Official Name |
Repubblica Italiana (Republic of Italy) |
|
Population |
61.5 million (2013) |
|
Capital City |
Rome (population 3.5 million) |
|
Other Main Cities |
Milan (pop. 2.9 million); Turin (pop. 1.6 million); Genoa (pop. 607,000); Bologna (pop. 384,000); Florence (pop. 374,000); Venice (incl. mainland, pop. 270,000); Naples (pop. 2.27 million); Palermo (pop. 872,000) |
|
Area |
116,310 sq. miles (301,245 sq. km) |
|
Climate |
Mediterranean |
|
Currency |
Euro (previously Italian lira) |
|
Ethnic Makeup |
85% Italian national |
|
Language |
Italian. Many distinct regional dialects |
German is spoken in Trento and Alto Adige. French is spoken in the Valle d’Aosta. Slovene is spoken in parts of Trieste and Gorizia. |
Religion |
No official religion |
Roman Catholicism is the main religion. |
Government |
Italy is a multiparty democracy with a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government. |
Elections are held every five years. |
Regional press with national distribution. Main newspapers: Corriere della Sera (Milan); Il Messaggero (Rome); Repubblica (Rome); L’Osservatore Romano (Vatican); L’Unità (Rome; formerly Communist, now more centrist); La Stampa (Turin) |
Rai is the state broadcasting station with three TV channels (Rai 1, 2, and 3) and three radio channels (Radio 1, 2, and 3). There are also numerous commercial channels. |
|
Media: English Language |
The International New York Times has an Italy Daily section covering Italian news. Wanted in Rome is an English-language news and listings magazine that comes out every two weeks. L’Osservatore Romano has a weekly English-language edition. |
|
Electricity |
220 volts, 50 Hz AC, but check if older hotels still have 125 volts. |
Standard continental plugs |
Video/TV |
PAL 625 lines |
|
Internet Domain |
.it |
|
Telephone |
Italy’s country code is 39. |
Always put 0 before the local area code, even if dialing from within Italy (and even within the same town). To dial out, dial 00 plus country code. |
Time |
One hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT + 1) |
Six hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time (EST + 6) |