Last update : June 2012

Demography

Population: 59.4 million (2011 est.)

Population Density (inhabitant/km2): 199.5 (national average), 428 (Campania - highest), 39 (Valle d'Aosta - lowest)

Largest Cities (pop. in million): Rome (2.7 m), Milan (1.3 m), Naples (0.96 m), Turin (0.91 m), Palermo (0.66 m)

Home Ownership: 75%

Urban Population: 68%

Life Expectancy: 79.81 years (average), 76.88 years (men), 82.94 years (women) (2005 est.)

Birth Rate: 9.3 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death Rate: 9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Ethnic Composition: Caucasian (97%), North African (1.3%), Black African, East Asian

Registered foreigners: 3 million (2006), among which 450,000 Romanians, 300,000 Moroccans, and 300,000 Albanians, 150,000 Ukrainians.

Official Language: Italian (+ 18 regional languages and many more dialects)

Major Religions: Roman Catholicism, Agnosticism, Atheism

Geography

Area: 301,338 km²

Coastline : 7,600 km

Highest Peak: Mont Blanc : (4,748 m)

Lowest Elevation: sea level (0 m)

Regions of Italy

Economy

Monetary unit: Euro (€, EUR)

Fiscal Year: 1 January - 31 December

GDP (nominal - IMF): US$2.0 trillion (2011)

GNI per capita (Atlas methodology): US$35,700 (2011)

GDP per capita at PPP: US$30,464 (2011 - IMF)

GDP - real growth rate: -0.8 % (2012)

Inflation (consumer prices): 1.4 % (2010)

Unemployment: 10.2% (April 2012)

Public Debt (% of GDP) : 118 (2010)

Main Industries: tourism, commerce, communications, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, automobiles, home appliances, clothing, footwear, ceramics

Main Exports: engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, electric goods, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, nonferrous metals

Main Imports: engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; automobiles, electronics, food, beverages, tobacco

Main Trading Partners: Germany, France, Spain, China, USA, UK, Netherlands, Belgium

Government

Type of Government: Republic

Parliamentary System : bicameral Parliament (Chamber of Deputies and Senate)

Administrative Division : 20 regions, regions, 109 provinces, 8,100 municipalities

Capital: Rome (since 1870)

Head of State: Giorgio Napolitano (since 2006)

Prime Minister: Mario Monti (since 2011)

Miscellaneous

Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1

Electricity: 230V AC, 50Hz

Weights & measures: Metric

Internet domain: .it

International dialling code: +39