Italy

§1. Italy Introduction

Background:
  Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula,
  along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II.
  An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when
  Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous
  alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A
  democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival
  followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic
  Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and
  political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
  Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime,
  corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low
  incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the
  prosperous north.

§2. Italy Geography

Location:
  Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea,
  northeast of Tunisia

Geographic coordinates:
  42 50 N, 12 50 E

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 301,230 km²
  land: 294,020 km²
  water: 7,210 km²
  note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Arizona

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,932.2 km
  border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City)
    3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km

Coastline:
  7,600 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
  predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Terrain:
  mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
  highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary
    peak of Mont Blanc)

Natural resources:
  coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar,
  feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable
  land

Land use:
  arable land: 26.41%
  permanent crops: 9.09%
  other: 64.5% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  26,980 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes,
  volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and
  inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid
  rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal
  facilities

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
    Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
    Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
    Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
    Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
    Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
    the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
    Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
  strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea
  and air approaches to Western Europe

§3. Italy People

Population:
  58,133,509 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 13.8% (male 4,147,149/female 3,899,980)
  15-64 years: 66.5% (male 19,530,512/female 19,105,841)
  65 years and over: 19.7% (male 4,771,858/female 6,678,169) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 42.2 years
  male: 40.7 years
  female: 43.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.04% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  8.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.81 years
  male: 76.88 years
  female: 82.94 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  140,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 1,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Italian(s)
  adjective: Italian

Ethnic groups:
  Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians
  in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)

Religions:
  predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities
  and a growing Muslim immigrant community

Languages:
  Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are
  predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in
  Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the
  Trieste-Gorizia area)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99%
  female: 98.3% (2003 est.)

§4. Italy Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Italian Republic
  conventional short form: Italy
  local long form: Repubblica Italiana
  local short form: Italia
  former: Kingdom of Italy

Government type:
  republic

Capital:
  Rome

Administrative divisions:
  15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions* (regioni
  autonome, singular - regione autonoma); Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria,
  Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia*, Lazio, Liguria,
  Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna*, Sicilia*, Toscana,
  Trentino-Alto Adige*, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta*, Veneto

Independence:
  17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified
  until 1870)

National holiday:
  Republic Day, 2 June (1946)

Constitution:
  passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many times

Legal system:
  based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review
  under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum
  age is 25)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13 May 1999)
  head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the president
    of the Council of Ministers) Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 10 June 2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved
    by the president
  elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of both
    houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year
    term; election last held 13 May 1999 (next to be held May 2006); prime
    minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament
  election results: Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected president; percent of
    electoral college vote - 70%
  note: a four-party government coalition includes Forza Italia, National
    Alliance, Northern League, and Union of Christian Democrats of the Center

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della
  Repubblica (315 seats; elected by proportional vote with the winning
  coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; members
  serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati
  (630 seats; elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition
  receiving 54% of chamber seats; members serve five-year terms); note -
  electoral vote reform passed in December 2005
  elections: Senate - last held 13 May 2001 (next to be held in 2006);
    Chamber of Deputies - last held 13 May 2001 (next to be held May 2006)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
    Center-Right House of Freedom Coalition 172 (Forza Italia 77, National
    Alliance 47, UDC 31, Northern League 17), Olive Tree 108 (Democrats of
    the Left 63, Daisy Alliance 35, Greens 10), Per le Autonomie 10, other
    25; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
    Center-Right House of Freedom Coalition 337 (Forza Italia 176, National
    Alliance 97, UDC 36, Northern League 28), Olive Tree 214 (Democrats of
    the Left 135, Daisy Alliance 79), Rifondazione Communista (Italian
    Communist Party) 11, other 68

Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges:
    one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by parliament,
    one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts)

Political parties and leaders:
  Center -Left Union Coalition [Romano PRODI]: Ulivo Alliance (including
    Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO]; Daisy-Democracy is Freedom
    or DL [Francesco RUTELLI]); Rose in the Fist (including Italian Social
    Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI]; Italian Radical Party [Emma BONINO]);
    Italian Communist Party or PdCI [Oliviero DILIBERTO]; Green Federation
    [Alfonso PECORARO SCANIO]; Communist Renewal or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI];
    Italy of Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]; Union of Democrats for Europe
    or UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA]; Republican European Movement or MRE
    [Luciana SBARBATI]
  Center-Right Freedom House Coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI]: Forza Italia or
    FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Union
    of Christian Democrats of the Center or UDC [Pier Ferdinando CASINI];
    Northern League or LEGA [Umberto BOSSI]
  other non-allied parties: New Italian Socialist Party or New PSI [Gianni DE
    MICHELIS]; Italian Republican Party or PRI [Giorgio LA MALFA]; Per la
    Autonomie [leader NA]; Social Alternative [Alessandra MUSSOLINI]; Social
    Movement-Tricolor Flame or MSI-Fiamma [Luca ROMAGNOLI]; Social Idea
    Movement with Rauti or MIS [Pino RAUTI]; South Tyrol People's Party or
    SVP (German speakers) [Elmar Pichler ROLLE]; Union of Valley Aosta Region
    or UV [Manuela ZUBLEMA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria,
  Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura);
  Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations
  (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Guglielmo EPIFANI]
  which is left wing, Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or
  CISL [Savino PEZZOTTA], which is Roman Catholic centrist, and Unione
  Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)

International organization participation:
  AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CDB,
  CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
  MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE,
  Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS,
  UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA
  chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400
  FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los
    Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
  consulate(s): Detroit

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald P. SPOGLI
  embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome
  mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
  telephone: [39] (06) 46741
  FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356
  consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar
  to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white,
  and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the
  colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green
  note: inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797

§5. Italy Economy

Economy - overview:
  Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same total and
  per capita output as France and the UK. This capitalistic economy remains
  divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies,
  and a less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with 20%
  unemployment. Most raw 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 Economic and
  Monetary Unions and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates.
  The current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at
  improving competitiveness and long-term growth. Italy has moved slowly,
  however, on implementing needed structural reforms, such as lightening the
  high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor market and
  over-generous pension system, because of the current
  economic slowdown and opposition from labor unions. But the leadership
    faces a severe economic constraint: the budget deficit has breached the
    3% EU ceiling. The economy experienced almost no growth in 2005, and
    unemployment remained at a high level.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $1.651 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $1.694 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  0.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $28,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 2.1%
  industry: 28.8%
  services: 69.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  24.49 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 5%, industry 32%, services 63% (2001)

Unemployment rate:
  7.9% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.1%
  highest 10%: 26.6% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  36 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.9% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  19.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $785.7 billion
  expenditures: $861.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  107.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives;
  beef, dairy products; fish

Industries:
  tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles,
  motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

Industrial production growth rate:
  -1.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  270.1 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  302.2 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  500 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  51.5 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  136,200 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  1.874 million bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  456,600 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
  2.158 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
  586.6 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  13.55 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  76.88 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  61 million m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  54.78 billion m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  226.5 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-27.62 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $371.9 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor
  vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco;
  minerals, and nonferrous metals

Exports - partners:
  Germany 13.6%, France 12.3%, US 8%, Spain 7.2%, UK 6.9%, Switzerland 4.2%
  (2004)

Imports:
  $369.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products,
  minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and
  tobacco

Imports - partners:
  Germany 18%, France 10.9%, Netherlands 5.9%, Spain 4.6%, Belgium 4.4%, UK
  4.3%, China 4.2% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $60 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $1.682 trillion (30 June 2005 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
  ODA, $1 billion (2002 est.)

Currency (code):
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as
    a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member
    countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for
    everyday transactions within the member countries

Exchange rates:
  euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626
  (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Italy Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  25.957 million (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  62.75 million (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully automated
    telephone, telex, and data services
  domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
  international: country code - 39; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
    (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian
    Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine
    cables

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)

Internet country code:
  .it

Internet hosts:
  1,246,253 (2005)

Internet users:
  28.87 million (2005)

§7. Italy Transportation

Airports:
  135 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 98
  over 3,047 m: 7
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
  914 to 1,523 m: 31
  under 914 m: 14 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 37
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 16
  under 914 m: 19 (2005)

Heliports:
  3 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 17,335 km; oil 1,136 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 19,319 km (11,613 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 18,001 km 1.435-m gauge (11,333 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km electrified); 1,195 km 0.950-m
    gauge (158 km electrified) (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 479,688 km
  paved: 479,688 km (including 6,620 km of expressways) (1999)

Waterways:
  2,400 km
  note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to
    road and rail (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 571 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,781,338 GRT/11,194,627 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 48, chemical tanker 122, combination
    ore/oil 1, container 22, liquefied gas 37, livestock carrier 2, passenger
    17, passenger/cargo 155, petroleum tanker 50, refrigerated cargo 4, roll
    on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 27
  foreign-owned: 53 (France 3, Greece 6, Monaco 6, Switzerland 7, Taiwan 10,
    UK 6, US 15)
  registered in other countries: 149 (The Bahamas 6, Belgium 1, Belize 4,
    Cayman Islands 11, Gibraltar 5, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 7, North Korea 1,
    Liberia 20, Malta 25, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 4, Panama 16, Portugal
    10, Romania 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Spain 2, Sweden 7,
    Turkey 3, UK 5) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna, Taranto, Trieste,
  Venice

§8. Italy Military

Military branches:
  Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Air
  Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Corpo dei
  Carabinieri, CC) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 13,491,260 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 10,963,513 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 286,344 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $28,182.8 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.8% (2004)

§9. Italy Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of
  illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa

Illicit drugs:
  important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest
  Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized
  crime and from smuggling


<Factbook 2006>
