17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
Religions
Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Languages
Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)
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)
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
External Debt
$1,470,000,000 $
$2,684,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar - 8 (2008 est.), 6.5 (2007), 5.5 (2006), 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004)
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
2.000%
1.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
28
Location
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Area
455 km sq
301,340 km sq
Coastline
491 km
7,600 km
Climate
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
