republic; executive branch dominates government structure
republic
Independence date
20 July 1810 (from Spain)
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
Religions
Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Languages
Spanish
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)
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
External Debt
$68,760,000,000 $
$2,684,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Colombian pesos (COP) per US dollar - 2,302.9 (2008 est.), 2,013.8 (2007), 2,358.6 (2006), 2,320.75 (2005), 2,628.61 (2004)
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
3.400%
1.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
2
28
Location
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Area
1,138,910 km sq
301,340 km sq
Coastline
3,208 km
7,600 km
Climate
tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
