Italy has a rich history. For centuries it has been a seat of culture and arts. The Roman Catholic Church is also based in Rome, its capital. Here are some
Interesting facts about Italy:
Rome is the capital of
Italy
Italy has a republican government.
Total area of Italy is 301,230 sq km, with 294,020 sq km occupied by the land area including Sardinia and Sicily and 7,210 sq km covered by the water.
The
climate of Italy is a
Mediterranean type of climate with cold winters towards the northern regions.
The
Italian topography is generally
rocky and
mountainous
The population of
Italy is somewhere around 58,103,033 as per the 2005 estimates.
Rome has a population of 2.8 million.
Italian is the Official language of Italy. Other languages spoken in Italy are German, French, Slovene and English (usually known in the tourist frequented regions).
Education to the age of 15 is compulsory in
Italy. Total
population of the
educated mass in
Italy is
98.6%.
- Educated male population: 99%
- Educated female population: 98.3% (2003 est.)
Religions in Italy: Majority of Italians are
Roman Catholics . Other religions found in Italy are Protestants, Jews and Muslim community who have migrated there from outside.
The
Ethnic groups found in
Italy are
- Italian
- German
- Slovene
- Albanian-Italians.
Life Expectancy rate in Italy:
- Total: 79.68 years
- Male: 76.75 years
- Female: 82.81 years (2005 est.)
Child death rate in
Italy is
5.76/1,000 live births.
Employment Rate in
Italy is:
Total population Employed-
23.8 million
Services-
57.6%
Industry and Commerce-
28.9%
Agriculture-
4.2%
Unemployed Italian Population -
9.2%.
Euro is the
currency used in
Italy. The
European Monetary Union on the 1st of January 1999, introduced it as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions of member countries, Later on 1 January 2002, Euro became the single currency.
The annual growth rate of Italy as estimated is
0.28%.
The important
Metropolitan cities of Italy are
:
Other famous and large cities of Italy are:
- Palermo
- Genoa
- Bologna
- Florence
- Bari
- Catania
- Venice
- Verona
