17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
Religions
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Languages
Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
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)
Exports
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
External Debt
$2,460,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
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
1.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
28
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Area
36,125 km sq
301,340 km sq
Coastline
350 km
7,600 km
Climate
tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
