Overview
Off the coast of Sorrento
Related Topics: Geography of Italy There are hundreds of Italian cities, here are nine of its most famous: Related Topics: Cities of Italy The climate in Italy is highly diverse and can be far from the stereotypical Mediterranean climate depending on the location. Most of the inland northern areas of Italy, for example Turin, Milan and Bologna, have a continental climate often classified as humid subtropical. The coastal areas of Liguria and most of the peninsula south of Florence generally fit the Mediterranean stereotype . The coastal areas of the peninsula can be very different from the interior higher altitudes and valleys, particularly during the winter months when the higher altitudes tend to be cold, wet, and often snowy. The coastal regions have mild winters and warm and generally dry summers, although lowland valleys can be quite hot in summer. Related Topics: Climate of Italy Crowded Street in Rome In October 2007, the Italian population surpassed 59.8 million. Italy currently has the fourth-largest population in the European Union and the 23rd-largest population worldwide. Italy’s population density, at 196.1 persons per square kilometre, is the fifth highest in the European Union. The highest density is in northern Italy, as that one-third of the country contains almost half of the Italian population. After World War II, Italy saw an economic boom which lured the rural population to the cities, and at the same time it turned from a nation characterized by massive emigration to a net immigrant-receiving country. High fertility persisted until the 70s when it plunged below replacement, so that as of 2007, one in five Italians was a pensioner. Despite this, thanks mainly to the immigration of the 80s and 90s, in the 2000s Italy saw natural population growth for the first time in years. According to GDP calculations, Italy was ranked as the seventh-largest economy in the world in 2006, behind the United States, Japan, Germany, China, the United Kingdom, and France, and the fourth-largest in Europe. According to the OECD, in 2004 Italy was the world’s sixth-largest exporter of manufactured goods. This economy remains divided into a developed industrial north dominated by private companies and a less-developed agricultural south. In the Index of Economic Freedom 2008 it ranked 64th of 162 countries, or 29th of 41 European countries, the lowest rating in the EU-15 and behind many ex-communist European countries. Italy has often been called a sick man of Europe, with governments having problems in pursuing reform programs. Related Topics: Economy in ItalyItaly is located in Southern Europe and comprises the long, boot-shaped Italian Peninsula, the land between the peninsula and the Alps, and a number of islands including Sicily and Sardinia. Its total area is 301 230 km², of which 294 020 km² is land and 7 210 km² is water. Including islands, Italy has a coastline of 7 600 km on the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian (740 km), France (488 km), Austria (430 km), Slovenia (232 km) and Switzerland. San Marino (39 km) and the Vatican City (3.2 km), both entirely surrounded by Italy, account for the remainder. The Apennine Mountains form the peninsula’s backbone; the Alps form its northern boundary. The largest of its northern lakes is Garda (143 sq mi; 370 km²); in the centre is Campotosto Lake. The Po, Italy’s principal river, flows from the Alps on the western border and crosses the great Padan plain to the Adriatic Sea. Several islands form part of Italy; the largest are Sicily (9,926 sq mi; 25,708 km²) and Sardinia (9,301 sq mi; 24,090 km²). There are several active volcanoes in Italy: Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe; Vulcano; Stromboli; and Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe.
Regional and Provincial Abbreviations
| Region Provinces | |
| ABR – Abruzzo CH – Chieti AQ – L’Aquila PE – Pescara TE – Teramo | MOL – Molise CB – Campobasso IS – Isernia |
| BAS – Basilicata MT – Matera PZ – Potenza | PIE – Piemonte AL – Alessandria AT – Asti BI – Biella CN – Cuneo NO – Novara TO – Torino VB – Verbania VC – Vercelli |
| CAL – Calabria CS – Cosenza CZ – Catanzaro KR – Crotone RC – Reggio Calabria VV – Vibo Valentia | PUG – Puglia BA – Bari BR – Brindisi FG – Foggia LE – Lecce TA – Taranto |
| CAM – Campania AV – Avellino BN – Benevento CE – Caserta NA – Napoli SA – Salerno | SAR – Sardegna CA – Cagliari NU – Nuoro OR – Oristano SS – Sassari |
| EMI – Emilia-Romagna BO – Bologna FE – Ferrara FO – Forli MO – Modena PC – Piacenza PR – Parma RA – Ravenna RE – Reggio Emilia RN – Rimini | SIC – Sicilia AG – Agrigento CL – Caltanissetta CT – Catania EN – Enna ME – Messina PA – Palermo RG – Ragusa SR – Siracusa TP – Trapani |
| FRI – Friuli-Venezia Giulia GO – Gorizia PN – Pordenone TS – Trieste UD – Udine | TOS – Toscana AR – Arezzo FI – Firenze GR – Grosseto LI – Livorno LU – Lucca MS – Massa PI – Pisa PT – Pistoia PO – Prato SI – Siena |
| LAZ – Lazio FR – Frosinone LT – Latina RI – Rieti RM – Roma VT – Viterbo | TRE – Trentino-Alto Adige BZ – Bolzano TN – Trento |
| LIG – Liguria GE – Genova IM – Imperia SP – La Spezia SV – Savona | UMB – Umbria PG – Perugia TR – Termi |
| LOM – Lombardia BG – Bergamo BS – Brescia CO – Como CR – Cremona LC – Lecco LO – Lodi MN – Mantova MI – Milano PV – Pavia SO – Sondrio VA – Varese | VAL – Valle D’Aosta AO – Aosta |
| MAR – Marche AN – Ancona AP – Ascoli Piceno MC – Macerata PS – Pesaro | VEN – Veneto BL – Belluno PD – Padova RO – Rovigo TV – Treviso VE – Venezia VI – Vicenza VR – Verona |