Introduction to Geography of Italy
Italy, or the Italian Republic (Italian: Italia or Republica Italiana), a country in southern Europe. Jutting southward from the Alps into the Mediterranean Sea, Italy consists mainly of a slender boot-shaped peninsula and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Italy is bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia, and the Adriatic, Ionian, Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, and Ligurian seas. It completely encircles two tiny, independent states: San Marino, east of Florence, and Vatican City, in Rome.
Italy's area is 116,340 square miles (301,318 km2)—about twice that of Florida. Peninsular Italy is about 700 miles (1,130 km) long and up to 350 miles (565 km) wide.
The name Italy was first used by the Greeks for the southern tip of the peninsula, where they established colonies as early as the eighth century B.C. Gradually, as the peninsula came under Roman rule, the name was applied to everything south of the Alps.
Italy has contributed greatly to Western civilization. For hundreds of years it was the center of the far-flung Roman Empire. It was in Italy that Christianity first flourished in Europe and became a powerful force. Rome has long been the seat of the papacy and the world center of the Roman Catholic Church. The Renaissance, the period of enlightenment that ended medieval times, began in Italy, and during this period Italians contributed greatly to the intellectual and artistic development of the Western world. Italy still preserves much of its noble past in its cities, museums, and ruins, attracting more foreign visitors than any other country in the world.
Italy in briefGeneral informationCapital: Rome.Official language: Italian.Official name: Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic).National anthem: "Fratelli d'Italia" ("Brothers of Italy").Largest cities: (2001 census) Rome (2,546,804); Milan (1,256,211); Naples (1,004,500); Turin (865,263); Palermo (686,722); Genoa (610,307).Flag and coat of arms: Italy's flag, adopted in 1870, has three vertical stripes, green, white, and red (left to right). Italians first used the flag in 1796 in support of Napoleon Bonaparte and France during a war against Austria. Napoleon designed the flag to look like that of France, but substituted green, his favorite color, for the blue of the French flag. Italy's coat of arms was established after the formation of the Italian republic in 1946. The star represents unity, the wreath of laurel and oak stands for republicanism, and the cogwheel represents industry. The country's name in Italian is on the ribbon.Coat of arms: Italy's coat of arms was established after the formation of the Italian republic in 1946. The star represents unity, the wreath of laurel and oak stands for republicanism, and the cogwheel represents industry. The country's name in Italian is on the ribbon.Land and climateLand: Italy lies in southern Europe on the Mediterranean Sea. It borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The Alps form Italy's northern and northwestern border. The Apennines (a mountain chain) occupy the center of Italy's peninsula. The Po River Valley is Italy's only major flat area.Area: 116,340 mi2 (301,318 km2). Greatest distances—north-south, 708 mi (1,139 km); east-west, 320 mi (515 km).Elevation: Highest—near the summit of Mont Blanc, which is 15,771 ft (4,807 m). Lowest—sea level.Climate: Central and southern Italy have hot summers—daytime high temperatures of about 86 degrees F (30 degrees C). Winters are mild, with daytime highs reaching about 54 degrees F (12 degrees C). Northern Italy is only slightly cooler than the rest of the country in summer. However, it is much cooler in winter—daytime highs of only about 41 degrees F (5 degrees C). The north receives adequate year-round moisture. Central and southern Italy have dry summers and moderate winter rainfall. In general, total precipitation decreases from north to south.GovernmentForm of government: Parliamentary democracy.Head of state: President (elected by Parliament to a 7-year term).Head of government: Prime minister.Legislature: Parliament of two houses—the Chamber of Deputies (630 members) and the Senate (315 elected members). The two houses have equal legislative powers.Executive: Prime minister, nation's chief executive, is approved by Parliament. Prime minister chooses Cabinet.Judiciary: Highest court is the Constitutional Court.Political subdivisions: 20 regions, each divided into provinces and communes.PeoplePopulation: Current estimate—58,818,000. 2001 census—56,995,744.Population density: 506 per mi2 (195 per km2).Distribution: 68 percent urban, 32 percent rural.Major ethnic/national groups: About 95 percent Italian; small numbers of Germans, French, Slovenes, Moroccans, and Albanians.Major religion: Roman Catholic (95 percent of population).EconomyChief products: Agriculture—beef cattle, corn, grapes, hogs, olives, oranges, tomatoes, wheat. Manufacturing—chemicals, clothing and shoes, foods and beverages, machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum products. Mining—granite, marble, natural gas.Money: Basic unit—euro. One hundred cents equal one euro. The Italian lira was taken out of circulation in 2002.International trade: Major exports—chemicals, clothing and shoes, fruits and vegetables, machinery, motor vehicles. Major imports—machinery, metals, motor vehicles, petroleum, textile yarns. Major trading partners—Belgium, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States.Physical Geography
Italy is a country in southern Europe.LandItaly has three major physical regions: the Alps, the Po Valley, and the Apennines.
The Alps, in the north, are a massive arc of rugged, geologically young mountains following Italy's border from France to Slovenia. The highest peaks, mantled by ice and snow the year round, rise more than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) above sea level along the Italian-Swiss border. Included are Monte Rosa (15,203 feet [4,634 m]) and the Mat-terhorn (14,690 feet [4,478 m]). Mont Blanc, western Europe's highest peak, lies partly in Italy, but crests just beyond the border in France at 15,771 feet (4,807 m).
The loftiest peak entirely within Italy is 13,323-foot (4,061-m) Gran Paradiso in the Graian Alps, one of the westernmost ranges. Eastern ranges, including the craggy Dolomites, are generally lower than those in the west, but are nevertheless rugged. Numerous alpine passes provide access to the north. Probably most famous are the Brenner, Great St. Bernard, and St. Gotthard passes.
The Po Valley, at the base of the Alps, is a relatively flat, triangular plain. It extends from near Turin to the head of the Adriatic, where it reaches a width of about 150 miles (240 km). Similar terrain extends northeastward in a fairly broad band toward the Slovakian border. Agriculturally and industrially, the Po Valley is Italy's richest, most intensively developed area.
The Apennines, making up the largest of the three regions, consist of a mountain chain running the length of the peninsula. Like the Alps, the Apennines are geologically young mountains, but they are lower and less rugged than the Alps. The maximum height, 9,554 feet (2,912 m), is reached at Corno Grande in the Gran Sasso d'Italia range, northeast of Rome. Breaking the rough-to-rugged Apennine terrain in numerous places are broad river valleys, basins, and plateaus. Narrow plains parallel much of the coast. At the toe of Italy's boot the Apennines drop beneath the Strait of Messina, reappearing on the island of Sicily as locally named ranges. Sardinia, Italy's other large island, is also mountainous.
Earthquakes are relatively frequent in Italy, especially in the Apennines, where several devastating quakes have occurred during the past century. Volcanoes, mainly dormant or extinct, dot the western Apennine slopes and occur on several offshore islands. Active volcanoes include Ve-suvius, near Naples; Etna, on Sicily; and Stromboli, in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
WaterItaly's chief river is the 418-mile (673-km) Po, which is fed primarily by the waters of countless alpine streams. Major tributaries include the Dora Baltea, Ticino, Adda, and Oglio. Second to the Po in length and annual flow is the Adige, which empties into the Adriatic just north of the Po. Many of the rivers in the Alps have been dammed, primarily for hydroelectric power.
Rivers of the peninsula, including the Arno, Tiber, and Volturno, are small compared to those in the north. Virtually, all of them have a greatly reduced flow in summer.
Glacial lakes nestle in some of the alpine valleys. The largest ones—renowned for their great natural beauty and known collectively as the Italian Lakes—are situated in the foothills of the Alps. Among them are Lakes Maggiore and Lugano, which lie partly in Switzerland, and Lakes Como, Iseo, and Garda. The most famous section of Italy's 2,300-mile (3,700-km) coast is the Italian Riviera. Its resort-lined beaches, backed by abruptly rising mountains, stretch along the Ligurian Sea from the French Riviera to La Spezia. The section west of Genoa is known as the Riviera di Ponente; the section east of Genoa, the Riviera di Levante.
ClimateThe climate of Italy varies considerably, mainly because of the country's 700-mile (1,130-km) span of latitude, the influence of high mountains, and the effects of adjacent seas.
The peninsula, south of the Po Valley, has a Mediterranean climate, similar to that of southern California. Summers are hot and dry; winters are mild and relatively rainy; bright, sunny weather prevails throughout most of the year. Temperatures in Rome, for example, average 77° F. (25° C.) in July and 46° F. (8° C.) in January. There is relatively little freezing weather. Annual precipitation varies from about 25 to 40 inches (635 to 1,020 mm), depending on location. Rainfall in Rome averages about 30 inches (760 mm) a year. The south is generally drier than the north, the east coast drier than the west. The Riviera has a similar climate, but receives slightly more precipitation.
The Po Valley has a somewhat harsher climate, one resembling the continental type of central Europe. Winters are chilly or cold and often damp and foggy. Summers are much like those in the south. Temperatures in Milan, for example, average about 36° F. (2° C.) in January and 75° F. (24° C.) in July. During the coldest month freezing weather and snow usually occur.
The Alps have cool summers, severe winters, and abundant rain and snow. The high peaks are perpetually cold.
Vegetation and WildlifeItaly's vegetation is as varied as its terrain and climate. Nowhere is plant life abundant, however. Because of the dry summers, especially in the south, drought-resistant species predominate. Chief groups include low evergreen plants, thickleaved shrubs, thorny scrub, and cacti.
Oaks and several species of small pines are among the trees native to the lowlands and low mountain slopes. Poplar and willow often line riverbanks. In the Alps and Apennines such deciduous trees as oak, chestnut, and beech grow at mid-slope. Fir, pine, and other conifers are found higher up. Alpine meadows occur above the timber line.
Few large animals are still to be found in Italy. Bears, wolves, chamois, ibexes (wild goats), deer, and wild boars are among those surviving in the high mountains, mainly in national parks. Birds are numerous and varied. Italy has few snakes.
Economy
Italy recovered rapidly from the ravages of World War II and soon regained its position as a major industrial nation. An abundance of relatively inexpensive skilled labor, energetic management, large investments by foreign companies, and membership in the Common Market (now known as the European Union) contributed to the early postwar growth of the economy. Northern Italy is now one of the most advanced industrial areas of Western Europe. Southern Italy remains poorer and less industrialized, despite long-term efforts of the Italian government to improve the region's industry and agriculture.In the mid 20th century, Italy helped in founding the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Atomic Energy Community, and the European Economic Community, which went on to become the basis of the European Community (EC), an economic association of European nations.
Italy's economic system is a mixture of private enterprise and government ownership, with the government being more deeply involved in industrial and commercial activity than in most other Western nations. It operates primarily through giant holding companies, largest of which are the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI), founded in 1933, and the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ENI), organized in 1953. Between them, they own and control scores of subsidiary companies, many of which compete directly with private businesses. Among the government's many industrial and commercial activities are steelmaking, shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, maritime shipping, air transportation, petroleum exploration and refining, mining, banking, and broadcasting. Some industries are completely nationalized.
The private sector of the economy is dominated by a small number of very large firms. Some firms, such as Fiat, are diversified multinational conglomerates.
The north, particularly the Po Valley, is the most prosperous region. The south—which includes the southern two-fifths of the peninsula, Sicily, and Sardinia—has lagged far behind; many areas are chronically depressed. Efforts by the government to improve conditions in the south began in 1950. Since then large sums of money have been spent on economic and social projects, including factories, roads, land reclamation, irrigation, loans and mortgages, electrification, hospitals, schools, and other improvements. Privately owned firms, both Italian and foreign, have also made significant industrial investments. The gap, however, still remains large.
Italy's basic currency unit is the euro.
Service IndustriesService industries are economic activities that provide services rather than produce goods, and in Italy, they account for more than two-thirds of the gross domestic product (GDP). The most important services industries are finance, insurance, real estate, and business services, which account for about one-fourth of Italy’s GDP. This group includes such activities as banking and the renting and selling of homes and office space.
Italy’s second leading service industry group is community, government, and personal services, which includes schools, data processing centers, law firms and health care. Trade, restaurants, and hotels are Italy's third leading service industry group.
Manufacturingaccounts for about a fourth of the labor force and about a fifth of the gross domestic product of Italy, apart from supplyingmost of Italy's exports. The Italian government once controlled many large manufacturing companies, including steel mills and shipyards, though it sold most of its holdings to private companies in the early 20th century.In general, Italian manufacturing firms tend to be very large or very small. Many of the small firms produce finely made artisan goods.
The principal center of manufacturing is the north, especially the northwest, which includes Milan, Turin, and Genoa. Concentrated there are the mechanical, engineering, metallurgical, chemical, and textile and clothing industries, which contribute most of manufacturing's total value and output.
The most important of Italy's products, based on total value, are those of the mechanical, engineering, and electronics industries. Included are automobiles and other motor vehicles, ships, aircraft, calculators, cash registers, typewriters and other wordprocessing equipment, sewing machines, machine tools, and agricultural and industrial machinery. Italy's automobile and office machine industries are among the largest in the world. Foremost among the metallurgical industries is the making of iron and steel. The country's large manufacturing firms include ENI, a petroleum company; and Fiat, an automobile manufacturer.
The chemical and petrochemical industries have undergone rapid growth, partly because of heavy foreign investments. They are based heavily on crude oil from North Africa and the Middle East, imported coal, and foreign and domestically produced natural gas. Italy's petroleum refining capacity is one of the largest in the world.
The making of woolen, synthetic, cotton, and silk textiles have long been a major activity. Linked to it is the large clothing manufacturing industry, noted for fine craftsmanship and style, which also includes the manufacture of shoes. Rome and Milan are outstanding fashion centers, rivaling Paris, London, and New York. Excellent workmanship and design are also characteristic of many of the handicraft items produced in Italy. These include ceramics, glassware, leather goods, and jewelry.
The processing of foods and beverages is widely dispersed and employs thousands of workers. Of particular importance is the making of pasta (spaghetti, macaroni, and similar products). Also significant is the making of wine, cheese, olive oil, and sausage. Many of these products, including Chianti wine, Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese, and Bologna sausage, are known throughout the world.
AgricultureExcept for the Po Valley, Italy has few large areas well suited to farming, mainly because of rough terrain, poor soils, and, especially in the south, scarcity of water. Nevertheless, nearly 40 per cent of Italy is cultivated, whichsupplies much of the food needed by the nation and provides some products for export, mainly fruits and vegetables. Agriculture accounts for roughly 5 per cent of the gross national product and employs 9 per cent of the labor force.
Small farms, averaging less than 18 acres (7 hectares), are most common, with about three-fourths of them being less than 12 acres (5 hectares). They are generally tilled by the owner and his family and usually provide only a minimum standard of living. Sharecropping and tenant farming are common in some areas, especially the central and southern parts. Large estates, called latifundias, have been declining in number, particularly in the south, where land reform has been more widely practiced. Farms in the Po Valley are among the most productive in Europe. The richest agricultural region of Italy, the Po Valley is the principal area for livestock and dairy farming. The chief crops of the Po Valley include grains, grapes, olives, and sugar beets.
The chief crops are cereals, mainly wheat and corn, but also barley, rice, and oats. Fruits and vegetables are grown in abundance. Grapes, grown mainly for wine, and olives, for oil, are the major fruit crops. Italyis a leading wine-producing country, and its wines are exported throughout the world.Others include citrus fruits, apples, pears, peaches, cherries, oranges,melons, and figs. Vegetables grown in the largest amounts are potatoes, cauliflowers, lettuce, artichokesand tomatoes. The chief industrial crop is sugar beets. Much land is planted in fodder for feeding livestock.
Sheep, hogs, cattle, and poultry are raised in substantial numbers. The supply of meat and milk, however, is inadequate for domestic needs, and imports are required. Much of Italy's meat is imported from other countries, especially Argentina.Beef and dairy cattle predominate in the north; sheep are raised mainly on the poorer lands of the south; hogs and poultry are widely distributed throughout the country.
Fishing, Forestry, and MiningFishing is an age-old industry in Italy, and there are scores of fishing ports along the coast. Virtually all the catch comes from the Mediterranean and is taken by fleets of small boats. Caught in the largest quantities are pilchard (for sardines) and anchovies.
Lumbering and forest-based industries are of minor importance. Little remains of the forests that once covered a considerable part of Italy. The chief areas of production are in the Alps and Apennines, but even they have only limited amounts of commercially usable timber. Most of the wood for industrial use is imported. Attempts are being made by the government to reforest some of the public lands.
Mineral resources are also meager, and demands for virtually all metals, nonmetals, and fuels are met largely through imports. Most of Italy's mineral deposits are found on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia and in the regions of Tuscany, Lombardy, and Piedmont in the north-central and northwestern parts of the peninsula.Natural gas and petroleum, both discovered since World War II, are Italy's most valuable mineral resources. Natural gas comes mainly from the Po Valley and the floor of the Adriatic Sea; petroleum from Sicily and the south. Marble from Carrara is used throughout the world. The country also produces large quantities of marble and granite. Other important minerals mined in Italy include feldspar, pumice, and sulfur.
Energy SourcesPlants that burn oil provide most of Italy's electric power. Italy depends heavily on other countries for its energy supply, with imported petroleum providing more than half the country’s energy. Libya and Iran are Italy's largest suppliers of crude oil. Italians also rely heavily on natural gas for heating and other needs, and large amounts of natural gas from the Po Valley are piped into the cities of the north.
TransportationDespite its mountainous backbone, Italy has efficient transportation systems. Railroad lines connect all the major cities of Italy. The railways, except for companyoperated short lines, are government owned and operated. About half of the trackage, including all main lines, is electrified. A high-speed railway links Rome, Florence, and Milan.
Primary and secondary roads link virtually all cities and towns. Connecting the major cities is a network of superhighways called autostradas. Two run the length of the peninsula, one traverses the Po Valley, and several lead northward to Alpine passes and tunnels. Tunnels through the Alps link the highway system to those of neighboring countries.
Italy has one of the largest merchant shipping fleets in the world. The ports of Genoa and Savona, on the northwest coast, and Venice, at the head of the Adriatic, handle the major share of traffic to and from the northern industrial centers. Naples, second only to Genoa in activity, is the principal port in the south. More than a dozen other cities, among them Palermo and Trieste, have sizable ports. Inland shipping is important only in the north, where a network of canals links the Po River with the north lakes. Navigable inland waterways consist chiefly of the Po River and Po Valley canals.
Alitalia, flying domestic and worldwide routes, is Italy's national airline, and is partly owned by the government. Several smaller carriers also provide domestic service. The principal international airports are at Rome and Milan. Italy's busiest airport is the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fuimicino, near Rome. Linate and Malpensa airports in Milan also handle many passengers.
CommunicationsThe radio and television systems are well developed and have a wide audience. RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana), a government corporation, operates three radio and three television networks. RAI had a broadcasting monopoly until 1976, but since then numerous private radio and television stations have begun operating. Radio Rome, RAI's overseas shortwave service, beams programs throughout the world in many languages.
Italy has about 125 daily newspapers, representing many social and political viewpoints. Many are published by political parties or by the Roman Catholic Church, but most are owned by large companies. Among the most widely distributed newspapers are Corriere della Sera (Milan), La Repubblica (Rome), Il Sole-24 Ore (Milan), Il Messaggero and La Stampa (Turin). Rome, Milan, Turin, and Florence are the chief book publishing centers.
TradeItaly depends heavily on foreign trade for continued economic growth and a rising standard of living. Milan is Italy's center of international commerce. It imports large amounts of food and most raw materials and many manufactured items. Chief imports include metals, crude oil and petroleum products; machinery and transportation equipment; grains, meat, and other foods; textile yarns and chemicals. Principal exports are automobiles and transportation equipment, industrial and office machinery, chemicals, petroleum products, textiles, and clothing, shoes, furniture, beverages, fruits and vegetables and other consumer goods.
Italy's closest trade ties are with other countries of the European Union, especially Germany and France. Other leading trading partners include Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Italy also trades extensively with the United States.
The value of imports usually exceeds that of exports. The difference is normally made up by receipts from what are called invisibles, particularly money from tourists and from Italians working abroad. Especially numerous are the Italian nationals working in Switzerland and Germany.
TourismWith its many scenic, cultural, and historic attractions, Italy is the world's leading tourist country. Millions of tourists visit it annually. Many of the major cities and numerous regions, such as the Riviera and the Amalfi coast, depend heavily on the tourist trade for their prosperity.
The People
PopulationIn 1991 Italy had a population of 57,103,833. Roughly a third of the population lived in or near the Po Valley; two-thirds lived north of Rome. The population density was about 491 persons per square mile (190 per km2), about seven times that of the United States. Few European countries had a higher density.
The rural population was extremely large for an industrialized nation until the mid-20th century. It has since rapidly declined as many dissatisfied farmers and farm laborers have moved to industrial cities in the north and abroad seeking a better way of life.
Language and ReligionItalian, a Romance language, has been the national tongue since the 13th-14th centuries, when it evolved from Latin and a number of dialects. It is spoken with marked differences in accent, and there are also a number of dialects. Literary Italian is based on the dialect of Tuscany. German and French predominate in several of the high alpine valleys.
The Italian constitution guarantees freedom of religion. More than 90 per cent of the population is Roman Catholic. Italian Protestants are mainly Waldensians, Seventh-Day Adventists, and Baptists. There are small Jewish communities in some of the large cities.
EducationEducation is compulsory for children from 6 to 14 years of age. Most children attend free elementary schools for five years, then lower secondary schools for three. Some then attend various kinds of secondary schools leading to universities, teacher-training schools, art academies, or technical institutes. The rate of illiteracy is about 5 per cent.
All education, public and private, is supervised by the ministry of education. The universities, however, have a large degree of autonomy. The largest institution of higher learning is the government-supported university in Rome. The University of Bologna, founded in the 11th century, is one of the oldest in Europe. There are also government-supported universities in most of the other larger cities, and several private universities.
CultureFor centuries, Italy has been noted for its art and music. As the seat of the papacy, Italy was the leader in church architecture and decoration in the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, beginning in the late 13th century, Florence produced such architects, sculptors, and painters as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, the Della Robbias, Fra Angelico, the Lippis, and Botticelli. In Venice in the 15th century were the architect-painter Alberti and the Bellini family of painters. Mantegna was chief master of the Paduan school of art.
Leonardo da Vinci, painter, sculptor, and engineer, worked in Florence and Milan until 1500, later in other cities, including Rome. The popes commissioned much of the great art produced in the 16th century (the High Renaissance). At work in Rome were Bramante, architect and painter; Cellini, sculptor; Raphael, painter; and Michelangelo, painter, sculptor, and architect. Venetian masters of the period included Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese.
The Renaissance came to an end in the late 16th century. Leading artists of the Baroque Period that followed were the painter Michelangelo da Caravaggio and the sculptorarchitect Bernini.
Italy has some of the finest art collections in the world, as well as outstanding examples of church and palace architecture. For information on these, see the articles on major Italian cities.
Music in Italy reached a high point of development by the end of the Renaissance. Composers of the Baroque Period included Palestrina, Monteverdi, Frescobaldi, Corelli, Vivaldi, and the Scarlattis. Opera, developed in Florence in the late 16th century, became the favorite musical form of Italy. Verdi and Puccini were leaders of its most creative period, the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The violinist Paganini, tenor Caruso, and conductor Toscanini were each considered the greatest of his era in his field.
Italian literature during the Renaissance is represented by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, and Boccaccio. After a period of decline, it began to revive in the Napoleonic era. Authors such as Gabriele D'Annunzio and Luigi Pirandello (Nobel Prize, 1934) won world renown in the 20th century. Benedetto Croce was recognized as a critic and philosopher. In mid-century Ignazio Silone, Alberto Moravia, and Salvatore Quasimodo (Nobel Prize, 1959) were prominent.
Italy has produced outstanding scientists, including Galileo, one of the greatest of all time. Luigi Galvani, Alessandro Volta, and Guglielmo Marconi made important discoveries in the field of electricity; Amedeo Avogadro, in molecular structure; and Enrico Fermi, in atomic research.
Sports and RecreationAutomobile racing is a major spectator sport in Italy. The annual Grand Prix race covers 271 miles (436 km); the Targa Florio race, held in Sicily, covers 447 miles (719 km). The annual Grand Tour bicycle race is held in June. Calcio (soccer) is the national athletic sport. Water sports, mountain climbing, and skiing are popular.
Opera is to Italians the finest of all entertainments, and excellent opera companies are found throughout the country. La Scala in Milan is one of the foremost in the world. Italian-made films attract large audiences throughout the world.
Government
Italy set up its present form of government in 1946, when it changed from a monarchy to a republic headed by a president. The constitution of 1948, which replaced the Statuto of 1848, describes Italy as “a democratic republic founded on work.” The constitution established a governing system made up of a president, a cabinet called the council of ministers headed by a prime minister, and a Parliament made up of a senate and a chamber of deputies. All citizens 18 years old or older can vote, except members of the former ruling family. The constitution prohibits reestablishment of the Fascist party.
The president of Italy is elected for a seven-year term by Parliament in joint session, to which are added three delegates from each region (one from Valle d'Aosta). The president must be at least 50 years old. He or she appoints the prime minister, who forms a government. The president has the power to dissolve Parliament and call new elections. The president is the commander of the Italian armed forces, and can declare war. The president is the head of state but has only limited powers. Executive authority rests with the prime minister and cabinet, responsible to Parliament. Italy has no vice president. If the president of Italy becomes ill, the president of the Italian Senate takes over the office, and if the president dies, a presidential election is held.
The prime minister determines national policy and is the most important person in the Italian government. The prime minister is selected by the president—usually from among the members of Parliament—and has to be approved by the Parliament. The prime minister has no fixed term of office and can be voted out of office by Parliament at any time. Members of the Cabinet are chosen by the prime minister, appointed by the president and must be approved by Parliament. They are usually selected from the members of Parliament. The Italian prime minister and the cabinet are officially called the government.
Supreme governmental authority rests with Parliament, which consists of the Chamber of Deputies, with 630 members, the Senate of the Republic, with 315 members and 5 appointed for life by the president. All former presidents also become senators for life. The two houses are equal in power. During 1948-93 members of Parliament were elected under a proportional representation system. In 1993 Italy changed its election laws so that most of the members of Parliament are elected directly by the people.
Italy’s voters directly elect three-fourths of the members of both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The other one-fourth of both houses are elected by a complicated system based on proportional representation. Deputies are chosen by the voters from 27 constituencies (voter districts). The elected senators are chosen from 20 units of local government called regions. Deputies and senators serve five-year terms. But the president may dissolve Parliament and call for new elections before the term is up. A large number of political parties are represented in Italy’s Parliament. Political parties form coalitions (partnerships) in order to have enough power to gain control of the government.
Since 1948, Italy has had frequent cabinet changes, most of which have lasted less than a year. But many members of one cabinet remain in the next one, thus providing continuity. In coalition governments, cabinet members are from different political parties. If some of the parties in the cabinet disagree with its policies, they may withdraw their support and require the formation of a new cabinet. Coalitions of political parties dominate Italian politics. Leading parties in conservative coalitions have included Forza Italia and the National Alliance. In liberal coalitions, the leading parties have included the Democrats of the Left and the Daisy party. Italy has a unitary system of government, with the national government possessing most of the power.
The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative departments. Judges form a section of the civil service. The Court of Cassation in Rome is the highest court. It reviews the decisions of lower courts, and can return cases to the lower courts for new trials. There is also the Constitutional Court, which decides constitutional questions. All judges of Italian courts are appointed, rather than elected. Except for the 15 judges of the Constitutional Court, five of whom are chosen by the president, five by the Parliament, and five by judges of the other courts, all other Italian judges have to earn their appointments through civil service examinations. All courts operate under the national ministry of justice and a panel of judges called the Superior Council of the Judiciary. The Constitutional Court, the highest court in Italy, can declare acts of Parliament illegal. Italy has a number of lower courts. Appeals from civil and criminal courts are brought before Courts of Appeals. Cases involving serious crimes are heard in Courts of Assizes.
Each of Italy's 20 regions has an elected parliament and executive. In addition to the regions, there are 93 provinces, each governed by an elective council and a prefect who serves a term of four years; and some 7,850 communes (municipalities). The communes are Italy's smallest units of local government, and are governed by a mayor who serves a four-year term.