Italy

Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II.
An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in WWII.
A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community. It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic Union in 1999.

Geographic coordinates: 42 50 N, 12 50 E

Area: 301,230 sq km

Coastline: 7,600 km

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

Population: 58,147,733

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third regularly attend services), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)

Languages: 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)

Capital city: Rome

National holiday: Republic Day, 2 June

Internet country code: .it

International Country Calling Code: 39

Currency: euro (EUR)

web sites: www.italiantourism.com