Main Language:
English (English is the base language spoken but Australia
does have a lot of people who speak other languages in it
too. There is also a lot of slang used too which
adds to
the individuality of the country)
Principal religion: Roman Catholicism
Currency unit: 1 Lira = 100 Centesimi
Elevation:
Highest Point:
15,203 feet (4,634 meters)
Lowest Point:
Sea level
Political Divisions: 20 regions, divided into 95 provinces
National Holiday: June 2, Constitution Day
National Anthem: Inno di Mameli (Mameli's Hymn)
Italy, an independent
republic in southern Europe, on the northern shore of the Mediterranean
Sea. It occupies all of the boot-shaped Italian peninsula, except for the
23 square miles (60 sq km) of the republic of San Marino (near Rimini)
and the 108 acres (44 hectares) of the Vatican City State. Italy also includes
two large Mediterranean islands, Sardinia and Sicily, and many smaller
ones (see Map 1). Its peninsular territory is separated from the rest of
Europe by the Alps and the country is bordered on the northwest by France,
on the north by Switzerland and Austria, and on the northeast by Slovenia.
The name Italy
was first used by the Greeks to describe the southern tip of the peninsula,
where they settled in the eighth and seventh centuries b.c. Gradually,
as the peninsula was unified under the Roman Republic, the name came to
be applied to all of the land south of the Alps.
From Italy, the
core of the Roman Empire, the civilization of the ancient Mediterranean
world was brought to Western Europe. After the collapse of the Roman Empire
in the West in the fifth century a.d., it was subjected to a series of
invasions, and political unity was lost. In the familiar phrase, Italy
became a "geographical expression," an often-changing succession of petty
states, principalities, and kingdoms, which fought among themselves and
were subject to the ambitions of foreign powers.
The tradition of
Roman leadership survived, however. It was embodied in the popes of Rome,
who regarded themselves as the heirs of the Roman emperors. The popes ruled
central Italy and sought, as spiritual leaders, to become the rulers of
all Europe. Through the church headed by the popes, the ancient civilization
brought by Rome to the West was preserved and even extended. But the rival
ambitions of popes and German Holy Roman emperors, who claimed Italy
as their domain, helped make the peninsula a battlefield. The commercial
prosperity of the great northern Italian cities, which began in the 11th
century, proved, however, to be a stronger force than medieval political
rivalries. In these cities a new world of ideas, learning, and art was
born. The Renaissance ("rebirth"), as it was called, marked the beginning
of modern times, not only for Italy but also for the whole of Western Europe.
The rise of the
Atlantic economy in the 16th century brought the prosperity of medieval
Italy to an end and for two centuries the Italian states were the victims
of economic decline and foreign invasion. The 18th century saw a strong
revival in cultural life, accompanied by new signs of economic expansion
and attempts at political reform. These tendencies were accelerated by
the experience of Napoleonic rule following invasion by France in 1796
and the incorporation of the Italian states into the Napoleonic empire
after 1804. With Napoleon's fall in 1814, the Italian states were restored
to their former rulers, but the pressures for political change increased
and contributed to the political events that 19th-century Italian nationalists
would call the Risorgimento, or national resurrection. War between Piedmont
and Austria in 1859 resulted in Austria's withdrawal from Lombardy; and
Giuseppe Garibaldi's expedition to Sicily in 1860 opened the way for the
creation of a unified and independent Italian state. Victor Emmanuel II
of Piedmont was proclaimed king of Italy in 1861, but the new kingdom remained
incomplete until Venice was acquired in 1866, following the war between
Prussia and Austria. Rome finally became the capital of the new state in
1870. Italy remained a constitutional monarchy until Benito Mussolini's
Fascists seized power between 1922 and 1925. Following the fall of Fascism
in 1943, parliamentary government was reinstated, but the monarchy was
abolished by referendum on June 13, 1946, and Italy became a republic.
This page was made by Lady Kittara.
Most of the links on this page are still in this process of being made.
The site is still under serious construction so bear with me please.
I am trying my hardest to get this all up as soon as possible for everyone's
viewing pleasure. But as usual it takes time and much work. Keep checking
back from time to time for expansions and upgrades. Again thank you for your
patience and a special thanx to all those who helped me with this page
(the language help and all). I love you all. This site was last
updated on Tuesday 21st July 1998.