Italy, officially known as the Italian Republic, is a country located in Southern Europe. It is known for its rich history, beautiful art, stunning architecture, delicious cuisine, and picturesque landscapes. Italy is also known for its contributions to modern science, including Leonardo da Vinci's inventions and Galileo Galilei's discoveries.

Italy is divided into 20 regions, each with its own unique culture and attractions. Some of the most popular regions for tourists include Tuscany, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples, and the Amalfi Coast.

One of the most famous landmarks in Italy is the Colosseum in Rome, which was completed in 80 AD and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Other notable landmarks include the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the canals of Venice, and the Duomo in Florence.

Italy is also home to some of the world's most famous works of art, including Michelangelo's statue of David, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.

In addition to its art and architecture, Italy is known for its cuisine, including pasta, pizza, and gelato. Wine is also an important part of Italian culture, and the country produces some of the world's best wines.

Tourism is a major industry in Italy, and the country attracts millions of visitors each year. The country's warm climate, beautiful scenery, and rich history make it a popular destination for travelers of all ages.

Telephone Code
39

Local Emergency Phone
Ambulance: 112, 118; Fire: 112, 115; Police: 112, 113;

Vaccinations
See WHO recommendations

Climate
Predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Currency (Code)
Euros (EUR)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s)
230 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C, F, L

Major Languages
Italian, German, French, Slovene

Major Religions
Christian 80.8% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants), Muslim 4.9%

Potable Water
Yes, but some opt for bottled water

International Driving Permit
Suggested

Road Driving Side
Right

Tourist Destinations
Rome (includes Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Castel Sant’Angelo, Roman Forum); Venice Canals; Pompeii; Leaning Tower of Pisa; Lake Como; Florence (includes Ponte Vecchio, Cathedral, Uffizi Gallery); Sicily; Mount Vesuvius; Amalfi Coast; Hadrian's Villa; Milan (includes Cathedral, La Scala)

Major Sports
Soccer, basketball, rugby, cycling, water polo

Cultural Practices
Chrysanthemums are used at funerals, red flowers indicate secrecy, and yellow flowers indicate jealousy. All make poor gifts.

Tipping Guidelines
A service charge, ranging from 1-3 euros, is sometimes added to a restaurant bill, but you can round up for good service. Tip a bartender 1 euro for a round of drinks. Tipping in hotels is not required, but always appreciated. It is appropriate to tip a porter 5 euros, the concierge 1-2 euros (if they provided a service), and housekeeping between 75 cents to 1.5 euros per day. Round up taxi fares.

Souvenirs
Leather goods, designer fashion, artwork, ceramics and pottery, wine and liqueurs, cheese, pasta, crystal and blown-glass items, silk, festival masks

Traditional Cuisine
Pasta dishes; pizza

Geography
Area
total: 301,340 sq km
land: 294,140 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km

Climate
predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Natural resources
coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land

People and Society
Population
61,021,855 (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)

Languages
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)

Religions
Christian 80.8% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants), Muslim 4.9%, unaffiliated 13.4%, other 0.9% (2020 est.)

Population growth rate
-0.11% (2023 est.)

Government
Government type
parliamentary republic

Capital
name: Rome

Economy
Economic overview
core EU economy; strong services, manufacturing, and tourism sectors; hard hit by COVID-19 disruptions but starting to recover; large EU exporter but data skews due to inflated port entry valuation; corruption somewhat stymies foreign direct investment

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.478 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$41,900 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products
milk, grapes, wheat, maize, tomatoes, apples, olives, sugar beets, oranges, rice

Industries
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

Exports
$687.948 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners
Germany 12%, France 11%, United States 10%, United Kingdom 5%, Spain 5%, Switzerland 5% (2019)

Exports - commodities
packaged medicines, cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, valves, trunks/cases, wine (2019)

Imports
$637.934 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners
Germany 16%, France 9%, China 7%, Spain 5%, Netherlands 5%, Belgium 5% (2019)

Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, natural gas, refined petroleum (2019)