The Italian Republic is a country in Southern Europe. It comprises a boot-shaped peninsula and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. It is a founding member of what is now the European Union, and a member state of the United Nations, NATO and the G8 nations. The independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian enclave in Switzerland.
Italy is subdivided into 20 regions, of which five enjoy a special autonomous status (Latium, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-South Tyrol, Aosta Valley). Mountains feature prominently in Italy's topography, and bolster its landlocked borders all the way from Genoa in the west to Trieste in the east. Underground rambunctiousness is evident from the country's three active volcanoes - Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, Vesuvius near Naples and Etna on Sicily - and the devastation wrought by earthquakes, especially fierce in 1908 and 1980.
Italy is well-known for its art and culture. It has many famous works of architecture, among them the leaning tower of Pisa and the Roman Colosseum. It is renowned for its food, wine, lifestyle, elegance, automobiles, visual art and design, cinema, theatre, literature, poetry, music (notably Opera), and holidays.
Indeed, literary achievements, such as the poetry of Dante, Petrarch, Tasso, and Ariosto and the prose of Boccaccio, Machiavelli, and Castiglione exerted a tremendous and lasting influence on the development of Western culture, as did the painting, sculpture, and architecture.
The musical influence of Italian composers Palestrina, Monteverdi, Corelli and Vivaldi proved epochal; in the 19th century, Italian romantic opera flourished under composers Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccini.
Football is the main national sport and the Italians are well known for their passion for this sport. Italy has won the Football World Cup three times: in 1934, 1938 and 1982.
Moreover, Italy's many regional cucine, while remaining distinctive to their regions of origin, evolving into a unique cuisine that is justifiably world famous. Cooking styles vary notably, from the rich and creamy dishes of the north to the hot and spicy specialities of the south. Northern Italy produces the best-known dishes - spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and tortellini - and is also home to the best prosciutto and mortadella.
Full country name: Italian Republic Area: 301,230 sq km Population: 57.99 million Capital City: Rome People: Italian Language: French, German, Serbian, Croatian, Italian Religion: 84% Roman Catholic, 6% Jewish, Muslim and Protestant Government: republic Head of State: President Head of Government: Prime Minister
GDP: US$1.45 trillion GDP per capita: US$25,100 Inflation: 2.6% Major Industries: tourism, engineering, textiles, chemicals, food processing, motor vehicles, clothing and footwear Major Trading Partners: EU (especially Germany, France, UK, Spain, Netherlands), USA Member of EU: Yes
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Italy is well-known for its art and culture. It has many famous works of architecture, among them the leaning tower of Pisa and the