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Destination Italy
- Italia -

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

map of austria
For a quick brief check The CIA Factbook

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. 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 European Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.

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

Coast line: 4,988 km

Airports: see left side

Not just French fishermen - Italiens as well like to strike.

The official calendar of planned strikes affecting infrastructure is to be found here

Area:

total: 301,230 sq km
water: 7,210 sq km
land: 294,020 sq km

Population:
57,998,353 (July 2003 est.)

Language:
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)

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

Our tip:

Visit Italy's nature reserves

The amount of Italian territory under state protection in one way or another is 10%. Environmental protection laws have allowed many nature parks and reserves to be opened which are used solely for developing nature in all of its forms. In the Italian parks and nature reserves, therefore, not only are the animals untouchable but also the plants, minerals, water and even the air. Italy has 18 National Parks, 89 Regional Parks, 270 Regional Reserves, 142 State Reserves, 47 Marsh reserves and 7 Marine Reserves,

The official Italian Tourist Board is here

For great Italien Accommodation
B&B's, Guest Houses, Inn's & Hotels

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