Area Total | 301,340 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 |
Imports | Germany 16.3%, France 8.8%, China 7.1%, Netherlands 5.6%, Spain 5.3%, Belgium 4.5% (2017) – engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, tobacco |
Government | parliamentary republic |
Capital | Rome |
Population | 62.2 million (July 2018 est.) |
Ethnicity | Italian (small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek Italians in the south) |
Language | Italian (official), German, French, Slovene |
Exports | Germany 12.5%, France 10.3%, US 9%, Spain 5.2%, UK 5.2%, Switzerland 4.6% (2017) – engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco; minerals, nonferrous metals |
News about Italy
- Signs of love? Italy has designated romantic zones – would you kiss on demand?by (Italy | The Guardian) on August 8, 2022
Scenic spots throughout the country now have signposts ordering visitors to kissName: Romantic zones.Age: Ancient in many cases, if only recently signposted. Continue reading...
- ‘The new normal’: how Europe is being hit by a climate-driven drought crisisby Jon Henley and Guardian correspondents (Italy | The Guardian) on August 8, 2022
Water shortages across the continent, from France through Italy, Spain and beyond, are creating a critical situationEurope’s worst ever drought in picturesEurope’s most severe drought in decades is hitting homes, factories, farmers and freight across the continent, as experts warn drier winters and searing summers fuelled by global heating mean water […]
- REVEALED: The Italian beaches you might want to avoid this summerby The Local on August 8, 2022
Overcrowded, overhyped, or endangered by overtourism, some of Italy's most famous beaches are best avoided in peak season. Here's our selection of hotspots you may want to skip - and where to go instead.
- Italian word of the day: 'Quanto meno'by The Local on August 8, 2022
At least give this Italian word a try.
- Airport chaos in Europe: What are your rights if flights are delayed or cancelled?by The Local on August 8, 2022
Summer is up, tourism is recovering from pandemic years, and people are stuck at chaotic airports. Here are your rights if something goes wrong.
- MAP: Where are wildfires raging in Italy?by The Local on August 8, 2022
Hundreds of people have been evacuated as extreme temperatures fuel wildfires across Italy. Here’s where the blazes are currently causing the most damage.
- Historic drought resurfaces World War II bomb in Italy's River Poby The Local on August 8, 2022
Historically low water levels in northern Italy's River Po exposed an unexploded WWII-era bomb over the weekend.
- Italy’s hard right set for election victory after left-wing alliance collapsesby The Local on August 8, 2022
An Italian centre-left election pact broke down on Sunday just days after it was formed, leaving the path to power clear for the hard-right coalition.
- Will summer 2022 be Italy's hottest ever?by The Local on August 8, 2022
As the country swelters in yet another heatwave, we look into whether summer 2022 might go down as the hottest in Italian history.
- Italy's summer tourism boom driven by American arrivalsby The Local on August 8, 2022
Tourist spending in Italy is set to return to pre-pandemic levels this summer, boosted largely by visitors from the US, says a new industry report.
- On the agenda: What's happening in Italy this weekby The Local on August 8, 2022
From weather warnings to summer festivals, here's a look at the key events in Italy this week that you should know about.
- Reader question: Are there limits on bringing medicines into Italy?by The Local on August 8, 2022
Over-the-counter painkillers can be surprisingly expensive in Italy, and some brands of medicine that visitors use back home aren't available in Italian pharmacies. So what are the rules on bringing medicines in from outside the country?
- Second world war bomb discovered in Italy’s dried-up river Poby Reuters in Italy (Italy | The Guardian) on August 7, 2022
Military experts carried out an explosion of a 450-kg bomb discovered in the Po during Italy’s heatwaveHeatwaves sweeping Europe this summer have brought not just record high temperatures and scorched fields: the drought-stricken waters of Italy’s river Po are running so low they revealed a previously submerged second world war bomb.Military experts […]
- Election boost for Italy’s far right as centre-left alliance collapsesby Angela Giuffrida in Rome (Italy | The Guardian) on August 7, 2022
Leader of Azione withdraws support from coalition led by Democratic party less than week after joining forcesAn Italian centre-left alliance has broken down less than a week after coming together, potentially handing victory to a coalition that includes two far-right parties as the country prepares for general elections in September.Carlo Calenda, the […]
- Italy’s far right turns Lampedusa’s refugee crisis to its advantageby Lorenzo Tondo in Lampedusa (Italy | The Guardian) on August 7, 2022
The tiny island, once famed for its welcoming approach to those risking their lives in the Mediterranean, is centre stage as elections approachA few days after the downfall of Italy’s government, Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, began preparing his electoral campaign for upcoming national elections the only way he knows: by targeting […]
- Hundreds march in central Italy over murder of Nigerian street vendorby Angela Giuffrida in Rome (Italy | The Guardian) on August 7, 2022
Killing of Alika Ogorchukwu, 39, sparks racism debate amid election campaign focused on immigrationHundreds of people marched in a central Italian town on Saturday, demanding justice for the murder of a Nigerian street vendor as prosecutors investigated an attack against a Nigerian woman in a separate incident.The killing in broad daylight of Alika […]
- UPDATED: Some of the best podcasts for learners of Italianby The Local on August 7, 2022
For everyone from beginners to advanced learners, here's a list of audio shows that will help improve your Italian.
- Discoveries in Pompeii reveal lives of lower and middle classesby Associated Press in Rome (Italy | The Guardian) on August 6, 2022
Archaeologists are enriching our knowledge about those who were ‘vulnerable class during political crises and food shortages’ A trunk with its lid left open, a wooden dishware closet and a three-legged accent table topped by decorative bowls. These are among the latest discoveries by archaeologists that are enriching knowledge about middle-class lives […]
- European football giants cancel Israel pre-season match over securityby The Local on August 6, 2022
Italian footballing giants Juventus were set to square off against Spanish side Atlético Madrid in Tel Aviv this weekend but the match was postponed amid renewed hostilities in the region.
- What to do in Rome this Augustby The Local on August 6, 2022
Rome may be emptied of Italians in August, but the city still has plenty to offer.
- TRAVEL: How to spot Italy’s ‘fake authentic’ tourist villagesby The Local on August 6, 2022
Ever visited a picture-perfect Italian village that felt too idyllic to be real? There's a reason for that, says reporter Silvia Marchetti.
- EXPLAINED: What is Italy doing to cut the rising cost of living?by The Local on August 5, 2022
Amid soaring inflation and price rises, the Italian government has announced new measures to help families and businesses keep costs down. Here's what you need to know.
- Elections: Italy's Lampedusa residents 'left behind' by migration focusby The Local on August 5, 2022
Italy's politicians are visiting Lampedusa to promise an end to migrant arrivals, but many living on the island say their other concerns go unheard.
- Italian word of the day: ‘Intanto’by The Local on August 5, 2022
While you’re here, take a moment to learn this handy word.
- EU delays passport scan system and €7 travel fee until 2023by The Local on August 5, 2022
Two major changes that were due to come into force in 2022 for travellers entering the EU - an enhanced passport scanning system and the introduction of a €7 visa for tourists - have been delayed for a year.
- Experience: I was driving across a bridge when it collapsedby Nataliya Yelina (Italy | The Guardian) on August 5, 2022
The car nosedived 45 metres. It was four hours before firefighters found usIn summer 2018, life was so good. My fiance, Eugeniu, and I had bought a house near Naples. We decided to go on holiday to Provence, where he had proposed six years earlier, and try for a baby.We had planned to go by plane, but we changed our minds and took the car. My teenage son […]
- What are the limits on air conditioner use in Italy?by The Local on August 5, 2022
As Spain and Germany announce new energy-saving measures, what is Italy doing to rein in its fuel consumption?
- Fuel tax cut and help with energy bills: Italy approves inflation aid packageby The Local on August 5, 2022
Italy on Thursday night approved new measures worth around 17 billion euros ($17.4 billion) to help families and businesses manage the surging cost of fuel and essentials.
- French mayor to ask Mont Blanc climbers for €15,000 rescue and funeral depositby Angela Giuffrida (Italy | The Guardian) on August 4, 2022
Mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains imposed measure after dozens of ‘pseudo-mountaineers’ ignored warningsClimbers attempting to reach the summit of Mont Blanc from a popular path in France will have to pay a €15,000 (£12,640) deposit to cover costs in case they need to be rescued, or worse, die.Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, […]
- Adrenaline by Zlatan Ibrahimović review – he doesn’t just talk a good gameby Andrew Anthony (Italy | The Guardian) on August 2, 2022
In the superstar footballer’s latest memoir, vanity goes hand in hand with an appreciation of his absurd personaIt’s nine years since I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović was published in English and described by the Guardian’s Richard Williams as the “most compelling autobiography ever to appear under a footballer’s name”. That book told in revealing […]