Introduction
Background
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united. Italy is a charter member of NATO, as well as the European Economic Community (EEC) and its successors, the EC and the EU. Italy joined the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Geography
Area
total : 301,340 sq km
land: 294,140 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km
Climate
predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Natural resources
coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
People and Society
Population
total: 60,964,931
Ethnic groups
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north, Albanian-Italians, Croat-Italians, and Greek-Italians in the south)
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), Croatian (in Molise)
Religions
Christian 80.8% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants), Muslim 4.9%, unaffiliated 13.4%, other 0.9% (2020 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.08% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Rome
Executive branch
chief of state: President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015)
head of government: Prime Minister Giorgia MELONI (since 22 October 2022); the prime minister's official title is President of the Council of Ministers
Legislative branch
summary: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (205 seats) and the Chamber of Deputies (400 seats)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mariangela ZAPPIA (since 15 September 2021)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Jack MARKELL (since September 2023); note - also accredited to San Marino
Economy
Economic overview
core EU economy; strong services, manufacturing, and tourism sectors; sustained recovery in post-COVID inflationary environment; high public debt levels; increasing poverty levels particularly in poorer south; strong exports to EU and US partners
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$3.097 trillion (2023 est.)
$3.068 trillion (2022 est.)
$2.951 trillion (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$52,700 (2023 est.)
$52,100 (2022 est.)
$49,900 (2021 est.)
Exports
$793.589 billion (2023 est.)
$752.864 billion (2022 est.)
$691.428 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
Germany 12%, US 11%, France 10%, Spain 5%, UK 4% (2022)
Exports - commodities
packaged medicine, refined petroleum, garments, cars, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)
Imports
$756.154 billion (2023 est.)
$785.549 billion (2022 est.)
$644.93 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
Germany 14%, France 8%, China 8%, Netherlands 5%, Spain 5% (2022)
Imports - commodities
natural gas, crude petroleum, cars, packaged medicine, garments (2022)
Page last updated: Wednesday, October 02, 2024
