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Italy

Italy in world map

Italian FLAG

Italy – Quick facts

National Name -Repubblica italianaIt is the 5th most populous country in Europe with population

of 61 million Rome is a city and special comune (named "Roma Capitale") in

Italy. Rome is the capital of Italy and also of the Province of Rome and of the region of Lazio.

Italy became a republic on 2 June 1946.Vesuvius, near Naples, is the only active volcano on the

European mainland. Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily, is one of the world's

largest volcanoes.

Italy – Quick factsNational Anthem

"Il Canto degli Italiani" The Song of the Italians") is the Italian national anthem. It is best known among Italians as "Inno di Mameli" "after the author of the lyrics, or "Fratelli d'Italia", from its opening line.

The words were written in the autumn of 1847 in Genoa, by the then 20-year-old student and patriot Goffredo Mameli.

Italy – Quick facts

Italy TimeZone

CET – Central European TimeZone

Italy – Quick facts

Current Monetary Unit - Euro

Italy – Quick factsThe lira (plural lire) was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002 and of the Albanian Kingdom between 1941 and 1943. Between 1999 and 2002, the

Italian lira was officially a national subunit of the euro. However, cash payments could be made in lire only, as euro coins or notes were not yet

available. The lira was also the currency of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy between 1807 and 1814.

Italy – Quick facts

Languages - Italian(100%)Religion - Roman Catholic 81.2%

Ethnicity -ItalianForeign (8.1%)

The Regional Map of Italy

Italy is divided into 20 regions. Each region has an elected parliament, called Consiglio Regionale(literally regional council)and a regional government, called Giunta Regionale (literally executive committee) headed by the regional president, who is elected directly by the citizens living in the region. Indeed the president is very powerful: he can nominate the members of his government and decide over their destitution; if he resigns, new elections are to be immediately called.Every region is divided into provinces and each province is divideinto municipalities (comuni). Only Aosta Valley is not divided into provinces. Each region is divided into Provinces. 

Mountain Ranges

Mountain Ranges: There are two major mountain ranges in Italy, the Alps and the Appenninoor Apennines. The Alps, divided into regions called, from west to east the Occidentali, the Centrali, and the Orientali, border with France, Austria and Switzerland. The backbone of Italy is formed by the north-south trending Appennino chain. You may hear of the Dolomites, which are really part of the Alps, located in the regions of South Tyrol, Trentino and Belluno The highest point in Italy is Mont Blanc, in the alps at 15,770 feet.

RiversThe Po, which starts in the Alps and flows eastward from Turin to the Adriatic through the very fertile Po Valley. The Arno, which flows from the north-central Apennines through Florence and empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the Tiber, which flows from the Apennines then south through Rome, emptying into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Neighbors of Italy To the north, Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria,

and Slovenia, and is roughly delimited by the Alpine watershed, enclosing the Po Valley and the Venetian Plain.

To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula and the two biggest Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia, in addition to many other smaller islands.

Important MonumentsPalace of Caserta

The Royal Palace of Caserta (Italian: Reggia di Caserta, Italian pronunciation: [ˌrɛddʒa di kaˈzɛrta]) is a former royal residence inCaserta, southern Italy, constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples. It was the largest palace and one of the largest buildings erected in Europe during the 18th century

Important MonumentsThe Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa) or simply the Tower of Pisa (Torre di Pisa) is

the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the

Italian city of Pisa, known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. It is situated behind

the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral

Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral and the Baptistry.

The tower's tilt began during construction, caused by an

inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight.

Important MonumentsVenice Italian: Venezia is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture, and its artworks. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon.

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