Italy
Country in Southern Europe / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Italy,[lower-alpha 1] officially the Italian Republic,[lower-alpha 2] is a country in Southern[14] and Western[15][lower-alpha 3] Europe. It is located on a peninsula that extends into the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land border, as well as several islands, notably Sicily and Sardinia.[16] Italy shares its borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and two enclaves: Vatican City and San Marino. Its territory also includes Campione (an exclave surrounded by Switzerland) and the Pelagie Islands (an archipelago in the African Plate). It is the tenth-largest country by land area in the European continent, covering an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi),[3] and the third-most populous member state of the European Union, with a population of nearly 60 million.[17] Its capital and largest city is Rome.
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Italian Republic | |
|---|---|
| Anthem: "Il Canto degli Italiani" "The Song of the Italians" | |
.svg) Show globe Show map of EuropeLocation of Italy (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) | |
| Capital and largest city | Rome 41°54′N 12°29′E |
| Official languages | Italiana |
| Nationality (2021)[1] |
|
| Native languages | See main article |
| Religion (2020)[2] |
|
| Demonym(s) | Italian |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Sergio Mattarella | |
| Giorgia Meloni | |
| Ignazio La Russa | |
| Lorenzo Fontana | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Senate of the Republic | |
| Chamber of Deputies | |
| Formation | |
| 17 March 1861 | |
• Republic | 12 June 1946 |
| 1 January 1948 | |
| 1 January 1958 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 301,340[3][4] km2 (116,350 sq mi) (71st) |
• Water (%) | 1.24 (2015)[5] |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate |  58,853,482[6] (25th) |
• Density | 201.3/km2 (521.4/sq mi) (71st) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total |  $3.347 trillion[7] (13th) |
• Per capita | $56,905[7] (30th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $2.328 trillion[7] (8th) |
• Per capita | $39,580[7] (26th) |
| Gini (2020) |  32.5[8]medium |
| HDI (2022) |  0.906[9]very high (30th) |
| Currency | Euro (€)b (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| UTC+2 (CEST) | |
| Date format | |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +39c |
| ISO 3166 code | IT |
| Internet TLD | .itd |
| |
In antiquity, the Italian peninsula was home to numerous peoples; the Latin city of Rome in central Italy, founded as a Kingdom, became a Republic that conquered the Mediterranean world and ruled it for centuries as an Empire.[18][19][20] With the spread of Christianity, Rome became the seat of the Catholic Church and of the Papacy. During the Early Middle Ages, Italy experienced the fall of the Western Roman Empire and inward migration from Germanic tribes. By the 11th century, Italian city-states and maritime republics expanded, bringing renewed prosperity through commerce and laying the groundwork for modern capitalism.[21][22] The Italian Renaissance flourished in Florence during the 15th and 16th centuries and spread to the rest of Europe. Italian explorers also discovered new routes to the Far East and the New World, leading the European Age of Discovery. However, centuries of rivalry and infighting between the Italian city-states among other factors left the peninsula divided into numerous states until the late modern period.[23][24] During the 17th and 18th centuries, Italian economic and commercial importance waned significantly.[25]
After centuries of political and territorial divisions, Italy was almost entirely unified in 1861, following wars of independence and the Expedition of the Thousand, establishing the Kingdom of Italy.[26] From the late 19th to the early 20th century, Italy rapidly industrialized, mainly in the north, and acquired a colonial empire,[27] while the south remained largely impoverished and excluded from industrialization, fueling a large immigrant diaspora to the Americas.[28] From 1915 to 1918, Italy took part in World War I on the side of the Entente against the Central Powers. In 1922, following a period of crisis and turmoil, the Italian fascist dictatorship was established. During World War II, Italy was first part of the Axis until its surrender to the Allied powers (1940–1943) and then, as parts of its territory were occupied by Nazi Germany with fascist collaboration, a co-belligerent of the Allies during the Italian resistance and the liberation of Italy (1943–1945). Following the end of the war, the monarchy was replaced by a republic, via a referendum; and the country enjoyed a strong recovery, which resulted in prolonged prosperity that is often termed "the economic miracle".[29]
Italy has the eighth-largest nominal GDP in the world, the second-largest manufacturing industry in Europe (7th-largest in the world),[30] and a significant role in regional[31][32] and global[33][34] economic, military, cultural, and diplomatic affairs. A developed country, ranking 30th in the Human Development Index, Italy is a founding and leading member of the European Union, and it is in numerous international institutions, including NATO, the G7, the Mediterranean Union, and the Latin Union. As a cultural superpower, Italy has long been a renowned centre of art, music, literature, cuisine, fashion, science and technology, and the source of multiple inventions and discoveries.[35] It has the world's largest number of World Heritage Sites (59), and is the world's fifth-most visited country.