17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
30 September 1966 (from UK)
Religions
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census)
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)
Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)
Exports
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
External Debt
$2,684,000,000,000 $
$1,973,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.7907 (2008 est.), 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.800%
3.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
28
0
Location
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Area
301,340 km sq
581,730 km sq
Coastline
7,600 km
0 km
Climate
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
