Italy: About Italy

From ExecutivePlanet.com

Geography, climate, regions and cities, government

Italy, the famous 'boot-shaped' peninsula lies in central southern Europe and is surrounded by the Mediterranean sea to the south and bordered by Austria, France, Slovenia and Switzerland to the North. The country stretches for over 1000 km from north to south and has a total area of over 300,000 sq km. Italy also includes two large islands, Sardinia and Sicily, and many smaller ones--Capri, Ischia, Elba--to name but a few.

Two independent states: the Vatican City [in Rome] and the Republic of San Marino lie within Italy's geographical borders.

Italy is justifiably well known for its beautiful mountain ranges; the Alps to the northwest, Dolomites to the northeast and the Apennine range, which forms the backbone down the centre. The largest lakes are found mainly in the North [lakes Garda, Maggiore, Como, and Iseo].

Northern Italy is made up of an extensive plain through which Italy's longest river, the Po, flows into the Adriatic Sea. Italy is also home to two major volcanoes: Mt. Etna [Sicily] and Mt. Vesuvius [near Naples].

Regions and Cities

Italy has a population of 60 million inhabitants and is the fourth largest population in the European Union. Over 7.5% of the nation's population are from abroad (of these the largest immigrant groups are: Romanians 15.1% Moroccans 10.5% Albanians 10.3% Ukrainians 5.3%). Immigration ensures that the country’s population is growing despite the low fertility rate among Italians of 1.4 children per family The country is made up of 20 regions and its principal cities [in descending order of population] are: Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna and Florence.

Government

Italy became a Republic in 1946 and was a founding member of the EEC [which later became the European Union or EU].

The seat of government is in Rome. The head of state is the President of the Republic, who controls the armed forces and the judiciary. He is elected by Parliament and holds office for a period of seven years. Next in the hierarchy comes the President of the Senate and third the President of the Chamber of Deputies. Parliament is made up of two chambers, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and is elected by popular vote every five years [or less]. Legislation can be initiated in either house but must be approved by both houses before becoming law. The chamber of Deputies consists of 630 members, the Senate around 320.

Major parties

The current major political parties (having scored more than 4% in the 2008 general election) are:

- The People of Freedom (Il Popolo della Libertà)

- Democratic Party (Partito Democratico)

- Northern League (Lega Nord)

- Italy of Values (Italia dei Valori)

- Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (Unione dei Democratici Cristiani e di Centro)

Economy, entrance requirements, legislation, and religion

The Economy

In 2009 the economy of Italy was the seventh-largest economy in the world and the fourth largest in Europe, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Italy belongs to the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations; it is a member of the European Union and OECD. Italy is considered to offer a high quality of life, rating 8th according to the Economist’s quality of life index.

Its economic strength owes much to the success of small and medium-sized companies--often family-owned and managed and concentrated in industrial clusters throughout the country. There is a thriving culture of artisan workers [artigiani]. Italy remains an economy where the manufacturing sector is strong. Key industries include automobiles, shipbuilding, chemicals, furniture, clothing and textiles, leather goods and footwear, food processing, ceramic products, components and machinery. Italy is the world's fifth largest industrial goods producer and an important agricultural exporter for fruit and vegetables such as kiwi fruits, grapes, artichokes, and tomatoes.

Tourism is one of the fastest growing and most profitable sectors of the national economy: with 43.7 million international tourist arrivals and total revenues estimated at $42.7 billion in 2008 (latest available figures), Italy is the fifth major tourist destination and the fourth highest tourist earner in the world.

Italy is in the Eurozone having converted its currency from Italian lira to the euro in 2002.

Entry Requirements

EU nationals may travel to Italy for up to three months with either a valid passport or valid identity card. If, however, you wish to work in Italy you need to visit the Questura [special police station] within three days of arrival to apply for a permit to stay (permesso di soggiorno) and permit to work (permesso di lavoro). Non-EU citizens should check with their nearest Italian embassy or consulate for the exact visa requirements that apply to them.

Religion

Italy is a secular state but the dominant religion is Roman Catholic. Although a steady stream of immigration in recent years has introduced a more multi-ethnic society, other religions are still a relatively small percentage.

Legislation

Once in Italy, it is necessary to carry some official document with you at all times [with a photograph and signature e.g. Passport, ID card or permesso di soggornio]. Italian citizens over the age of 15 are required to carry an ID card. It is quite common to be asked to show some form of ID (some shops when paying by credit card, any government buildings, renting a car/bike, checking into a hotel etc).

Car drivers are required to carry a valid driving licence when driving a car. Failure to produce one if stopped by police will result in a fine. Car lights [dipped] should be on at all times when driving on motorways and major roads.

Sometimes visitors may get the impression that there are fewer laws in Italy than in other countries or that they are less closely adhered to and take risks that they would not do at home. This would be a mistake. There are in fact more laws in Italy than many other countries and if ignored risk the corresponding penalties. Illegal parking (for example) though widespread will result in a fine if a traffic warden/police catches you!