Fact on Italy
Rome, the Winter Olympics, Wine, Ferrari, beautiful beaches – Italy has it all. Following is not one fact on Italy, but many.
Fact on Italy
From a European perspective, there is little doubt that Italy is the foundation of modern society in the West. This is conclusion is primarily due to two facts, the reign of the Romans and the Roman Catholic Church.
In more modern times, Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor Emmanuel II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito Mussolini established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II.
A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared to the prosperous north.
Let’s get to the facts on Italy:
- Italy is located in Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia.
- Italy is slightly larger than the state of Arizona.
- Italy's climate is predominantly Mediterranean with Alpine in far north and hot, dry areas in the south.
- Prior to 1861, Italy was a collection of city states ruled by popes.
- The first paved streets in the world were in Rome in 170 B.C.
- Julius Caesar banned all vehicles during daylight hours because of traffic jams.
- Roman gladiators were the first athletes to endorse products.
- Roman Emperor Caligula appointed his horse to a senate position.
- Roman statutes were made with detachable heads so new heads could be put on as leaders changed.
- After poor performances, Roman commanders would kill ever tenth roman soldier giving rise to the word "decimate."
- During periods of Roman rule, there was no emperor.
- During these periods, the senate could select a person during times of emergency. His title was "dictator" and he could not be challenged.
- Vast percentages of Romans died from lead poisoning. They used is as a sweetener!
- Popes of the Roman Catholic Church ruled Italy for nearly a thousand years until 1861.
- Vatican City is considered a separate country from Italy.
- About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
- In the early 1900’s, Prince Piero Ginori Conti invented the geothermal pump. He is considered the father of modern geothermal power.
- Great Italian explorers include Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo.
- Leonardo Di Vinci is the greatest Italian inventor.
- The Zamboni machine used in ice rinks was invented by Frank J. Zamboni in 1949.
- 20 Italians have won the Nobel Prize.
- Italy is famous for its painters including Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and Giotto.
- Michelangelo's real name is Michelangelo Buonarroti.
- Natural resources include coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish and arable land.
- The population of Italy as of 2005 was 58,103,033 people.
- Italians are predominantly members of the Roman Catholic Church, but Islam is growing with immigration to the country.
- The literacy rate in Italy is 98.6 percent.
- The official name of the country is Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana in Italian.
- The capital of Italy is Rome.
- The flag of Italy is three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland.
- The flag of Italy was inspired by the French flag brought in 1797 by Napoleon.
- Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the UK.
- This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial north dominated by private companies, and a less developed, welfare-dependent agricultural south with 20% unemployment.
- Most raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported.
- The economy experienced no growth in 2005, and unemployment remained at a high level.
- Italy is a member of the European Union.
- Italy has strong tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear and ceramics industries.
- Italy's biggest economic trading partner is Germany.
- Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa.
As you can see, Italy has a long and storied history. No single fact on Italy can do it justice.
