won by centre-left, allowed Prodi to form his second government but in early 2008, he resigned because of the collapse of his coalition. In the ensuing ] in April 2008, Silvio Berlusconi convincingly won to form a government for the third time.

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Italy}}

], near ].]]
] island, ]]]

===Topography===
Italy occupies a long, ]-shaped peninsula, surrounded on the west by the ] and on the east by the ]. It is bounded by France, ], ] and ] to the north. The ] form the peninsula's backbone; ] form its northern boundary. The largest of its northern lakes is ] (143 sq mi; 370&nbsp;km²);in the center is Campotosto lake the ], its principal river, flows from the Alps on Italy's western border and crosses the great ] to the Adriatic Sea. Several islands form part of Italy; the largest are ] (9,926 sq mi; 25,708&nbsp;km²) and ] (9,301 sq mi; 24,090&nbsp;km²).
There are several active ]es in Italy: ], the largest active volcano in Europe; ]; ]; and ], the only active volcano on the ].

===Climate===
{{main|Climate of Italy}}
The climate in Italy is highly diverse and can be far from the stereotypical ] depending on the location. Most of the inland northern areas of Italy (for example ], ] and ]) have a ] often classified as ] (] Cfa). The coastal areas of ] and most of the peninsula south of ] generally fit the Mediterranean stereotype (] Csa). The coastal areas of the peninsula can be very different from the interior higher altitudes and valleys, particularly during the winter months when the higher altitudes tend to be cold, wet, and often snowy. The coastal regions have mild winters and warm and generally dry summers, although lowland valleys can be quite hot in summer.

==Government and politics==
{{main|Politics of Italy}}{{see also|List of Prime Ministers of Italy}}

].]]

The politics of Italy take place in a framework of a ], ] ], and of a ]. ] is exercised collectively by the Council of Ministers, which is led by a ], in jargon referred to as "premier", "primo ministro" or "prime minister" in English. ] is vested in the two houses of ] primarily, and secondarily on the Council of Ministers. The ] is independent of the executive and the legislative. Italy has been a democratic republic since 2 June 1946, when the ] was abolished by popular ] (see ]). The ] was promulgated on 1 January 1948.'''

The ] (''Presidente della Repubblica'') is elected for seven years by the parliament sitting jointly with a small number of regional delegates. As the ], the President of the Republic represents the unity of the nation and has many of the duties previously given to the ]. The president serves as a point of connection between the three branches of power: he is elected by the lawmakers, he appoints the executive, he is the president of the judiciary and he is also the commander-in-chief of armed forces.
The president nominates the ], who proposes the other ministers (formally named by the president). The Council of Ministers must obtain a confidence vote from both houses of Parliament. Legislative bills may originate in either house and must be passed by a majority in both.

].]]

Italy elects a ] consisting of ], the ] (''Camera dei Deputati''), which has 630 members and the ] (''Senato della Repubblica''), comprising 315 elected members and a small number of ]).
As of 15 May 2006, there are seven ] of whom three are former Presidents. Both houses are elected for a maximum of five years, but they may be dissolved before the expiration of their normal term.
] may originate in either house and must be passed in identical form by a majority in each.
The houses of ] are popularly and directly elected through a complex electoral system (latest amendment in 2005) which combines proportional representation with a majority prize for the largest coalition (Chamber). All ] older than 18 can vote. However, to vote for the senate, the voter must be at least 25 or older. The electoral system in the ] is based upon ] representation. As of 15 May 2006 there are seven ] (of which three are former Presidents). Both houses are elected for a maximum of five years, but both may be dissolved by the President before the expiration of their normal term if the Parliament is unable to elect a stable government. In the post war history, this has happened in 1972, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1994, 1996 and 2008.

A peculiarity of the ] is the representation given to ] permanently living abroad (about 2.7&nbsp;million people). Among the 630 Deputies and the 315 Senators there are respectively 12 and 6 elected in four distinct ]. Those members of Parliament were elected for the first time in April 2006 and they have the same rights as members elected in Italy.

The Italian judicial system is based on ] modified by the ] and later statutes. The ] is the court of last resort for most disputes. The ] (''Corte Costituzionale'') rules on the conformity of laws with the ] and is a post-World War II innovation.

==Foreign relations==
{{main|Foreign relations of Italy}}{{see also|Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs}}
], Italian Prime Minister, and U.S. President ].]]

Italy was a founding member of the European Community&mdash;now the ] (EU). Italy was admitted to the ] in 1955 and is a member and strong supporter of the ] (NATO), the ] (OECD), the ]/] (GATT/WTO), the ] (OSCE), and the ]. Its recent turns as rotating Presidency of international organisations include the ] (the forerunner of the OSCE) in 1994 ], the EU in 2001 and from July to December 2003.

Italy supports the United Nations and its international security activities. Italy deployed troops in support of UN peacekeeping missions in ], ], and East Timor and provides support for NATO and UN operations in ], ] and ]. Italy deployed over 2,000 troops to ] in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in February 2003. Italy still supports international efforts to reconstruct and stabilize ], but it has withdrawn its ] of some 3,200 troops as of November 2006, maintaining only humanitarian workers and other civilian personnel.
In August 2006 Italy sent about 2,450 soldiers to ] for the ]' ] ].<ref name="NewsMax">" ], 30 August 2006</ref> Furthermore, since 2 February 2007 an Italian, Claudio Graziano is the commander of the UN force in the country.

==Military==
] of the ] attached to ]]]
]. The ] maintains two ]]]
] ] at ]]]

{{main|Military of Italy}}
Article 11 of the ] says: "Italy rejects war as an instrument of aggression against the freedoms of others peoples and as a means for settling international controversies; it agrees, on conditions of equality with other states, to the limitations of sovereignty necessary for an order that ensures peace and justice among Nations; it promotes and encourages international organizations having such ends in view".

The Italian ] are under the command of the Italian Supreme Defense Council, presided over by the ]. The total number of military personnel is approximately 308,000. Italy has the ] ] in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sipri.org/contents/milap/milex/mex_major_spenders.pdf|work=Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Website|title=The fifteen major spenders in 2006|format=PDF}}</ref> Italy ], in the form of ] leased to Italy.

The Italian ] are divided into four branches:

===Army===
The ] (the ''Italian Army'') is the ground defense force of the Italian Republic. It has recently (29 July 2004) become a professional all-volunteer force of 115,687 ] personnel. Its most famous combat vehicles are ], ] and ], and ] attack helicopters, recently deployed in UN missions; but the Esercito Italiano also has at its disposal a large number of ] and ] armored vehicles.

===Navy===
The ] (the ''Italian ]'') is one of the four branches of the ]. It was created in 1946, as the Navy of the Italian Republic, from the ]. Today's Marina Militare is a modern ] with a strength of 35,261 and ships of every type, such as ]s, ]s, modern ]s, submarines, amphibious ships and other smaller ships such as oceanographic research ships.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}

The Marina Militare is now equipping herself with a bigger ] (the '']''), new ]s, submarines and multipurpose ]s. In modern times, the Marina Militare, being a member of the ] (NATO), has taken part in many coalition peacekeeping operations around the world. The Marina Militare is considered the fourth strongest navy of the world.

===Air Force===
The ] is the ] of Italy. It was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923, by ] as the '']'' (which translates to "Royal Air Force"). After ], when Italy was made a ] by referendum, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' was given its current name. Today the Aeronautica Militare has a strength of 45,879 and operates 585 aircraft, including 219 combat jets and 114 helicopters. As a stopgap and as replacement for leased ] interceptors, the AMI has leased 30 ] Block 15 ADF and four F-16B Block 10 Fighting Falcons, with an option for some more. The coming years also will see the introduction of 121 ], replacing the leased F-16 Fighting Falcons. Furthermore updates are foreseen on the Tornado IDS/IDT and the AMX-fleet. The transport capacity is guaranteed by a fleet of 22 C-130Js, also a completely new developed G222, called C-27J Spartan (12 aircraft ordered), will enter service replacing the G222's. The Italian air force is also planning on purchasing ], although they have not been distributed around the world yet.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}

===Gendarmerie===
The ] are the ] and ] of Italy, providing the republic with a national ]. At the ] of the ] in 2004, the Carabinieri was given the mandate to establish a Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2006/coespu.pdf|title=Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units|format=PDF |author=]}}</ref>

==Regions, provinces, and municipalities==
{{main|Regions of Italy|Provinces of Italy|Municipalities of Italy}}

Italy is subdivided into 20 regions (''regioni'', singular ''regione''). Five of these regions have a ] that enables them to enact legislation on some of their local matters, and are marked by an asterisk (*). It is further divided into 109 provinces (''province'') and 8,101 municipalities (''comuni'').

{| style="background:transparent;" cellspacing="2px"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%"
|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:left"
! width="120px"| ] !!width="25px"|&nbsp;!!width="120px"| ] !!width="80px"| ] !!width="90px"| ] (km²)!!width="80px"| ] </tr>
|-
| rowspan="21" width="50%"| ]
|-
| align="right"|1 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|10,794 || style="text-align:right" |1,324,000
|-
| align="right"|2 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|9,992 || style="text-align:right" |591,000
|-
| align="right"|3 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|15,080 || style="text-align:right" |2,007,000
|-
| align="right"|4 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|13,595 || style="text-align:right" |5,811,000
|-
| align="right"|5 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|22,124 || style="text-align:right" |4,276,000
|-
| align="right"|6 || ]* || ] || style="text-align:right"|7,855 || style="text-align:right" |1,222,000
|-
| align="right"|7 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|17,207 || style="text-align:right" |5,561,000
|-
| align="right"|8 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|5,421 || style="text-align:right" |1,610,000
|-
| align="right"|9 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|23,861 || style="text-align:right" |9,642,000
|-
| align="right"|10 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|9,694 || style="text-align:right" |1,553,000
|-
| align="right"|11 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|4,438 || style="text-align:right" |320,000
|-
| align="right"|12 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|25,399 || style="text-align:right" |4,401,000
|-
| align="right"|13 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|19,362 || style="text-align:right" |4,076,000
|-
| align="right"|14 || ]* || ] || style="text-align:right"|24,090 || style="text-align:right" |1,666,000
|-
| align="right"|15 || ]* || ] || style="text-align:right"|3,263 || style="text-align:right" |126,000
|-
| align="right"|16 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|22,997 || style="text-align:right" |3,677,000
|-
| align="right"|17 || ]* || ] || style="text-align:right"|13,607 || style="text-align:right" |1,007,000
|-
| align="right"|18 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|8,456 || style="text-align:right" |884,000
|-
| align="right"|19 || ]* || ] || style="text-align:right"|25,708 || style="text-align:right" |5,030,000
|-
| align="right"|20 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|18,391|| style="text-align:right" |4,832,000
|}

==Demographics==
{{main|Demography of Italy}}

===Population===
In October 2007, the Italian population surpassed 59.5 million,<ref></ref> Italy currently has the fourth largest population in the ], and the 23rd largest population worldwide. Italy's population density at 196.1 persons per kilometre is the fifth highest in the European Union. The highest density is in ], as one third of the country contains almost half of the Italian population.
After ], Italy saw an economic boom which led to rural population moving to the cities, and in the same time it turned from a nation characterized by massive emigration to a net immigrant-receiving country. High fertility persisted until the 70s when it plunged below replacement so as of 2007, one in five Italians was a pensioner. Despite this, thanks mainly to the immigration of 80s and 90s, in 2000s Italy saw natural population growth for the first time in years.<ref></ref>

====Cities and metropolitan areas====
]]]
]]]
]]]
]]]
]]]
]]]
]]]

Italian cities with a population of 300,000 or more (] data, December 2006):

{| class="wikitable"
|- align=right
!Pos.|| Common || Region || Prov. || Inhabitants
|- align="right"
| 1 || ''']''' || ] || RM || 2,705,603
|- align="right"
| 2 || ''']''' || ] || MI || 1,303,437
|- align="right"
| 3 || ''']''' || ] || NA || 975,139
|- align="right"
| 4 || ''']''' || ] || TO || 900,569
|- align="right"
| 5 || ''']''' || ] || PA || 666,552
|- align="right"
| 6 || ''']''' || ] || GE || 615,686
|- align="right"
| 7 || ''']''' || ] || BO || 373,026
|- align="right"
| 8 || ''']''' || ] || FI || 365,966
|- align="right"
| 9 || '''] ||''' ] || BA || 325,052
|- align="right"
| 10 || ''']''' || ] || CT || 301,564
|}

According to the ]<ref></ref>, these are the major Italian ]s:
{|class="wikitable"
!Metropolitan area!!Inhabitants
|-
| ] ||7.4&nbsp;million
|-
| ] ||3.8&nbsp;million
|-
| ] ||3.1&nbsp;million
|-
| ] ||2.4&nbsp;million
|}

===Migration and ethnicity===
Italy is a destination for immigrants from all over the world. At the end of 2006, foreigners comprised 5% of the population or 2,938,922 persons,<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=http://demo.istat.it/str2006/index.html|title=demo.istat.it/str2006/index.html<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> an increase of 270,000 since the previous year. In some Italian cities, such as ], ], ], and ], immigrants total more than 10% of the population.

The most recent wave of migration has been from surrounding European nations, particularly Eastern Europe, replacing North Africans as a major source of migrants. Around 500,000 Romanians are officially registered as living in Italy, but unofficial estimates put the actual number at double that figure or perhaps even more.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birn.eu.com/en/111/15/5745/|title=www.birn.eu.com/en/111/15/5745/<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> As of 2006, migrants came from other parts of ] (47.75%), ] (17.77%), ] (17.43%), ] (8.90%). Smaller groups came from ], and ].<ref name="autogenerated2" />

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
!width="140px"| ] !! ] !! % of total*
|-
|align="left"| Ethnic ] || {{commas|56000000}} || 94.96%</tr>
|align="left"| ]|| {{commas|550000}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7078532.stm|title=news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7078532.stm<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> || 0.93%</tr>
|align="left"| ] || {{commas|485000}} || 0.82%</tr>
|align="left"| ] || {{commas|348000}} || 0.60%</tr>
|align="left"| ] (non-Chinese) || {{commas|326000}} || 0.55%</tr>
|align="left"| ] || {{commas|287503}} || 0.49%</tr>
|align="left"| ] || {{commas|239000}} || 0.41%</tr>
|align="left"| ] || {{commas|210000}} || 0.36%</tr>
|align="left"| ] || {{commas|128000}} || 0.22%</tr>
|align="left"| ] || {{commas|107000}} || 0.18%</tr>
|align="left"| Other || {{commas|257000}} || 0.43%</tr>
|-
|colspan="3" align="left"| {{smaller|* Percentage of total population}}
|}

===Religion===
{{main|Religion in Italy}}{{see also|Christianity in Italy|Islam in Italy|Jews in Italy|Buddhism in Italy|List of Italian religious minority politicians}}
{{bar box
|title=Italy religiosity
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=religion
|right1=percent
|float=left
|bars=
{{bar percent|Christianity|blue|90}}
{{bar percent|]|gray|7}}
{{bar percent|Islam|green|2}}
{{bar percent|Others|purple|1}}
}}
] is by far the largest religion in the country, although the Catholic Church is no longer officially the ]. 87.8% of Italians identified as ] <ref></ref>, although only about one-third of these described themselves as active members (36.8%).
Other ] groups in Italy include more than 700,000 ]<ref></ref>, including 470,000 newcomers<ref name="autogenerated1">{{PDFlink||65.4&nbsp;]<!-- application/pdf, 67016 bytes -->}}</ref>and some 180,000 ], 550,000 ] and ] (0.8%), of whom 400,000 are members of the ], 235,685 ] (0.4%)<ref></ref>, 30,000 ]<ref></ref>, 25,000 ], 22,000 ], 15,000 ] (plus some 5,000 Free Baptists), 7,000 ], 5,000 ] (affiliated to the Waldensian Church)<ref></ref>.
The country's oldest religious minority is the ] community, comprising roughly 45,000 people. It is no longer the largest non-Christian group.
As a result of significant immigration from other parts of the world, some 825,000 ]<ref></ref> (1.4% of the total population) live in Italy, though only 50,000 are ]. In addition, there are 110,000 ] (0.2%)<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref name="autogenerated1" />, 70,000 ]s<ref></ref>, and 70,000 ] (0.1%) in Italy.

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Italy}}{{see also|List of Italian companies}}

], based in ], is Italy's main ]]]

According to GDP calculations, Italy was ranked as the seventh-largest economy in the world in 2006, behind the ], Japan, Germany, ], the United Kingdom, and France, and the fourth-largest in Europe. According to the OECD, in 2004 Italy was the world's sixth-largest exporter of manufactured goods. This economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed ] south. In the ] 2008 it ranked 64th of 162 countries, or 29th of 41 European countries, the lowest rating in the ] and behind many ex-communist European countries. Italy has often been called a ], with governments having problems in pursuing reform programs.

According to ] data, Italy has high levels of freedom to invest, do business, and trade. On the other hand, Italy has inefficient bureaucracy, relatively low property rights and high levels of corruption (compared to other European countries), heavy taxes, and heavy public consumption at around half of GDP.<ref name="economicfreedom"></ref> Italy has been in economic decline compared to most other EU-15 countries.
Most raw materials needed by Italian industries, and more than 75% of energy requirements, are imported. Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a tight fiscal policy in order to meet the requirements of the ] and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates. Italy joined the ] from its introduction in 1999.

] at the Museo ] in ]]]

Italy's economic performance has at times lagged behind that of its EU partners, and the current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term growth. It has moved slowly, however, on implementing certain structural reforms favoured by economists, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labour market and expensive ] system, because of the economic slowdown and opposition from ]s.

Italy has a smaller number of world class multinational corporations than other economies of comparable size. Instead, the country's main economic strength has been its large base of small- and medium-sized companies. Some of these companies manufacture products that are technologically moderately advanced and therefore face increasing competition from China and other emerging Asian economies which are able to undercut them on labour costs. These Italian companies are responding to the Asian competition by concentrating on products with a higher technological content, while moving lower-tech manufacturing to plants in countries where labour is less expensive. The small average size of Italian companies remains a limiting factor, and the government has been working to encourage integration and mergers and to reform the rigid regulations that have traditionally been an obstacle to the development of larger corporations in the country. Nevertheless Italian industry is envied for its advanced design and style, which often capitalizes on the country's formidable artistic patrimony.

Italy's major exports are ] (], ], ], ]), chemicals, petrochemicals (]), electricity (], ]), ] (Merloni, Candy), aerospace and defense tech (], ], ]), firearms (]); but the country's more famous exports are in the fields of fashion (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]), food industry (], ], ], ], ]), ]s (], ], ], ]) and motoryachts (], ]).

Also ] is very important to the Italian economy: with over 37&nbsp;million tourists a year, Italy is ] as the fifth major tourist destination in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-tourism.org/facts/eng/pdf/highlights/2005_eng_high.pdf |title=International Tourism Receipts |format=PDF |work=UNWTO Tourism Highlights, Edition 2005 |pages=12 |publisher=] |accessdate=2006-05-24}}</ref>

===Infrastructure===
{{main|Transport in Italy}}
] at ]]]

The ] network in Italy totals 16,627&nbsp;kilometres (10,331 mi), ranking the country 17th in the world <ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/List_of_countries_by_rail_transport_network_size</ref>, and is operated by ]. High speed trains include ]-class trains, of which the ] travels at 300&nbsp;km/h (190 ]).
In 1991 ] was created, a ] owned by ] (itself owned by ]) for the planning and construction of ] lines along Italy's most important and saturated transport routes. These lines are often referred as "TAV" lines. The purpose of TAV construction is to aid travel along Italy's most saturated rail lines and to add tracks to these lines, namely the Milan-Naples and Turin-Milan-Venice corridors. One of the focuses of the project is to turn the rail network of Italy into a modern and high-tech passenger rail system in accordance with updated European rail standards. A secondary purpose is to introduce ] to the country and its high-priority corridors. When demand on regular lines is lessened with the opening of dedicated high-speed lines, those regular lines will be used primarily for low-speed regional rail service and freight trains. With these ideas realised, the Italian train network can be integrated with other European rail networks, particularly the French ], German ], and Spanish ] systems{{Fact|date=August 2007}}.

There are approximately 654,676&nbsp;km(406,797&nbsp;mi) of serviceable roadway in Italy, including 6,957&nbsp;km (4,323&nbsp;mi) of expressways<ref></ref>.
There are approximately 133 airports in Italy, including the two ] of ] (near Milan) and ] (near Rome).
There are 27 major ports in Italy, the largest is in ], which is also the second largest in the ], after ]. 2,400&nbsp;km (1,500&nbsp;mi) of waterways traverse Italy.

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Italy|Art of Italy|Cinema of Italy|Education in Italy}}

Italy did exist as a state until the country's unification in 1861. Due to this comparatively late unification, and the historical autonomy of the regions that comprise the ], many traditions and customs that are now recognized as distinctly Italian can be identified by their regions of origin. Despite the political and social isolation of these regions, Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe remain immense. Italy is home to the greatest number of ] ] (43) to date.

===Visual Art===
]]]
Italian painting is traditionally characterized by a warmth of colour and light, as exemplified in the works of ] and ], and a preoccupation with religious figures and motifs. Italian painting enjoyed preeminence in Europe for hundreds of years, from the ] and ] periods, and through the ] and ] periods, the latter two of which saw fruition in Italy. Notable artists whom fall within these periods include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Thereafter, Italy was to experience a continual subjection to foreign powers which caused a shift of focus to political matters, leading to its decline as the artistic authority in Europe. Not until 20th century ], primarily through the works of ] and ], would Italy prove to recapture any of its former prestige as a seminal place of artistic evolution. Futurism was succeeded by the metaphysical paintings of ], who exerted a strong influence on the ] and generations of artists to follow.

===Literature===
With the basis of the modern ] established through the ] poet, ], whose greatest work, the ], is considered amongst the foremost literary statements produced in Europe during the ], there is no shortage of celebrated literary figures; the writers and poets ], ], ], ], ], and ], whose best known vehicle of expression, the ], was invented in Italy. Prominent philosophers include ], ], ], and ]. Modern literary figures and Nobel laureates are nationalist poet ] in 1906, realist writer ] in 1926, modern theatre author ] in 1936, poets ] in 1959 and ] in 1975, satiryst and theatre author ] in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/|title=All Nobel Laureates in Literature}}</ref>

===Science===
]]]
In science, ] made advancements toward the ], and ] was the quintessential ]. Italy has been the home of scientists and inventors: the physicist ], leader of the team that built the ]; the astronomer ]; the physicist ], inventor of the ]; the mathematicians ] and ]; Nobel Prize in Physics laureate ], ]; and ], candidate for ].

===Music===
{{main|Music of Italy}}
From ] to ], music has always played an important role in Italian culture. Having given birth to ], Italy provides many of the foundations of the classical music tradition. Instruments associated with classical music, including the ] and ], were invented in Italy, and many of the prevailing classical music forms can trace their roots
]]] back to innovations of sixteenth and seventeenth century Italian music (such as the ], ], and ]). Italy's most famous composers include the ] ] and ], the ] ], ] and ], the ] ] and ], and the ] ] and ]. Modern Italian composers such as ] and ] proved significant in the development of ] and ].

While the classical music tradition still holds strong in Italy, as evidenced by the fame of its innumerable opera houses, such as ] of Milan, and ] of Naples, and performers such as the pianist ], and the late tenor ], Italians have been no less appreciative of their thriving contemporary music scene. Introduced in the early 1920s, ] took a particularly strong foothold in Italy, and remained popular despite the anti-American cultural policies of the Fascist regime. Today, the most notable centers of Jazz music in Italy include Milan, Rome, and Sicily. Later, Italy was at the forefront of the ] movement of the 1970s, with bands like ] and ]. Today, Italian pop music is represented annually with the ], which served as inspiration for the ] song contest, and the ] in ]. Singers such as the ] winner ], classical crossover artist ], and European chart topper ] have attained international acclaim.

===Cinema===
{{Main|Cinema of Italy}}

]'' by ] (1960)]]

The history of ''Italian cinema'' began a few months after the ] began motion picture exhibition. The first Italian film was a few seconds long, showing Pope Leo XIII giving a blessing to the camera. The Italian film industry was born between 1903 and 1908 with three companies: the ], the ] and the ]. Other companies soon followed in ] and in ]. In a short time these first companies reached a fair producing quality and films were soon sold outside Italy too. The cinema was later used by ] as a form of propaganda during ].

After the war, Italian film was widely recognised and exported until an artistic decline around 1980. World-famous Italian ] from this period include ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Movies include world cinema treasures such as '']'', '']'' and '']''.
In recent years, the Italian scene has received only occasional international attention, with movies like '']'' directed by ] and '']'' with ].

===Theatre===

''Italian theatre'' can be traced back into the Roman which was heavily influenced by the Greek tradition, and, as with many other literary genres, Roman dramatists tended to adapt and translate from the Greek. For example, Seneca's Phaedra was based on that of ], and many of the ] of ] were direct translations of works by ]. During the 16th century and on into the 18th century ] was a form of ], although it is still performed today. Travelling troupes of players would set up an outdoor stage and provide amusement in the form of ], ], and, more typically, ] plays based on a repertoire of established characters with a rough storyline, called ].

===Sport===
{{main|Sport in Italy}}
] in 2006.]]

Popular sports include ], ] (2nd national team sport since the 1950s), ], ], ], ], ], ] (mainly in Milan, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto), ] and ] motor racing.
] are most popular in the Northern regions, with Italians competing in international games and Olympic venues. Sports are incorporated into Italian festivities like ] (see also ]), and the ] race (]) that takes place in Venice on the first Sunday of September.
]s venues have extended from the ] of ] in the ] to the ] of contemporary Rome, where football clubs compete.
The most popular sport in Italy is ], the ] being one of the most famous competitions in the world.
Italy's national football team is the second most successful team in the world (with four world cup victories, the first one of which was in 1934) and the current ] world champion.cricket is also slowly gaining popularity as The Italian national cricket team is administered by the Federazione Cricket Italiana‎ (Italian Cricket Federation).

They are currently ranked 27th in the world by the ICC, and are ranked fifth amongst European non-Test teams

===Cuisine===
{{main|Italian cuisine}}

]]]
Italian cuisine can be traced back to writings in the 4th century BC. The cuisine changed with the discovery of the ] which introduced items such as ]es, ]es, ] and ]. These are central parts of today's cuisine but were not introduced in scale until the 18th century.<ref>Del Conte, 11-21.</ref> ] is the centerpiece of Italian eating and Italians take pride in their proficiency in the many and varied kinds of pasta making and cooking. Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine. Italian cuisine is now famous worldwide.

==See also==
{{Italy topics|state=expanded}}

==Notes==
<div class="references-small">
{{ent|1|Romanian}} According to Mitrica, an October 2005 Romanian report estimates that 1,061,400 Romanians are living in Italy, constituting 37.2% of 2.8&nbsp;million immigrants in that country<ref>Mitrica, Mihai ("One million Romanians have moved to Italy"). ''Evenimentul Zilei'', 31 October 2005. Visited 11 April 2006.</ref> but it is unclear how the estimate was made, and therefore whether it should be taken seriously.
{{ent|2|dialects}} See also (in Italian): ''L. Lepschy e G. Lepschy, La lingua italiana: storia, varietà d'uso, grammatica, Milano, Bompiani''
{{ent|3|montblanc}} Official French maps show the border detouring south of the main summit, and claim the highest point in Italy is Mont Blanc de Courmayeur (4,748&nbsp;m), but these are inconsistent with an 1861 convention and topographic watershed analysis.
</div>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
:''Other references can be found in the more detailed articles linked to in this article.''

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Revision as of 19:12, 22 September 2008

its warm