republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960 note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing agreement mandated by international mediators
Independence date
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
Religions
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Muslim 38.6%, Christian 32.8%, indigenous 11.9%, none 16.7% (2008 est) note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)
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)
French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken
Exports
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
External Debt
$2,684,000,000,000 $
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
28
0
Location
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia
Area
301,340 km sq
322,463 km sq
Coastline
7,600 km
515 km
Climate
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)
