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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

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

Radios [time series]

45.7 million (1996 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 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

83 (repeaters 1,000)

Televisions [time series]

17 million (1996 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [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: $416 billion expenditures : $506 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi

Debt - external [time series]

$45 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

donor: ODA, $3.043 billion (1993)

Economic overview (Economy - 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. This basically capitalistic economy is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with 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. In November 1996 the lire rejoined the European monetary system, which it had left in September 1992 when under extreme pressure in currency markets. Italy in early 1997 faces the problem of restructuring its economy to meet Maastricht criteria for inclusion in the EMU, together with other problems of refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing industrial pollution, and adjusting to new EU and global competitive forces.

Electricity - capacity [time series]

57.19 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita [time series]

4,238 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

241.6 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates [time series]

Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,568.1 (January 1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992)

Exports [time series]

total value: $250 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: metals, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transportation equipment, chemicals partners : EU 53.4%, US 7.8%, OPEC 3.8%

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $1.12 trillion (1996 est.)

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

agriculture: 3.3% industry : 33% services: 63.7% (1994)

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

purchasing power parity - $19,600 (1996 est.)

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

0.8% (1996 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $205 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities : industrial machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, petroleum, metals, food, agricultural products partners: EU 56.3%, OPEC 5.3%, US 4.6%

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

0.5% (1996 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate - consumer price index) [time series]

4% (1996 est.)

Labor force [time series]

total: 22.851 million by occupation: services 61%, industry 32%, agriculture 7% (1996)

Unemployment rate [time series]

12% (1996 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 301,230 sq km land : 294,020 sq km water: 7,210 sq km note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than Arizona

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

7,600 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point : Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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, Tropical Timber 94

Geographic coordinates [time series]

42 50 N, 12 50 E

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

27,100 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 1,932.2 km 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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 31% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures: 15% forests and woodland: 23% other : 21% (1993 est.)

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 hazards [time series]

regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice

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

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

Constitution [time series]

1 January 1948

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Ferdinando SALLEO chancery: 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 and 2700 16th 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) head of government : Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) Romano PRODI (since 18 May 1996) 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; election last held 25 May 1992 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Oscar Luigi SCALFARO elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA

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 (Flag description) [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 Pole [time series]

Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Christian Democratic Center or CCD [Pierferdinando CASINI]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Rocco BUTTIGLIONE] other: Northern League or NL [Umberto BOSSI]; Communism Refoundation or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI]; Italian Social Movement-Tricolor Flame or MSI-Fiamma Tricolore [Pino RAUTI]; Pannella-Sgarbi's List (Lista Pannella-Sgarbi) [Marco PANNELLA]; Italian Socialists or SI [Enrico BOSELLI]; Autonomous List (a group of minor parties); Southern Tyrols List or SVP (German speakers)

Government type [time series]

republic

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, CE (observer), 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, IHO, 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, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch [time series]

Constitutional Court or 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 or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (326 seats, 315 popularly elected of which 232 are directly elected and 83 by regional proportional representation, 11 appointed senators-for-life; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 475 are directly elected, 155 by regional proportional representation; members serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 21 April 1996 (next to be held by NA April 2001); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 1996 (next to be held by NA April 2001) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League 27, Refounded Communists 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-Tricolor Flames 1, Panella Reformers 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Olive Tree 284, Freedom Alliance 246, Northern League 59, Refounded Communists 35, Southern Tyrol List 3, Autonomous List 2, other 1

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Rome

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)

Olive Tree (Ulivo) [time series]

Democratic Party of the Left or PDS [Massimo D'ALEMA]; Greens (Verdi) [Carlo RIPA DI MEANA]; Italian Renewal or RI [Lamberto DINI]; Italian Popular Party or PPI [Franco MARINI - elected 12 January 1997]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [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-right); Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)

Suffrage [time series]

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

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$20.4 billion (1995)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

1.9% (1995)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 14,356,666 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males: 12,423,178 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 339,255 (1997 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years : 15% (male 4,234,767; female 3,997,589) 15-64 years: 68% (male 19,314,674; female 19,442,196) 65 years and over: 17% (male 4,028,659; female 5,812,623) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

8.96 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate [time series]

10.07 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 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: 78.25 years male: 75.13 years female: 81.58 years (1997 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Italian(s) adjective: Italian

Net migration rate [time series]

0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population [time series]

56,830,508 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.08% (1997 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: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.16 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Italy is negotiating with Slovenia over property and minority rights issues dating from World War II; Croatia and Italy have not resolved a bilateral issue dating from WWII over property and ethnic minority rights

Illicit drugs [time series]

important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market JAMAICA

Transportation

Airports [time series]

132 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 112 over 3,047 m : 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 34 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total : 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 18 (1996 est.)

Heliports [time series]

2 (1996 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 305,388 km paved: 305,388 km (including 6,301 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1991 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total : 396 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,503,637 GRT/7,794,505 DWT ships by type: bulk 36, cargo 50, chemical tanker 39, combination ore/oil 2, container 17, liquefied gas tanker 36, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 106, passenger 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 54, short-sea passenger 30, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 7 (1996 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Ancona, Augusta (Sicily), Bari, Cagliari (Sardinia), Catania (Sicily), 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