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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $20.4 billion, 1.9% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 14,739,097 males fit for military service: 12,769,628 males reach military age (18) annually: 358,884 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 135, FM 28 (repeaters 1,840), shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

45.7 million (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

modern, well-developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks international: 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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

25.6 million (1987 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

83 (repeaters 1,000)

Televisions [time series]

24.35 million (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; meat and dairy products; fish catch of 525,000 metric tons in 1990

Budget [time series]

revenues: $339 billion expenditures: $431 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi

Economic aid [time series]

donor: ODA, $3.043 billion (1993)

Economic overview [time series]

Since World War II, the Italian economy has changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and an undeveloped agricultural south, dominated by large public enterprises. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. In the second half of 1992, Rome became unsettled by the prospect of not qualifying to participate in EU plans for economic and monetary union later in the decade; thus, it finally began to address its huge fiscal imbalances. Subsequently, the government has adopted fairly stringent budgets, abandoned its inflationary wage indexation system, and started to scale back its generous social welfare programs, including pension and health care benefits. Monetary officials were forced to withdraw the lira from the European monetary system in September 1992, when it came under extreme pressure in currency markets. For the 1990s, Italy faces the problems of pushing ahead with fiscal reform, refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing pollution in major industrial centers, and adjusting to the new competitive forces accompanying the ongoing expansion and economic integration of the EU.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 61,630,000 kW production: 209 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,033 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,583.8 (January 1996), 1,629.6 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991)

Exports [time series]

$190.8 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: metals, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transportation equipment, chemicals partners: EU 53.4%, US 7.8%, OPEC 3.8% (1994)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$67 billion (1993 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $1.0886 trillion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 2.9% industry: 31.6% services: 65.5% (1994)

Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]

$18,700 (1995 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]

3.2% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

important gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market

Imports [time series]

$168.7 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: industrial machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, petroleum, metals, food, agricultural products partners: EU 56.3%, OPEC 5.3%, US 4.6% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

5.5% (1995 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5.4% (1995)

Labor force [time series]

23.988 million by occupation: services 58%, industry 32.2%, agriculture 9.8% (1988)

Unemployment rate [time series]

12.2% (January 1995)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 301,230 sq km land area: 294,020 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

7,600 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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 natural hazards: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification

Geographic coordinates [time series]

42 50 N, 12 50 E

Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]

strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

Italy is negotiating with Slovenia over property and minority rights issues dating from World War II

Irrigated land [time series]

31,000 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 1,935.2 km border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 235 km, Switzerland 740 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 32% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 17% forest and woodland: 22% other: 19%

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Europe

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal

Terrain [time series]

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

20 regions (regioni, singular - regione); Abruzzi, 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

Capital [time series]

Rome

Legislative branch (Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)) [time series]

elections last held 22 April 1996 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (630 total) Olive Tree 284, Freedom Alliance 246, Northern League 59, Refounded Communists 35, Southern Tyrol List 3, Autonomous List 2, other 1

Constitution [time series]

1 January 1948

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Ferdinando SALLEO chancery: 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 328-5500

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992) was elected for a seven-year term by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the President of the Council of Ministers) Romano PRODI (since 18 May 1996) was appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers was nominated by the President of the Council (i.e., Prime Minister) and approved by the President of the Republic

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 483-2187 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco consulate(s): Detroit and New Orleans

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[39] (6) 488-2672 consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

Flag [time series]

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

Freedom Alliance [time series]

Forza Italia (FI), Silvio BERLUSCONI; National Alliance (AN), Gianfranco FINI; Christian Democratic Center (CCD), Pier Ferdinando CASINI; Democratic Union Party, Antonio MACCANICO other: Northern League (NL), Umberto BOSSI; Italian Social Movement, Pino RAUTI; Communist Refoundation (RC), Fausto BERTINOTTI; Italian Socialists, Enrico BOSELLI; Rete (The Network), Leoluca ORLANDO; Christian Socialists, Luciano GUERZONI; Democratic Pact for Italy, Mario SEGNI; Italian Popular Party (PPI), Gerardo BIANCO; Pannella's Reformers, Marco PANNELLA; Christian Democratic Union (United Christian Democrats - CDU), Rocco BUTTIGLIONE; Democratic Alliance, Willer BORDON; Union for the New Republic, Raffaele COSTA; Unitary Communists, Famiano CRUCIANELLI; Autonomous List (a group of minor parties); Social Movement-Tricolor Flames

Independence [time series]

17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed)

International organization participation [time series]

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch [time series]

Constitutional Court (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)

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament (Parlamento)

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)

Olive Tree [time series]

Democratic Party of the Left (PDS), Massimo D'ALEMA; Greens, Carlo RIPA DI MEANA; Italian Renewal, Lamberto DINI; Southern Tyrols List (German speakers)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

the Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL which is PDS-dominated, Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL which is centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL which is center-left); Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)

Legislative branch (Senate (Senato della Repubblica)) [time series]

elections last held 22 April 1996 (next to be held by NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (326 total, 315 elected, 11 appointed senators-for-life) Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League 27, Refounded Communists 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-Tricolor Flames 1, Panella Reformers 1

Suffrage [time series]

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

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Reginald BARTHOLOMEW embassy: Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, Rome; APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (6) 46741

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 15% (male 4,419,636; female 4,167,860) 15-64 years: 68% (male 19,656,546; female 19,629,291) 65 years and over: 17% (male 3,902,426; female 5,684,515) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

9.87 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.82 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

Italian, 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)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 78.06 years male: 74.85 years female: 81.48 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 97% male: 98% female: 96%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Italian(s) adjective: Italian

Net migration rate [time series]

1.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

57,460,274 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.13% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.27 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 132 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 5 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 34 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 15 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 24 with paved runways under 914 m: 32 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 20 (1995 est.)

Heliports [time series]

2 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 305,388 km (including 45,076 km major roads, 112,111 km secondary roads, 6,301 km motorways) paved: 271,674 km unpaved: 33,714 km (1991 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 419 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,480,320 GRT/7,919,064 DWT ships by type: bulk 35, cargo 57, chemical tanker 39, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 16, liquefied gas tanker 37, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 123, passenger 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 53, short-sea passenger 31, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 7 (1995 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 1,703 km; petroleum products 2,148 km; natural gas 19,400 km

Ports [time series]

Ancona, Augusta, Bari, Cagliari (Sardinia), Catania, Gaeta, Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Naples, Oristano (Sardinia), Palermo (Sicily), Piombino, Porto Torres (Sardinia), Ravenna, Savona, Trieste, Venice

Railways [time series]

total: 18,961 km standard gauge: 17,981 km 1.435-m gauge; Italian Railways (FS) operates 16,118 km of the total standard gauge routes (10,560 km electrified) narrow gauge: 113 km 1.000-m gauge (113 km electrified); 867 km 0.950-m gauge (144 km electrified)

Waterways [time series]

2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value