Italy Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 26, 2020

Italy, State of Southern Europe; 301 300 km², 60.4 million residents (2019).In addition to land borders with France in the northwest, Switzerland and Austria in the north, and Slovenia in the northeast, the Italian mainland is surrounded by the Ligurian Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea. The islands of Sardinia and Sicily and several smaller archipelagos, including the Tuscan Archipelago as well as the Pontinian Islands, the Egadian Islands, the Liparic Islands and farthest south of the Pelagic Islands, also form part of the country. The capital is Rome (2.9 million residents, 2018).

Country facts

Repubblica Italiana / Republic of Italy
Country abbreviation: IT (I)
Area: 301 300 km²
Population (2019): 60.4 million residents
Capital: Rome
Main language: Italian
State: Republic
Head of State: Sergio Mattarella (President)
Head of Government: Giuseppe Conte
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 34,318
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 33,540
Currency unit: euro
Currency code: EUR
Country number (telephony): 39
Internet domain name: it
Time difference compared to Sweden: 0
National Day: June 2 (in memory of the 1946 referendum)

Nature

Land use: forest (31%), agricultural land (47%), other (22%)
Highest mountain: Monte Rosa (4,634 m above sea level)
Longest river: Po (676 km)

Population

Population density (2019): 200 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): −0.4%; birth number 7 ‰, death number 11 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (13%), 15-64 (64%), 65- (23%)
Average life expectancy (2019): men 81 years, women 85 years
Infant mortality (2019): 3 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 58 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.887 (place 26 of 188)
Urbanization rate (2019): 70%
Most populous cities (2018): Rome (2.9 million residents), Milan (1.4 million), Naples (966 100)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (2%), industry (24%), service (74%)
Exports (2017): US $ 496,300 million
Main export products: workshop products, clothing, machinery
Main exporting countries: Germany, France, USA
Imports (2017): US $ 432,900 million
Main import products: workshop products, chemical products, means of transport
Main importing countries: Germany, France, China
Railway network (2014): 20 200 km

Italy is a mountainous country with two mountain ranges, the Apennines and parts of the Alps, within its borders. The mountains continue to be multi-urban with hill areas, and together they both occupy 3/4 of the land area. The rest is made up of plains, mainly Poslätten. Italy has a Mediterranean climate with winter rain and summer drought.

The legislative power is held by a two-chamber parliament, which is appointed every five years. The president is the head of state and is elected for seven years by an assembly. The president formally has certain powers of power, which he sometimes also claims. In practice, however, it is the government that has the executive power and is responsible to Parliament.

Today, Italy is one of the world’s leading industrial nations. Technology- and knowledge-intensive branches of the manufacturing industry and the service sector have also achieved significant success internationally. In recent years, the importance that the country’s many successful business sector has for many years has been paying more attention, among other things. employment and flexible industrial production.

Traditionally, northern Italy is identified as the basis for Italian industry, while the southern regions and islands appear to be the most disadvantaged parts of the country. The financial crisis of 2008–09 hit the country hard, and then Italy has been forced to implement tangible budget cuts and tax and fee increases.