BIBLIOGRAPHY

• “Italy.” Junior World Geography Series. 1997 ed.
• “Italy.” World Book. 2003 ed.
• US Department of State. unknown publisher. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4033.htm
• Steves, Rick. Rick Steves Italy. New York, NY: Avalon Books, 2010.

Goverment

Principal Government Officials
President--Giorgio Napolitano
Prime Minister--Silvio Berlusconi
Foreign Minister--Franco Frattini
Minister of Defense--Ignazio LaRussa
Minister of Finance--Giulio Tremonti
Minister of Justice--Angelino Alfano
Minister of the Interior--Roberto Maroni
Ambassador to the United States--Giovanni Castellaneta Government Type: Republic since June 2, 1946.
Constitution: January 1, 1948.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), Council of Ministers (cabinet), headed by the president of the council (prime minister). Legislative--bicameral parliament: 630-member Chamber of Deputies, 315-member Senate (plus a varying number of "life" Senators). Judicial--independent constitutional court and lower magistracy.
Subdivisions: 94 provinces, 20 regions.
Political parties: Forza Italia, Democratic Party of the Left, National Alliance, Northern League, United Christian Democrats, Democrats, Italian People's Party, Christian Democratic Center, Socialist, Communist Renewal, Social Democratic, Republican, Liberal, Greens, Italian Renewal.
Suffrage: Universal over 18.

Principal Government Officials

President--Giorgio Napolitano
Prime Minister--Silvio Berlusconi
Foreign Minister--Franco Frattini
Minister of Defense--Ignazio LaRussa
Minister of Finance--Giulio Tremonti
Minister of Justice--Angelino Alfano
Minister of the Interior--Roberto Maroni
Ambassador to the United States--Giovanni Castellaneta

Italy is a peninsula that juts into the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian and Mediterranean Seas.

Culture

The majority religion is again, Roman Catholic. Roman Catholics believe in one God and in the coming again of Jesus Christ. They believe in the immaculate conception of Christ. This belief system does not prohibit interaction with other countries, as many other countries around the world also believe in Christian concepts.

According to the US State Department: "although Roman Catholicism is the majority religion in Italy--85% of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic--all religious faiths are provided equal freedom before the law by the constitution." This provides an example of the value system of Italians--strong beliefs but an openness to other points of view. Some of the other religions are Islam, Buddhism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Judaism, though these make up a very small percent of the population.

Economic

The Italian system of currency presently is the euro, which Italy adopted in 2002. Before that, the currency was the lira. The euro was created by the European Union to be a common currency among many countries to help travelers and trade. Some of Italy's major imports and exports are:

Imports

• Pharmaceutical products
• Precious metals
• Medical equipment

Exports

• Medical, dental & pharmaceutical preparations
• Industrial machines
• Petroleum products
• Wine & Related products
• Shoes
• Jewelry

The economy is affected by their physical landscape because this is rugged and mountainous with many natural resources. These natural resources are the basis of many Italian exports, which improve their economy. The economy affects their government because without a good economy, the government can not prosper. It affects their culture because it allows them to be hard-working and very individualized, like the landscape they live in. It affects their history through having many natural resources in which to trade in ancient times.

History

Just a few of the historical accomplishments that took place in or around Italy were the founding of the Roman empire, entering World War II under the leadership of Benito Mussolini and changing the monetary system from the lira to the euro. One more historical accomplishment that connects with the belief of the people of Italy is the foundation of Vatican City and the crowning of the first Pope (Otto the Great). This connects with their beliefs because the majority of people in Italy are Roman Catholic and the church is a very important part of their lives.

A few facts about Italy are:

• It is one of the largest film producing countries in the world
• Lots of sports cars are made there (Ferrari, Lamborghini and Alfa Romeo)
• Italians invented pizza, marinara sauce and ice cream...yum, yum!!
• One fun and unique fact is that Italy is a soccer-first country, which means they love their "futbal!"

One historical accomplishment that was the driving force behind a cultural, government and economic event was the Italian Renaissance, a time of rebirth. This changed the way people lived, worked and learned through the work of scholars, artists and philosophers.

Geography

Italy is on the continent of Europe. It lies on a peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. The climate of Italy is largely temperate with regional variations. In the North, it is warm with occasional rain and the central regions are very humid. In the south, it scorches under dry heat.

Rome is the capital of Italy, and it has been for the past 2000 years. It sits at Latitude 41.58 degrees North and a Longitude of 12.40 degrees East. The physical features of Italy are that is 3/4 mountainous and the coastline is very rugged. The country also features many islands, some of considerable size.