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Communications

Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

219 (1999)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)

Radios [time series]

50.5 million (1997)

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 - main lines in use) [time series]

25 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

17.7 million (1998)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

6,317 (of which only 117 have 2 kW or more of transmitter power) (1997)

Televisions [time series]

30.3 million (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish

Budget [time series]

revenues: $530 billion expenditures: $522 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi

Debt - external [time series]

$45 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid - donor) [time series]

ODA, $1.3 billion (1997)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Italy has a diversified industrial economy with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with more than 20% unemployment. Most raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported. For several years Italy has adopted budgets compliant with the requirements of the European Monetary Union (EMU); representatives of government, labor, and employers also agreed to an update of the 1993 "social pact," which has been widely credited with having brought Italy's inflation into conformity with EMU requirements. Italy must work to stimulate employment, promote wage flexibility, hold down the growth in pensions, and tackle the informal economy. Growth was 1.3% in 1999 and should edge up to 2.6% in 2000, led by investment and exports.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

266.705 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports [time series]

900 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports [time series]

41.59 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production [time series]

243.027 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 80.22% hydro: 17.3% nuclear: 0% other: 2.48% (1998)

Exchange rates [time series]

euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,688.7 (January 1999), 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995) note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is now being used for non-cash transactions in some member countries at a fixed rate of 1,936.27 lire per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

Exports [time series]

$242.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities [time series]

engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals and nonferrous metals

Exports - partners [time series]

EU 56% (Germany 16.5%, France 12.7%, UK 7.2%, Spain 5.8%, Netherlands 2.9%), US 8.5% (1998)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $1.212 trillion (1999 est.)

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

agriculture: 2.6% industry: 31.6% services: 65.8% (1998)

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

purchasing power parity - $21,400 (1999 est.)

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

1.3% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 23.7% (1991)

Imports [time series]

$206.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities [time series]

engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages and tobacco

Imports - partners [time series]

EU 61% (Germany 18.8%, France 13.12%, UK 6.47%, Netherlands 6.2%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4.7%), US 5.1% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

1.9% (1998 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.7% (1999 est.)

Labor force [time series]

23.193 million

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

services 61%, industry 32%, agriculture 7% (1996)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

11.5% (1999 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 (Monte Bianco) 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-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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, arable land

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

Capital [time series]

Rome

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 Thomas M. FOGLIETTA embassy: Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 46741 FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672 consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

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

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13 May 1999) head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) Massimo D'ALEMA (since 21 October 1998) 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 13 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2006); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament election results: Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 70%

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 note: inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)

International organization participation [time series]

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, 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, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, 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; appeals treated as new trials; 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 (315 seats elected by popular vote of which 232 are directly elected and 83 are elected by regional proportional representation plus, in addition, there are a small number of senators-for-life including former presidents of the republic; 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 scheduled for NA April 2001); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 1996 (next scheduled for NA April 2001) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League-Padania 27, Communist Renewal 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-Tricolored 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, Communist Renewal 35, Southern Tyrol People's Party 3, Autonomous List 2, other 1

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Bonino List or LB (used to be the Autonomous List, a group of minor parties) [Emma BONINO]; Center-Left Coalition (used to be the Olive Tree) [Massimo D'ALEMA] - Democrats, DS, FdV, PdCI, PPI, RI, UDEUR; Christian Democratic Center or CCD [Pier Ferdinando CASINI]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Rocco BUTTIGLIONE]; Communist Renewal or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI]; Democratic Party [Arturo PARISI]; Democratic Party of the Left or DS [Walter VELTRONI]; Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Freedom Alliance (a center-right coalition) [leader Silvio BERLUSCONI] - FI, AN, CCD; Green Federation or FdV [Grazia FRANCESCATO]; Italian Communist Party or PdCI [Armando COSSUTA]; Italian Democratic Socialists or SDI [Enrico BOSSELLI]; Italian Popular Party or PPI [Pierluigi CASTAGNETTI]; Italian Renewal or RI [Lamberto DINI]; Italian Social Movement-Tricolored Flame or MSI-FT [Pino RAUTI]; National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Northern League-Padania or NL-Padania [Umberto BOSSI]; Radical Party (formerly Panella Reformers) [Marco PANELLA]; Republican Party or PR [Giorgio LA MALFA]; Southern Tyrols People's Party or SVP (German speakers) [Siegfried BRUGGER]; Union of Democrats for Europe or UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA]; Union for the Republic or UPR [Francesco COSSIGA]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura); Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Sergio COFFERATI] which is left wing, Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Sergio D'ANTONI] which is Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Pietro LARIZZA] which is lay centrist)

Suffrage [time series]

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

Introduction

Background [time series]

Italy became a nation-state belatedly - in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula and Sicily were united under King Victor EMMANUEL. The Fascist dictatorship of Benito MUSSOLINI that took over after World War I led to a disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany and Italian defeat in World War II. Revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC) and joined the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe, including the introduction of the euro in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, the ravages of organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the more prosperous north.

Military

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

Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$23.294 billion (FY99)

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

1.7% (FY99)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 14,315,634 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 12,331,306 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 311,160 (2000 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 14% (male 4,220,973; female 3,977,962) 15-64 years: 68% (male 19,413,219; female 19,596,668) 65 years and over: 18% (male 4,297,962; female 6,127,543) (2000 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

9.13 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.99 deaths/1,000 population (2000 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]

5.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages [time series]

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)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 79.03 years male: 75.85 years female: 82.41 years (2000 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% (1998) male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Italian(s) adjective: Italian

Net migration rate [time series]

1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population [time series]

57,634,327 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.09% (2000 est.)

Religions [time series]

predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community

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: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.18 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Italy and Slovenia made progress in resolving bilateral issues; Croatia and Italy made progress toward resolving a bilateral issue dating from World War II 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 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Transportation

Airports [time series]

136 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 97 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 12 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 39 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 18 (1999 est.)

Heliports [time series]

3 (1999 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 654,676 km paved: 654,676 km (including 6,957 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 427 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,971,578 GRT/9,635,770 DWT ships by type: bulk 41, cargo 45, chemical tanker 73, combination ore/oil 2, container 20, liquified gas 38, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 87, roll-on/roll-off 58, short-sea passenger 26, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 16 (1999 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]

Augusta (Sicily), Bagnoli, Bari, Brindisi, Gela, Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Milazzo, Naples, Porto Foxi, Porto Torres (Sardigna), Salerno, Savona, Taranto, Trieste, Venice

Railways [time series]

total: 19,394 km standard gauge: 18,071 km 1.435-m gauge; Italian Railways (FS) operates 16,014 km of the total standard gauge routes (11,322 km electrified) narrow gauge: 112 km 1.000-m gauge (112 km electrified); 1,211 km 0.950-m gauge (153 km electrified) (1998)

Waterways [time series]

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