17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
3 September 1971 (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)
Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 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)
Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Exports
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
External Debt
$2,684,000,000,000 $
$125,300,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar - 3.64 (2008 est.), 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.800%
10.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
28
0
Location
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Area
301,340 km sq
11,586 km sq
Coastline
7,600 km
563 km
Climate
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
