Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Pearlette Louisy Prime minister: Kenny Anthony
President: Giorgio Napolitano
Population
162,178
61,261,254
Life Expectancy
77.040 years
81.860 years
Capital City
Rome
Largest city
Bisee (population: 12,980)
Rome (population: 2,563,240)
Human Development Index
0.821
0.945
GDP per capita
$30,900 US
Literacy Rate
90.1%
98.4%
Corruption Perception Index
7.1
4.8
Percentage of Women in Parliament
17.2%
20.2%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Michele Ferrero & family ($9.5bn US)
Unemployment Rate
8.400%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
parliamentary democracy
republic
Independence date
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
Religions
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Languages
English (official), French patois
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
$2,684,000,000,000 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
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Area
616 km sq
301,340 km sq
Coastline
158 km
7,600 km
Climate
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
