Italy Facts

Italy Facts
Italy is a country located in Southern Europe. Its official name is the Italian Republic. Italy borders Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, and France. Italy is a long peninsula-shaped country, similar to a boot. Italy is bordered to its east by the Adriatic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west. Indo-European people began migrating to Italy's region in about 2000 BC, and in approximately the 3rd century BC it was overthrown by the Romans. In the 4th and 5th centuries AD Italy was overthrown by barbarians. Centuries of political unrest followed and it wasn't until 1861 that Italy became unified. The Republic was formed in 1946, following Mussolini's fallen dictatorship in 1943, and the following rejection of the monarchy.
Interesting Italy Facts:
Italy covers an area of 116,347 square miles.
There are approximately 60,782,668 people living in Italy today. Italy is the fifth most populated country in Europe today.
Italy is one of the most developed countries in the world and has 9th largest economy in the world.
Italy's capital is Rome, a city that is approximately 3,000 years old.
Approximately 80% of Italy's land is hills or mountains.
Vatican City, the home to the Pope, is an independent state within Italy's region.
Major cities in Italy include Naples, Rome, Turin, Palermo, and Milan.
The Renaissance, a period in history when great architecture, art, and poetry were created, began in Italy. Leonardo Da Vinci, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo (famous artists) were all part of the Renaissance.
The main language in Italy is Italian, but depending on the area some people speak Slovene, French, and German.
The famous car manufacturers Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo are all Italian.
Italy's most popular sport is soccer (also called football).
Italy is famous for many different dishes including spaghetti, pizza, risotto, lasagna, and Bolognese.
Parmesan cheese was invented in Italy, in the region around Parma. Other cheeses created in Italy include ricotta, provolone, mozzarella, and gorgonzola.
Pinocchio's author was an Italian named Carlo Collodi who was born in 1826 and died in 1890.
Italy suffers more earthquakes than any other country in Europe. The most recent devastating earthquake occurred in 1980 in Naples. 3000 people lost their lives. An earthquake in 1693 killed approximately 100,000 people in Sicily.
Italy has more volcanoes than any other country in Europe. Italy lies on a fault line.
Italy is an extremely popular tourist destination. Approximately 5o million people visit Italy each year. Tourism accounts for more than 60% of Italy's national income, making it vital to Italy's economy.
Popular tourist destinations in Italy include Venice (a city with waterways instead of streets), Milan, Rome, Lake Como, and the island of Sardinia.
Italy is home to major fashion labels including Ferragamo, Max Mara, Valentino, Versace, Fendi, Prada, Gucci, Dolce &Gabbana, and Missoni.
Italy is home to many architectural masterpieces including the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, built in 1173, was originally standing straight, but it began to lean shortly after it was built. It is believed that it will stand for at least 200 more years due to reconstruction efforts.

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