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Alex
{{redirect5|Italian Republic|the Napoleonic state of 1802-5|Italian Republic (Napoleonic)}}
{{redirect5|Italia|theAlex airship named Italia|Airship Italia}}
{{Infobox Country or territory
|native_name = ''Repubblica Italiana''
|conventional_long_name = Miss Irish |common_name = Italy
|image_flag = Flag of Italy.svg
|image_coat = Italy-Emblem.svg
|symbol_type = Coat of arms
|image_map = EU location ITA.png
|map_caption = {{map_caption |region=] |subregion=the ] |legend=European location legend en.png}}
|national_motto =
|national_anthem = '']''{{spaces|2}}(])<br/><small>(also known as ''Fratelli d'Italia'')</small>
|official_languages = ]<sup>1</sup> ('']'')
|capital = ]&nbsp;]
|latd=41 |latm=54 |latNS=N |longd=12 |longm=29 |longEW=E
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = ]
|leader_title1 = ]
|leader_name1 = ]
|leader_title2 = ]
|leader_name2 = ]
|accessionEUdate = ] ] (founding&nbsp;member)
|area_rank = 71st
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area = 301,318
|areami² = 116,346.5 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|percent_water = 2.4
|population_estimate = 58,883,958 <!--http://http://www.istat.it/salastampa/comunicati/in_calendario/bildem/20060710_02/-->
|population_estimate_rank = 23rd
|population_estimate_year = July 2006
|population_census = 57,110,144
|population_census_year = October 2001
|population_density = 195
|population_densitymi² = 499.4 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|population_density_rank = 54th
|GDP_PPP = $1.727 trillion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 8th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2006
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $29,700
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 21st
|GDP_nominal = $1.78 ]<sup>2</sup>
|GDP_nominal_rank = 7th
|GDP_nominal_year = 2006
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $30,200
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 20th
|sovereignty_type = Formation
|established_event1 = ]
|established_event2 = ]
|established_date1 = ] ]
|established_date2 = ] ]
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.940
|HDI_rank = 17th
|HDI_year = 2004
|HDI_category = <span style="color:#090">high</span>
|currency = ] (])<sup>3</sup>
|currency_code = EUR
|country_code =
|time_zone = ]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = ]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
|cctld = ]<sup>4</sup>
|calling_code = 39
|Gini = 36
|Gini_year = 2000
|Gini_category = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
|footnote1 = ] is co-official in the ]; ] is co-official in ].
|footnote2 =
|footnote3 = Prior to 2002: ].
|footnote4 = The ] domain is also used, as it is shared with other ] member states.
}}

'''Italy''' ({{lang-it|Italia}}, officially the '''Italian Republic'''; {{lang-it|Repubblica Italiana}}), is a country located in ], that comprises the ] valley, the ] and the two largest islands in the ], ] and ]. It is also called by ] ''lo Stivale'' ("the Boot", due to its boot-like shape), ''il Bel Paese'' ("the Beautiful Country") or ''la Penisola''<ref>http://www.demauroparavia.it/81012</ref> ("the Peninsula" as an ]).

Italy shares its northern ] boundary with ], ], ] and ]. The independent countries of ] and the ] are ] within Italian territory, while ] is an Italian ] in ].

Italy was home to many well-known and influential ], including the ], ], and the ]. Its capital ] has laid the foundations for Western Society, and is an historically important ], especially as the core of ancient Rome and the ]. For more than 3,000 years Italy experienced ] and ]s from ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] peoples during the ], followed by the ] period, in which the ] took place and various ] were noted for their cultural achievements. Italy was divided into many independent states and often experienced ] before the ], that created Italy as an independent ] for the first time in its history, took place. During the period under the ] Italy experienced much conflict, but stability was restored after the creation of the ].

Today, Italy is a ] with the ] ] and the seventeenth-highest ] rating in the world. It is a member of the ] and a founding member of what is now the ] (having signed the ] in 1957), of the ] and of the ]. Starting from ] ], Italy is a ] of the ]. It is considered by some a ]. Inhabitants of Italy are referred to as ] (''Italiani'', or poetically ''Italici'').

==Origin of the name "Italy"==
The name appears to be a Greek form of Latin ''Vitelia'', related to the Latin ''vitulus'' and Greek ἰταλός 'calf', but nature of the relationship is obscure: see ].

The name originally applied to a small part of southern Italy. According to ], it was originally just the southern portion of the ] peninsula (modern Calabria), but by his time ] and Italy were synonymous, and covered most of ] as well.<ref>''Encyclopæedia Britannica'', eleventh edition, '''15''':25bc</ref> It was only under ] that this denomination was applied to the whole peninsula.

==History==
{{main|History of Italy}}
Excavations throughout Italy have unearthed proof of human presence in Italy dating back to the ] period (the "Old Stone Age") some 200,000 years ago.

Greek migrations as early as 600&nbsp;BC saw many ] intelligentsia migrate to Western Europe — especially to Italy, including ] who built his University at ], ], Italy.

Italy has influenced the cultural and social development of the whole ], deeply influencing ] as well. As a result, it has also influenced other important ]s. Such cultures and ]s have existed there since ]. After ], the ] and especially the ] and ] that dominated this part of the world for many centuries, Italy was central to ] and ] during the ].

] in Rome, perhaps the most enduring symbol of Italy]]
===Rome and the Middle Ages===
{{main|Ancient Rome|Italy in the Middle Ages}}

Centre of the Roman civilization for centuries, Italy lost its unity after the collapse of the ] and subsequent barbarian invasions. Conquered by the ]s and briefly regained by the ] (552), it was partially occupied by the ] in 568, resulting in the peninsula becoming irreparably divided. For centuries the country was the prey of different populations, resulting in its ultimate decadence and misery. Most of the population fled from cities to take refuge in the countryside under the protection of powerful feudal lords. After the Longobards came the ] (774). Italy became part of the ]. ] created the first nucleus of the State of the ], which later became a strong countervailing force against any unification of the country.

Population and economy started slowly to pick up after 1000, with the resurgence of cities (which organized themselves politically in '']''), trade, arts and literature. During the later ] the partially democratic Comuni, which could not face the challenges of that period, were substituted by monarchic-absolutistic governments ('']''), but the fragmentation of the peninsula, especially in the northern and central parts of the country, continued, while the southern part, with ], ] and ], remained under a single domination. ] and ] created powerful commercial empires in the Eastern part of the ] and ].

===Italy during the Renaissance and Baroque===
{{main|Renaissance|Italian Renaissance}}

], Italian ].]]

The ] in 1348 inflicted a terrible blow to Italy, resulting in one third of the population killed by the disease. The recovery from the disaster led to a new resurgence of cities, trade and economy which greatly stimulated the successive phase of the ] and ] (]-] centuries) when Italy again returned to be the centre of Western civilization, strongly influencing the other European countries. During this period the many Signorie gathered in a small number of regional states, but none of them had enough power to unify the peninsula.

After a century where the fragmented system of Italian states and principalities were able to maintain a relative independence and a balance of power in the peninsula, in 1494 the French king ] opened the first of a series of invasions, lasting half of the ], and a competition between ] and ] for the possession of the country. Ultimately Spain prevailed (the ] in 1559 recognised the Spanish possession of the ] and the ]) and for almost two centuries became the hegemon in Italy. The holy alliance between reactionary ] and the Holy See resulted in the systematic persecution of any Protestant movement, with the result that Italy remained a Catholic country with marginal Protestant presence. The Spanish domination and the control of the Church resulted in intellectual stagnation and economic decadence, also attributable to the shifting of the main commercial routes from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.

===Napoleonic Italy and the struggle for unification===
{{main|Risorgimento}}

]]]

] succeeded Spain as Hegemon in Italy after the ] (1713), having acquired the State of ] and the Kingdom of Naples. The Austrian domination, thanks also to the ] embraced by ], was a considerable improvement upon the Spanish one. The northern part of Italy, under the direct control of ], again recovered economic dynamism and intellectual fervour, had improved its situation.

The ] and the ] (1796-1815) introduced the modern ideas of ], ], ] and ]. The peninsula was not a main battle field as in the past but ] (born in ] in ], one year after the cession of the island from Genoa to France) changed completely its political map, destroying in 1799 the ], which never recovered its independence. The states founded by Napoleon with the support of minority groups of Italian patriots were short-lived and did not survive the defeat of the French Emperor in 1815.
The Restoration had all the pre-Revolution states restored with the exception of the Republic of Venice (forthwith under Austrian control) and the ] (under ] domination). Napoleon had nevertheless the merit to give birth to the first national movement for unity and independence. Albeit formed by small groups with almost no contact with the masses, the Italian patriots and liberals staged several uprisings in the decades up to 1860. ] and ] are the best-known leaders of this political-military movement. From 1849 onwards the Italian patriots were more or less openly supported by ], the ], who put his arms in the Italian tricolour dedicating the ] to the Italian unity.

===Industrialisation, World Wars, and Fascism===
{{main|History of Italy as a monarchy and in the World Wars}}

] and ], at least in the northern portion of the country, started in the last part of the ] under a protectionist regime. The south, in the meanwhile, stagnated under overpopulation and underdevelopment, so forcing millions of people to search for employment and better conditions of life abroad. This lasted until ]. It is calculated that more than 26 million Italians migrated to ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

Parliamentary democracy developed considerably at the beginning of the ].The Sardinian ] of ], extended to the whole ] in 1861, provided for basic freedoms, but the electoral laws excluded the non-propertied and uneducated classes from voting. In ] male universal suffrage was allowed. The ] Party resulted the main political party, outclassing the traditional liberal and conservative organisations. The path to a modern liberal democracy was interrupted by the tragedy of the ] (1915-1918), which Italy fought along with France and the ]. Italy was able to beat the ] in November 1918. It obtained ], ](Alto-Adige), ] and ], besides ] and a few territories on the ] (]), gaining respect as an international power, but the population had to pay a heavy human and social price. The war produced more than 600,000 dead, ] and ], economic and political instability, which in the end favoured the ] movement to violently seize power in 1922, albeit with the support of the King ], who feared ] and ], and preserving, at least initially, constitutional procedures.

] and Hitler.]]

The fascist dictatorship of ] lasted from 1922 to 1943 but in the first years Mussolini maintained the appearance of a liberal democracy. After rigged elections in 1924 gave to Fascism and its conservative allies an absolute majority in ], Mussolini cancelled all democratic liberties on ] ]. He then proceeded to establish a totalitarian state, imposing the control of the state upon all single social and political activity. Political parties were banned, independent trade unions were closed. The only permitted party was the ]. A ] (]) and a system of quasi-legal repression (Tribunale Speciale) ensured the total control of the regime upon Italians who, in their majority, either resigned or welcomed the dictatorship, many considering it a last resort to stop the spread of communism. While relatively benign in comparison with Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia, several thousands people were incarcerated or exiled for their opposition and several dozens were killed by fascist thugs (Giacomo Matteotti,Carlo and Nello Rosselli) or died in prison (]). Mussolini tried to spread his authoritarian ideology to other European countries and dictators such as ] in Portugal, ] in Spain and ] in Germany were heavily influenced by the Italian examples. Conservative but democratic leaders in the United Kingdom and United States were at the beginning favourable to Mussolini. Mussolini tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to spread fascism amongst the millions of Italians living abroad.

In 1929 Mussolini realised a pact with the ], resulting in the rebirth of an independent state of the ] for the Catholic Church in the heart of Rome. In 1935 he declared war on ] on a pretext. Ethiopia was subjugated in few months. This resulted in the alienation of Italy from its traditional allies, France and the United Kingdom, and its nearing to Nazi Germany. A first pact with Germany was concluded in 1936 and then in 1938 (the ]). Italy supported Franco's revolution in Spanish civil war and Hitler's pretensions in central Europe, accepting the annexation of Austria to Germany in 1938, although the disappearance of a buffer state between mighty Germany and Italy was unfavourable for the country. In October 1938 Mussolini managed to avoid imminent eruption of another war in Europe, bringing together the United Kingdom, France and Germany ] of ]'s integrity.

] in 1940]]

In April 1939 Italy occupied ], a ''de-facto'' protectorate for decades, but in September 1939, after the invasion of Poland, Mussolini decided not to intervene on Germany's side, due to the poor preparation of the armed forces. Italy entered in war in June 1940 when France was almost defeated. Mussolini hoped for a quick victory but Italy showed from the very beginning the poor nature of its army and the scarce ability of its generals. Italy invaded Greece in October 1940 via Albania but after a few days was forced to withdraw. After conquering British Somalia in 1940, a counter-attack by the Allies led to the loss of the whole Italian empire in the Horn of Africa. Italy was also defeated by Allied forces, notably Australians, in Northern Africa and saved only by the German armed forces led by ].

After several defeats, Italy was invaded in June 1943. In July 1943 King Vittorio Emanuele III and a group of Fascist leaders staged a coup d'etat against Mussolini, having him arrested. While the old pre-Fascist political parties resurfaced, secret peace negotiations with the Allies were started. In September 1943 Italy surrendered. It was immediately invaded by Germany and for nearly two years the country was divided and became a battlefield. The Nazi-occupied part of the country, where a puppet fascist state under Mussolini was reconstituted, was the theatre of a savage civil war between ] (''"]"'') and Nazi and fascist troops. The country was liberated by a national uprising on ] ] (the '']'').

Under the ] peace treaty, minor adjustments were made to Italy's frontier with France, the eastern border area was transferred to ], and the area around the city of ] was designated a free territory. In ], the free territory, which had remained under the administration of U.S.&ndash;UK forces (Zone A, including the city of Trieste) and Yugoslav forces (Zone B), was divided between Italy and Yugoslavia, principally along the zonal boundary.

Particularly in the north agitation against the king ran high, left wing and communist armed partisans wanting to depose him as being responsible for the fascist regime. Vittorio Emanuele gave up the throne to his son ] who again faced the possibility of civil war. ] after the result of a popular ] held on ] ], a day since then celebrated as ]. The republic won with a 9% margin; the north of Italy voted prevalently for a republic, the south for the monarchy. The Republican Constitution was approved and entered into force on ] ], including a provisional measure banning all male members of the house of Savoy from Italy. This stipulation was redressed in 2002.

===The First Republic (1947-1992)===
{{main|History of the Italian Republic}}

In the fifties Italy became a member of the ] alliance and an ally of the United States, which helped to revive the Italian economy through the ]. In the same years, Italy also became a member of the European Economical Community (]), which later transformed into the European Union (]). At the end of the fifties an impressive economic growth was termed "Economic Miracle", which lifted the country among the most industrialised nations in the world, with a perennial political instability.

During the First Republic, the Christian Democracy slowly but steadily lost support, as society modernised and the traditional values at its ideological core became less appealing to the population. The Christian Democracy's main support areas (sometimes known as "vote tanks") were the rural areas in southern and central Italy, whereas the industrial North had more left-leaning support because of the larger working class. An interesting exception were the "red regions" (], ], ]) where the Italian Communist Party (and the ] after them) has historically had a wide support.

], photographed during his kidnapping by the ]]]

The shrinking support for the Christian Democracy eventually caused the single main event in the First Republic, the entry of the ] in the government in the sixties, after the reducing edge of the Christian Democracy (DC) had forced them to accept this alliance; attempts to incorporate the neo-fascist ] (MSI) in the ] government led to riots, and were short-lived.This period came to be known as the "]" because of a wave of bombings and shootings, attributed to far-right, far-left and secret services actions. Christian democrat politician ] was kidnapped by the ], a terrorist paramilitary group, on March 16, 1978, the day the ] with the ] (PCI), which had embraced ] with ], was supposed to be enacted, insuring the PCI's return to government for the first time since May 1947. Aldo Moro's corpse was then discovered on May 9, in ''via ]'' in Rome, in a site equidistant between the DC and the PCI headquarters.In 2000, a Parliament Commission report from the ] left-of-center coalition concluded that the strategy of tension had been supported by the United States to ''"stop the PCI, and to a certain degree also the PSI, from reaching executive power in the country".''<ref> {{it icon}} {{Cite web | title=Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sul terrorismo in Italia e sulle cause della mancata individuazione dei responsabili delle stragi (1995 Parliamentary Commission of Investigation on Terrorism in Italy and on the Causes of the Failing of the Arrests of the Responsibles of the Bombings) | date=1995 | accessdate=May 2, 2006 | url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/php/documents/collection_gladio/report_ital_senate.pdf}} </ref> <ref name="Fontana"/> <ref name="Docs"> {{en icon}}/{{it icon}}/{{fr icon}}/{{de icon}} {{Cite web | title=Secret Warfare: Operation Gladio and NATO's Stay-Behind Armies | accessdate=May 2, 2006 | publisher=Swiss Federal Institute of Technology / International Relation and Security Network | url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/php/collections/coll_gladio.htm#Documents}} </ref>

In the ], for the first time, two governments were led by a republican and a socialist (]) rather than by a member of DC (which nonetheless remained the main force behind the government). With the end of the “lead years”, the PCI gradually increased their votes under the leadership of ]. The ] (PSI), led by ], became more and more critical of the communists and of the ]; Craxi himself pushed in favour of US president ]'s positioning of ] missiles in Italy.

===The Second Republic (1993-present)===

], viewed by many as the symbol of Tangentopoli, leader of the ], is greeted by a salvo of coins as a sign of loathing by protesters contesting him.]]

From ] to ], Italy faced significant challenges as voters (disenchanted with past political paralysis, massive government debt, extensive corruption, and organized crime's considerable influence collectively called ] after being uncovered by ] - "Clean hands") demanded political, economic, and ethical reforms. The scandals involved all major parties, but especially those in the government coalition: between ] and ] the ] underwent a severe crisis and was dissolved, splitting up into several pieces, among whom the ] and the ]. The ] (and the other governing minor parties) completely dissolved.

], Prime Minister of Italy in 1994 and from 2001 to 2006]]


The ] elections also swept media magnate ] (leader of "]" coalition) into office as Prime Minister. Berlusconi, however, was forced to step down in December ] when the ''Lega Nord'' withdrew support. The Berlusconi government was succeeded by a ] headed by Prime Minister ], which left office in early ].

In April 1996, national elections led to the victory of a center-left coalition under the leadership of ].

In 2001 the centre-right ] and ] was able to remain in power for a complete five year mandate.

In ] an earthquake struck the ] region killing more than 30 persons, mostly schoolchildren.

The last ] returned Prodi in the government with a slim majority.

Italy is a founding member of the ], ], ], ] and ].

==Government and politics==
{{main|Politics of Italy}}

], ] elected on ], ].]]
] is the ] of Italy since May 17, 2006]]
], house of the President of the Republic.]]

The ] ] established a ] ] ('']''), consisting of a ] (''Camera dei Deputati'') and a ] (''Senato della Repubblica''), a separate ], and an ] composed of a Council of Ministers (]) (''Consiglio dei ministri''), headed by the ] (''Presidente del consiglio dei ministri'').

The ] (''Presidente della Repubblica'') is elected for seven years by the parliament sitting jointly with a small number of regional delegates. The president nominates the prime minister, who proposes the other ministers (formally named by the president). The Council of Ministers must retain the support (''fiducia'') of both houses.

The houses of ] are popularly and directly elected through a complex electoral system (latest amendment in ]) which combines proportional representation with a majority prize for the largest coalition (Chamber). The electoral system in the ] is based upon ] representation. During the elections in ], the two competing coalitions were separated by few thousand votes, and in the Chamber the centre-left coalition (''L'Unione''; ]: ''] '') got 345 Deputies against 277 for the centre-right one (''Casa delle Libertà''; English: '']''), while in the Senate ''l'Ulivo'' got only two Senators more than absolute majority. The ] has 630 ] and the Senate 315 elected senators; in addition, the Senate includes former presidents and appointed senators for life (no more than five) by the President of the Republic according to special constitutional provisions. As of ] ], 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 ], ], ], ], ] and ].

A peculiarity of the ] is the representation given to ] (more than 2 million). Among the 630 Deputies and the 315 Senators there are respectively 12 and 6 elected in four distinct foreign constituencies. Those members of Parliament were elected for the first time in April 2006 and they enjoy the same rights as members elected in Italy. Legislative bills may originate in either house and must be passed by a majority in both. The Italian judicial system is based on ] modified by the ] and later statutes. The ] (''Corte Costituzionale'') rules on the conformity of laws with the ] and is a post-World War II innovation.

All Italian citizens older than 18 can vote. However, to vote for the senate, the voter must be at least 25 or older.

{{See also|Foreign relations of Italy|Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs|List of Prime Ministers of Italy}}

==Administrative divisions==
{{main|Regions of Italy|Provinces of Italy|Municipalities of Italy}}
]s.]]
]
Italy is subdivided into 20 regions (''regioni'', singular ''regione''). Five of these regions enjoy a ] that enables them to enact legislation on some of their specific local matters, and are marked by an *:
#] (])
#] (])
#] (])
#] (], ''Napoli'')
#] (])
#]* (])
#], (], ''Roma'')
#] (], ''Genova'')
#], ''Lombardia'' (], ''Milano'')
#]s, ''Marche'' (])
#], (])
#], ''Piemonte'' (], ''Torino'')
#], ''Puglia'' (])
#]*, ''Sardegna'' (])
#]*, ''Valle d'Aosta'' (])
#], ''Toscana'' (], ''Firenze'')
#]*, (])
#] (])
#]*, ''Sicilia'' (])
#] (], ''Venezia'')

All regions except the Aosta Valley are further subdivided into two or more ] (''provincias''). The lowest level of division is the municipality (''comune'').

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

Italy consists predominantly of a large ] (the ]), with a distinctive boot shape that extends into the ], where together with its two main islands - ] and ] - it creates distinct bodies of water, such as the ] to the north-east, the ] to the south-east, the ] to the south-west and finally the ] to the north-west. For a complete list of the islands of Italy, see ].
]

The ] form the backbone of this peninsula, leading north-west to where they join the ], the mountain range that then forms an arc enclosing Italy from the north. Here is also found a large alluvial plain, the Po-Venetian plain, drained by the ] — which is Italy's longest river with 652&nbsp;km — and its many tributaries flowing down from the ] (], ], ], ], ], ]), and ]s (], ], ], ], ]).

Other rivers include the ] (''Tevere'') (405&nbsp;km), ] (410&nbsp;km), ], ], ], ], ], ], ].

Its highest point is ] (''Monte Bianco'') at 4,810&nbsp;]s <!--spelled out per WP:MOSNUM -->(15,781 ]){{rf|3|montblanc}}. Italy is more typically associated with two famous ]es: the currently dormant ] near ] and the very active ] on ].

==Climate==
The climate in Italy is uniquely diverse and can be far from the stereotypical ] and "land of sun", depending on the location. The inland northern areas of Italy (Turin, Milan, and Bologna) have a ], while the coastal areas of Liguria and the peninsula south of Florence fit the stereotype (even if the city of Genoa, about once a year, may experience heavy snow falls). The coastal areas of the peninsula can be very different from the interior, particularly during the winter months. The higher altitudes are cold, wet, and often snowy. The coastal regions, where most of the large towns are located, have a typical ] climate with mild winters and hot and generally dry summers. The length and intensity of the summer dry season increases southwards (compare the tables for ], ], and ]).
]

Between the north and south there is a quite remarkable difference in the temperatures, above all during the winter: in some winter days it can be -2°C and snowing in Milan while Rome gets +12°C and it is +18°C in Palermo. Temperature differences are less extreme in the summer. (''See how Po valley can be frosty in winter '')

The east coast of the ] is not as wet as the west coast, but is usually colder in the winter. The east coast north of ] is occasionally affected by the cold ] winds in winter and spring, but the wind is less strong here than around ].
During these frosty spells from E-NE cities like Rimini, Ancona, Pescara and the entire eastern hillside of the Apennines can be affected by true "blizzards". The town of Fabriano, located just around 300 mt a.s.l., can often see 0.50-0.60 m of fresh snow fall in 24 hours during these episodes.
Northwide, on the coast line from Ravenna to Venice and Trieste, snow falls more rarely: during cold spells from east, the cold can be harsh but with bright skies; while, during the snowfalls that affects Northern Italy, on the Adriatic coast usually blows a milder Scirocco wind which makes snow turning into rain - the mild effects of this wind, anyway, often disappear just a few kilometers inside the plain, and sometime the coast from Venice to Grado sees snow while it is raining in Trieste, the Po mouths and Ravenna. Rarely, the city of Trieste may see snow blizzards with north-eastern winds, but just in very particular conditions; in the colder winters, the Venice Lagoon may freeze, and in the coldest ones even enough to walk on the ice sheet.

Italy is subject to highly diverse weather conditions in autumn, winter, and spring, while summer is usually more stable, although the northern regions often experience thunderstorms in the afternoon/night hours and some grey and rainy day. So, while south of Florence the summer is typically dry and sunny, the north is tends to be more humid and cloudy. Spring and Autumn weather can be very changeable, with sunny and warm weeks (sometime with Summer-like temperatures) suddenly broken off by cold spells (sometime bringing snow in November, March or April even at sea level) or followed by rainy and cloudy weeks.

The least number of rainy days and the highest number of hours of sunshine occur in the extreme south of the mainland and in ] and ]. Here sunshine averages from four to five hours a day in winter and up to ten or eleven hours in summer. In the north precipitation is more evenly distributed during the year, although the summer is usually slightly wetter. Between November and March the Po valley is often covered by fog, especially in the central zone (Pavia, Cremona, and Mantua), while the number of frost days usually goes from 60 to 80 a year. Snow is quite common between early December and early March in cities like Turin, Milan and Bologna, but sometime it appears in late November or late March and even April. In the winter of 2005-2006, Milan received around 0.75-0.80 m of fresh snow, Como around 1.00 m, Brescia 0.50 m, Trento 1.60 m, Vicenza around 0.45 m, Bologna around 0.30 m, and Piacenza around 0.80 m. (''see the late January 2006 snowfall of Bergamo '')

Summer temperatures are often similar North to South, but with the different weather conditions seen above. July temperatures are 23-24°C north of river Po, like in Milan or Venice, and south of river Po can reach 25-26°C like in Bologna, with less thunderstorms; on the coasts of Central and Southern Italy, and in the near plains, mean temperatures goes from 23°C to 27°C. Generally, the hottest month is August in the south and July in the north; during these months the thermometer can reach 38-42°C in the south and 33-35°C in the north; rarely, the country can be splitted as during winter, with rain and fresh temperatures like 20-22°C during the day in the North, and 30°C to 40°C in the South; but, having a hot and dry summer does not mean that Southern Italy never see rain from June to August.

The coldest month is January: the Po valley's mean temperature is around 0-1°C, Venice 2-3°C, Trieste 4-5°C, Florence 5-6°C, Rome 7-8°C, Naples 9°C, Palermo 12°C. Winter morning lows can occasionally reach -30/-20°C in the Alps, -14/-8°C in Po valley, -7°C in Florence, -4°C in Rome, -2°C in Naples and 2°C in Palermo. In cities like Rome and Milan, heat island can be very strong, so inside the hurban area the winter can be milder and the summer more sultry.
Often, the biggest snow falls happen in February, sometime in January or March; in the Alps, snow falls more in Autumn and overall Spring over 1500m, because winter is usually marked by cold and dry weeks; while the Appennines see many more snow falls during winter, but they are warmer and less wet in the other seasons; both the mountain chains can see up to 5-10m of snow along a year at 2000m; on the highest pikes of Alps, snow may fall even during mid summer, and small to large glaciers are present.

The absolute record low was near -45°C in the Alps, and the record low near the sea level was -28.8°C (recorded during January 1985 near Bologna), while in the south cities like Catania, Foggia, Lecce or Alghero have experienced highs of 48°C in some hot summers.

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

The latest population estimate done by ] (Italian Statistics Office) stated that there were 58,751,711 inhabitants in Italy in 2005, making it the fourth largest population in the ] (after Germany, France and the United Kingdom), and the 22nd in the world. In July 2006, the Italian population climbed to an estimated 58,883,958 , an increase of 0.2%, mainly supplemented by immigrants, and an increasing life expectancy of 79.81 years. Despite population growth, Italy is rapidly ageing. 1 in 5 inhabitants are pensioners, and if this ageing trend continues, the Italian population could shrink by a quarter in 2050.

Italy has the fifth highest population density in all of Europe with 195 persons per square kilometre. The highest density is in Northwestern Italy, as two regions out of twenty (Lombardia and Piemonte) combined, contain one quarter of the Italian population, where an estimated 7.4 million people live in the metropolitan ] area. The literacy rate in Italy is 98% overall as school is mandatory for children aged 6 to 18.<ref>.</ref>

=== Immigration ===

Italy's position in Europe and the northern Mediterranean basin meant many influences, invasions and migrations over thousands of years. As a result, besides the ancient ], the Italian peninsula has been influenced by ], ], ancient ], ], ], ] ], and ] peoples who either colonised, invaded or plundered Italy over the past 3,000 years.

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Italy was a major source of emigrants to the Americas, ] and other nations in ]. However, Italy is now a destination for immigrants from all over the world with ], ], and Asia being the chief areas. As of 2005, 4.56% or 2,670,514 foreigners live in Italy, an increase of 268,357 or 10 percent from the previous year. In many northern Italian cities, like ], ], and ], migrants make up 33%<ref></ref>, 15%, and 13% of their total populations.

The most recent wave of migration has been from Eastern Europe, replacing North Africans as a major source of migrants. As of 2005, some 1,025,874 Eastern Europeans live in Italy, 40% of the total population migrants in Italy. The Top 5 foreign nationalities in Italy are: ]n: 348,813, Moroccan: 319,537, Romanian: 297,570, Chinese: 127,822, and Ukrainian: 107,188..

===Religion===
{{main|Religion in Italy}}

], Rome]]

] is by far the largest religion in the country. Although the Catholic Church has never been the state religion, it still plays a role in the nation's political affairs, partly due to the ]'s location in Rome. 87.8% of Italians identified as ] , although only about one-third of these described themselves as active members (36.8%).

Other ] groups in Italy include more than 700,000 ] (1.2%) , including 470,000 newcomers {{PDFlink||65.4&nbsp;]<!-- application/pdf, 67016 bytes -->}} and some 180,000 ], 550,000 ] and ] (0.8%), of which 400,000 members of the ], 235,685 ] (0.04%){{Facts|date=February 2007}}, 30,000 ] , 25,000 ], 22,000 ], 15,000 ] (plus some 5,000 Free Baptists), 7,000 ], 5,000 ] (affiliated to the Waldensian Church) .

However, the most historical religious minority is the ] community, comprising roughly 45,000 Jews. It is no longer the strongest non-Christian group. Indeed, in the past two decades, Italy has been receiving many waves of immigrants from all over the world, especially eastern Europe and North Africa. As a result some 825,000 ] (1.4%), of which only 50,000 are Italian citizens, live in Italy, as well as 110,000 ] (0.2%) , and {{PDFlink||65.4&nbsp;]<!-- application/pdf, 67016 bytes -->}}, 70,000 ]s , 70,000 ] (0.1%).

{{see also|Christianity in Italy|Islam in Italy|Jews in Italy|Buddhism in Italy|List of Italian politicians belonging to a religious minority}}

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Italy}}

According to GDP calculations, as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), Italy is ranked as the seventh largest economy in the world in 2006, behind the ], ], ], ], ], and ], 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. Italy's economy is supposed to have an "underground" sector that is not included in the official data.

Most new materials needed by industry 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.

Italy's economic performance has at times lagged behind that of its ] 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 current economic slowdown and opposition from ].

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 size 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, taking advantage on the technological potential of the country and the cultural tradition of high-quality products, while moving lower-tech manifacturing 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.

{{see also|List of Italian companies}}

==Culture==

{{see also|Culture of Italy}}
], the center of the nineteenth century artistic movement "Macchiaioli."]]

Italy, as a state, did not exist until the unification of the country came to a conclusion in year ]. Due to this comparatively late unification, and the historical autonomy of the many regions that comprise the ], many traditions and customs that we now recognise as distinctly Italian can be identified by their regions of origin, which further reflect the influence of the many different peoples that occupied those areas, and of the importance of religion, especially ]. Despite the pronounced political and social isolation of these regions that prevailed throughout Italy's history, Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of ] remain immense. In fact, Italy is home to the greatest number of ] ] (41) to date.
], Milan.]]

Italy has been a seminal place for many important artistic and intellectual movements that spread throughout Europe and beyond, including the ] and ]. Perhaps Italy's greatest cultural achievements lie in its long artistic heritage, which is often validated through the names of ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], among many others. Beyond art, Italy's contributions to the realms of literature, science, and music cannot be overlooked.

With the basis of the modern ] established through the eminent ] poet, ], whose greatest work, the ], is often considered the foremost literary statement 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.
]'' by ]]]
In science, ] made considerable advancements toward the ], and ] was the quintessential ]. Other notable Italian scientists and inventors include ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].

From ] to ], music has always played an important role in Italian culture. Having given birth to ], for example, Italy provides many of the very foundations of the classical music tradition. Some of the instruments that are often associated with classical music, including the ] and ], were invented in Italy, and many of the existing classical music forms can trace their roots back to innovations of sixteenth and seventeenth century Italian music (such as the ], ], and ]). Some of Italy's most famous composers include the Renaissance composers ] and ], the Baroque composers ] and ], the Classical composers ] and ], and the Romantic composers ] and ]. Modern Italian composers such as ] and ] proved significant in the development of experimental and electronic music.

Italians are renowned for their love of ]. Their zeal for sports events is, indeed, no less than legendary; from the ] of ], to the ] of contemporary Rome, where prestigious football clubs compete regularly, the impact that sports has had on Italian culture is enduring and undeniable. Towards the alps, the popularity of ] grows, with many Italians from that region competing in international games and Olympic venues. Moving downwards the peninsula, the disparity between participation in sports becomes less regional. Despite any regional variation that may exist, the incorporation of sports in many Italian festivities like ] (see also ]), and the ] race (]) that takes place in Venice on the first Sunday of September, affirms the role sports play in everyday Italian life. Popular sports include ], ], and ] (a sport which shares its renown with a staple of Italian design, ]), among others.

{{See also|Cuisine of Italy|Music of Italy|Cinema of Italy|Art of Italy|Sport in Italy|Italian Literature|List of Italians}}

==Languages==
{{main|Languages of Italy}}
The official language of Italy is ], descendant of ] and a direct descendant of ]. (Some 75% of Italian words are of Latin origin.) However, when Italy was unified, in 1861, Italian existed mainly as a ]. Different languages were spoken throughout the Italian peninsula, many of which were ]s which had developed in every region, due to political fragmentation of Italy{{rf|2|dialects}}. Indeed, each historical region of Italy had its own so-called ‘dialetto’ (with ‘]’ usually meaning, improperly, a non-Italian Romance language), with variants existing at the township-level.
]]]

Massimo d'Azeglio, one of Cavour's ministers, is said to have stated, following Italian unification, that having created Italy, all that remained was to create Italians. Given the high number of languages spoken throughout the peninsula, it was quickly established that 'proper' or 'standard' Italian would be based on the ] spoken in most of ] (given that it was the first region to produce authors such as ], who between 1308 and 1321 wrote the '']''), the process of unification of a italian language, starts before 1500 a.C. with ] that took the ]'s language to make the ufficial italian literary language (''il ]'' or simply ]). Early in 1500 a.C. with the increase of books diffusion, the standardized italian become very popolar and his diffusion will be more increased by the literar movements (like: (], ] ect). A national education system was established - leading to a decrease in variation in the languages spoken throughout the country over time. But it was not until the 1960s, when economic growth enabled widespread access to the television programmes of the state television broadcaster, ], that Italian truly became broadly-known and quite standardised.

Today, despite regional variations in the form of accents and vowel emphasis, Italian is fully comprehensible to most throughout the country. Nevertheless certain ] have become cherished beacons of regional variation—the ] which is extensively used for the singing of popular folk-songs, for instance—and in recent years many people have developed a particular pride in their local dialects.

In addition to the various regional linguistic varieties and dialects of standard Italian, a number of languages enjoying some form of official recognition are spoken:
*In the north, the province of ] has a majority ]-speaking population; the area was awarded to Italy following the First World War and her defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Pockets of German speakers also persist in other north Italian regions: the ] in Veneto (], ], etc.) and the ]s in Val'Aosta (]). In total some 300,000 or so Italians speak German as their first language and indeed many identify themselves as ethnic Austrians.
*Some 120,000 or so people live in the ] region, where a dialect of ] is spoken that is similar to dialects spoken in ]. About 1,400 people living in two isolated towns in ] speak another dialect of Franco-Provençal.
*About 80,000 ]-speakers live in the north-eastern region of ] near the border with Slovenia.
*In the ] mountains of ] and ] there are some 40,000 speakers of the ] language ].
*A very large community of some 700,000 people in ] speak ]&mdash;another Rhaetian language.
*In the ] region of central-south Italy some 4,000 people speak ]. These are the ], descendants of a group of people who migrated from the Balkans in the Middle Ages.
*Scattered across ] (] and ]) are a number of some 30,000 ]-speakers&mdash;considered to be the last surviving traces of the region's Greek heritage. (Ancient Greek colonists reached southern Italy and Sicily about 1500&nbsp;BC.) They speak a Greek dialect, ].
*Some 15,000 ] speakers reside around the area of ] in the north-west corner of ]&mdash;believed to be the result of a migration of a large group of Catalans from ] in ages past.
*The ], of whom there are around 100,000 in southern Italy and in central ]—the result of past migrations—are speakers of the Arbëresh dialect of ].
*] is spoken in Sicily by 4,832,520 people, nearly the entire population of the island. Again, it is commonly assumed to be a dialect, though it is distinct enough from Italian to be classified separately by ].
*Finally, the largest group of non-Italian speakers, some 1.3 million people, are those who speak ], a Romance language which retains many pre-Latin words.

==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 million immigrants in that country but it is unclear how the estimate was made, and therefore whether it should be taken seriously or not.
{{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 m), but these are inconsistent with an 1861 convention and topographic watershed analysis.
</div>

==References==
{{reflist}}
:''Other references can be found in the more detailed articles linked to in this article.''
*Mitrica, Mihai ("One million Romanians have moved to Italy"). ''Evenimentul Zilei'', ] ]. Visited ] ].

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Italy}}
{{portal|Italy|Flag of Italy.svg}}

===Official sites===
* - Official Tourism site (work in progress)
* - Official site of the President of the Republic of Italy {{it icon}}
* - Official site of the Italian Parliament (Senate in Italian only)
* - Chamber of Deputies (few languages)
* - Senate {{it icon}}
* - Main institutional portal {{it icon}}
* - Official site of the Council of Ministries
* - Italian ]
* - Italian Supreme Court ]
* - Italian Court of Accounts
* - Italian Foreign Office
* - Ministry of Interior {{it icon}}
* - Ministry of Education, University and Research
* - International exchanges - Ministry of Education
* - Ministry of Health
* - Ministry of Defence
* - Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
* - Ministry for Economic Development
* - Ministry of Agriculture
* - Ministry of Justice
* - National Statistics Office {{it icon}}

===Others===
*
*
* - Italian State Tourism Board
*
*
*
* at IUE
*

===Travel===
* {{wikitravel}}

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Revision as of 15:40, 28 March 2007

Alex