from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Italy
Introduction
Background: Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional
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.
Geography
Location: Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central
Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Geographic 42 50 N, 12 50 E
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 301,230 sq km
land: 294,020 sq km
water: 7,210 sq km
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
Area - slightly larger than Arizona
comparative:
Land total: 1,932.2 km
boundaries: 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 territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur
4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)
Natural coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos,
resources: 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 27,500 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural regional risks include landslides, mudflows,
hazards: avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding;
land subsidence in Venice
Environment - air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur
current dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from
issues: industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain
damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment
and disposal facilities
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
international Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air
agreements: 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 - strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as
note: well as southern sea and air approaches to Western
Europe
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 0.04% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 8.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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 total: 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 79.81 years
expectancy at male: 76.88 years
birth: female: 82.94 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.5% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 140,000 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
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: approximately 90% Roman Catholic (about one-third
regularly attend services); 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.)
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 republic
type:
Capital: name: Rome
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in
March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative 15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5
divisions: 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 Republic Day, 2 June (1946)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15
branch: May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in
Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers)
Romano PRODI (since 17 May 2006)
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 (no term limits);
election last held 10 May 2006 (next to be held May
2013); prime minister appointed by the president and
confirmed by parliament
election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president
on the fourth round of voting; electoral college vote -
543
Legislative bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the
branch: 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 10 April 2006 (next to be
held in 2011); Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 April
2006 (next to be held May 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - The Union 158 (DS 62, DL 39, RC
27, Together with the Union 11, other 19), House of
Freedoms 154 (FI 79, AN 41, UDC 21, LEGA 13), other 3;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - The Union 348 (DS 220, RC 41, Rose in
the Fist 18, Italy of Values 17, PdCI 16, Greens
Federation 15, UDEUR 10, other 11), House of Freedoms
276 (FI 140, AN 71, Union of Christian and Center
Democrats 39, LEGA 26), other 6
Judicial Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed
branch: 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 Center-Left Union Coalition [Romano PRODI]: Ulivo
parties and Alliance (including Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero
leaders: 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]; Christian Democracy (Per la Autonomie) [Publio
FIORI]
other non-allied parties: New Italian Socialist Party
or New PSI [Gianni DE MICHELIS]; Italian Republican
Party or PRI [Giorgio LA MALFA]; 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 [Guido CESAL]
Political Italian manufacturers and merchants associations
pressure (Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups
groups and (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura); Roman Catholic
leaders: 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 AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS
organization (observer), CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU,
participation: 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,
SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA
representation chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald P. SPOGLI
representation embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome
from the US: 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 three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side),
description: 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
Economy
Economy - Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly
overview: 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 $1.667 trillion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $1.71 trillion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 0.1% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $28,700 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 2.1%
composition by industry: 29.1%
sector: services: 68.8% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 24.49 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 5%
by occupation: industry: 32%
services: 63% (2001)
Unemployment 7.7% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.1%
income or highest 10%: 26.6% (2000)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 36 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 20.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $785.7 billion
expenditures: $861.5 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 108.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets,
products: soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish
Industries: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food
processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing,
footwear, ceramics
Industrial -1% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 270.1 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 78.6%
production by hydro: 18.4%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 3% (2001)
Electricity - 302.2 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 500 million kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 51.5 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 136,200 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 1.874 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 456,600 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 2.158 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved 586.6 million bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 13.55 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 76.88 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 61 million cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 54.78 billion cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 226.5 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $-26.38 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $371.9 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - engineering products, textiles and clothing, production
commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment,
chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and
nonferrous metals
Exports - Germany 13.1%, France 12.3%, US 8.1%, Spain 7.4%, UK
partners: 6.4% (2005)
Imports: $369.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment,
commodities: energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals,
textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco
Imports - Germany 17.2%, France 9.9%, Netherlands 5.7%, China
partners: 4.6%, Belgium 4.5%, Spain 4.2% (2005)
Reserves of $65.95 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $922.5 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $1 billion (2002 est.)
donor:
Currency euro (EUR)
(code): 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
Currency code: EUR
Exchange euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
rates: 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 25.049 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 72.2 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully
system: 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 AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 50.5 million (1997)
Television 358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 30.3 million (1997)
Internet .it
country code:
Internet 1,731,165 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 93 (Italy and Holy See) (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 28.87 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 133 (2006)
Airports - total: 98
with paved over 3,047 m: 7
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 31
under 914 m: 14 (2006)
Airports - total: 35
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 19 (2006)
Heliports: 5 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 17,589 km; oil 1,136 km (2006)
Railways: total: 19,459 km
standard gauge: 18,037 km 1.435-m gauge (11,354 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km
electrified); 1,299 km 0.950-m gauge (161 km
electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 479,688 km
paved: 479,688 km (including 6,478 km of expressways)
(2004)
Waterways: 2,400 km
note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall
value compared to road and rail (2004)
Merchant total: 591 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,737,175 GRT/
marine: 12,573,225 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 52, cargo 45, chemical tanker
136, container 25, liquefied gas 37, livestock carrier
3, passenger 16, passenger/cargo 150, petroleum tanker
49, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 33,
specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 28
foreign-owned: 36 (France 1, Greece 6, Spain 1, Taiwan
10, UK 3, US 15)
registered in other countries: 152 (Bahamas 5, Belize
4, Cayman Islands 12, Cyprus 2, France 2, Germany 1,
Gibraltar 6, Isle of Man 5, Jamaica 1, Liberia 16,
Malta 29, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 4, Panama 15,
Portugal 12, Romania 1, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 18, Singapore 2, Spain 2, Sweden 7, Turkey
3, UK 4) (2006)
Ports and Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna,
terminals: Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Military
Military Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare
branches: Italiana, MMI), Air Force (Aeronautica Militare
Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Corpo dei
Carabinieri, CC) (2005)
Military voluntary military service; conscription abolished
service age January 2005 (2006)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 13,491,260
available for females age 18-49: 12,886,033 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 10,963,513
for military females age 18-49: 10,452,189 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 286,344
reaching females age 18-49: 270,099 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $28,182.8 million (2003)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.8% (2004)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices
international: 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