My Top 5 Favorite Things About Italy!

 1. The Food

 

Pizza, Pasta, Lasagna, Bread, Cheese, Wine, and the list goes on. I could eat Italian food for the rest of my life and be completely satisfied. Let us not forget their delicious pastries. Cannoli, Biscotti, Sfogliatelle, Panettone, Tiramisu, and so on. Italian food isn't just comfort food, it is also an art form. A very delicious one at that!

2. The Scenery

 

Cities with beautiful architecture, The Alps, rolling hills in Tuscany, the beach with its spectacular coasts, wineries, a city on the water, and history everywhere you look. Photography of Italy always leaves me speechless.

 

 

3. The Things Made in Italy

 

 

Everyone knows that when you see a tag that reads, "Made in Italy" it means it is well crafted. Italy makes some of the finest cars, clothing, hand bags, shoes, artwork, etc. Italian products are beautifully and creatively crafted.

 

4. The People

 

Italians are generally very family orientated, loud, funny, and just great to be around. My mothers side of the family is your typical big Italian family, and it is never a dull moment with them. Italians are unlike any other type of people, and I always find myself drawn to them.

 

 

5. The Language

 

Italiano is a romance language. I love the beautiful poetic sounds of Italian. I took a semester of Italian, and loved it. I hope to speak fluent Italian one day.

 

 

 

Economic and Social Development

Economy

After WWII, Italy was rapidly transformed from an agricultural based economy to one of the worlds most industrialized nations. Italy has a market economy characterized by high per capita GDP and low unemployment rates. In 2012, Italy was ranked the 9th largest economy in the world and 5th largest in Europe in terms of nominal GDP. With an unemployment rate of 8.5%, it is one of the lowest in the European Union. It is a developed country, with the world's 8th highest quality of life in 2005. Italy is known for its influential and innovative business economic sector, an industrious and competitive agricultural sector, and for its creative and high quality automobile, industrial, appliance and fashion design. Today, Italy is the 8th largest exporter in the world.



Fiat

Italian Wine

 

 

Social Development

 

Since World War Two, Northern and Central Italy have become very prosperous. The poverty in Southern Italy has become much less than before. There has been a substantial progress in general social conditions. Income is much more evenly distributed, and Italy has a better education system now. There has also been increased availability of certain consumer goods and essential foods. However, in some sectors, such as public health, there has been a drop in facilities available. 

Geopolitical Framework

Mussolini and the World Wars

After WWI left Italy a wreck, people were looking for a way to make Italy strong again. A wave of nationalism swept throughout the country and people were gathering together forming local nationalist groups. On March 23,1919 Benito Mussolini assembled these groups into a single national organization under his leadership. Mussolini called this group Fasci di Combattimento, also known as The Fascist Party. From 1922 to 1943, Benito Mussolini ruled over Italy. Mussolini was an influence and close ally to Adolf Hitler. Out of all the countries in Europe, Germany was the only country that supported Mussolini's attack on Ethiopia. Hitler admired Mussolini. In 1938, Italy passed the Manifesto of Race, which stripped Jews in Italy of their Italian citizenship. On May 22, 1939 Mussolini entered into the "Pact of Steel" with Hitler, which tied the two countries in the event of a war. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, which started the Second World War. During WWII, it was obvious to Mussolini that he was not an equal partner with Hitler and he did not like that. After Mussolini made several poor decisions during WWII, and when Russia and allied forces started bombing Rome, the Italian Fascist council turned against Mussolini in the summer of 1943.

Politics of Present Day Italy

Current President of Italy: Giorgio Napolitano

Italy has been a unitary parliamentary republic since June 2, 1946. The current president of the Italian Republic is Giorgio Napolitano. The parliament is bicameral: the two houses, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Senate of the Republic, have the same powers. The prime minister, officially President of the Council of Ministers, is Italy's head of government. Italy's four major political parties are the People of Freedom, the Democratic Party, the Northern League, and the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats.



Italy is subdivided into 20 regions, five of these regions have a special autonomous status that enable them to enact legislation on some of their local matters. The country is further divided into 110 provinces and 8,100 municipalities.

 

Venice

Italy!



Florence

Venice
 

Leaning Tower Of Pisa
 

Tuscany

Manarola Coast

 

Venice

 

Cultural Coherence and Diversity

Language

The official language of Italy is Italian. It is estimated that about 55 million people in Italy speak Italian, and 6.7 million people outside of Italy speak Italian. Between 120 and 150 million people use Italian as a second language worldwide. Just like the United States, Italy has many different dialects of the Italian language. Where in the United States, we may all speak English, different areas of the country pronounce the English language differently. Italy is similar in that different regions of the country pronounce words differently.

 

There are also a number of  co-official languages in some areas of Italy. French is the co-official language in the Valle d'Aosta. German is the co-official language in the province of South Tyrol, and parts of neighboring Trentino. Slovene is spoken in the provinces of Trieste, Gorizia, Udine, and Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Religion

Vatican City

Religion is very popular and important in Italy, and 74% of Italians believe there is a God. Only 6% of the population believes there is no god or spiritual life force. By far the largest religion in Italy is Roman Catholicism. In fact, 87.8% of Italians identify themselves as Roman Catholics. Surprisingly, only 36.8% of these Roman Catholics describe themselves as being active members of the church. Minority Christians faiths in Italy include Waldensians, and Eastern Orthodox as well as some Protestant churches. In the 20th century, Pentecostalism, non-denominational Evangelicalism were the fastest growing Protestant churches, as well as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormonism. Although Italy still remains a very Christian country, rising immigration has been the cause of an increase in non-Christian faiths.

 

Italian Culture

One of my favorite things about Italy, is its rich and unique culture. Italy is well known for its art, music, fashion, sports, cuisine, architecture, science, cinema, and literature. Italians are known for appreciating and focusing on the beauty of things. A phrase you may hear many Italians say is, "la bella figura," which means "the beautiful figure." It is Italy's philosophy and way of life. It is because of this philosophy why Italians have created some of the most spectacular things in the world.

• Art - Some of the greatest artists were Italians such as, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Donatello, Raphael, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Tintoretto, and Bernini.
• Architecture - Italy has a very broad and diverse architectural style. Italy is known for its architectural achievements such as domes, arches, and similar structures during ancient Rome. Some of the finest works of architecture include the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the buildings in Venice, and the great cathedrals in Florence and Milan.

• Music - Music has always played in important role in Italian culture. The piano and Violin were invented in Italy, as well as musical forms such as symphony, concerto, and sonata. Italy is also well known for being the birthplace of Opera. Today, Italian singers Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, and Eros Ramazzotti have gained international attention.
• Science - Italy has given birth to some of the most notable scientific minds. The most well known being Leonardo Da Vinci and Galileo Galilei. The Italians made important discoveries about the solar system, invented the electric battery, and advances in the mathematical field.
• Sports - The most popular sport in Italy is football (what we call Soccer). Italy has won four FIFA World Cups, and is currently ranked the worlds second most successful national football team.  It is the most successful European football team. Another popular sport in Italy is motorsports. Italy has won the most world Grand Prix Motorcycle racing. Famous car brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati are from Italy.

• Fashion and Design - With Milan being the fashion capital of the world, it is no surprise that Italy is well known for its beautiful fashion and design. Milan, Florence and Rome are Italy's fashion capitols. Major Italian fashion labels include Gucci, Prada, Versace, Valentino, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Fendi, Moschino, Max Mara, and Ferragamo. These are regarded some of the finest fashion houses in the world.
• Cuisine - Italians love their cuisine, and at times is an actual art form. Italian cuisine is characterized by its extreme simplicity, often times only using up to four ingredients. Some of the most popular foods have originated in Italy including pizza, pasta dishes, and cheeses. Italy is also well known for its wine. And lets not forget their delicious Italian pastries and treats such as, cannoli, gelato, biscotti, cappuccino, and panettone.

Population and Settlement

Population

The current population of Italy is 60,770, 000. Italy has the fourth largest population in Europe, and the 23rd largest population in the world. With a population density of 200 persons per square kilometer, it is the fifth highest in Europe. The population of Italy has mainly been affected by its high birth rates, which is 9.78 births per 1,000 people. It also has a relatively high life expectancy and low death rate of 9.82 deaths per 1,000 people. The largest populated cities in Italy include, Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, and Genoa. The growth rate of population in Italy is 0.68% and the net migration rate is 7.5%.

 

Settlement

The first evidence of humans in Italy was approximately 100,000 years ago. These humans were not like the humans we know today, the humans back then were called home erectus. They were less advanced than humans today. The first evidence of modern humans, also known as homo sapiens, was around 10,000 BC.
The First significant settlement into Italy was from the Greeks. The first time the Greeks came over to Italy was about 5,000 years ago in 3000 BC. The Greeks settled in the southernmost parts of the Italian peninsula. Other nations such as, Etruscans and early Romans, settled in the northern part of Italy. The roman republic ruled most of the Mediterranean until 576 AD.

As  of 2011, the foreign born population in Italy is subdivided as: Europe (53.4%), Asia (16.8%), North Africa (14.8%), the Americas (8.1%), Sub-Saharan Africa (6.7%) and other lands (0.2%). The distribution of the foreign born population in Italy is extremely uneven, with 86.45% living in the northern and central parts of the country, and 13.55% living in the south. There are about 4.8 million foreign-born residents living in Italy today, making up about 8% of the total population.

Environmental Geography

Landform and Landscape Regions

Lake Como

The mainland of Italy extends south into the Mediterranean Sea as a large boot-shaped peninsula. This has created many different bodies of water including, the Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Ligurian Sea, and Tyrrhenian Sea. The northern part of Italy is where you will find the beautiful Alps Mountains. The Alps are a massive stretch of mountains that extends from France to Austria, and then south along the Adriatic Sea. Italy's highest point is near the summit of Mont Blanc, at 4,748m. Near the Alps is the beautiful and rugged Lake District of Italy. In those mountains you will find lakes such as, Como, Garda, and Maggiore. 

Amalfi Coast

Directly south of the Alps Mountains is the Po River Valley, and runs from Turin to Venice. The Po River is Italy's longest river, at 652 km long. The valley is Italy's most fertile farmland. The Appennine Mountains runs north to south, and is called the backbone of Italy. The Appennine mountains consist of many chains and form the peninsula's watershed. The Amalfi Coast, which is south of Naples, offers some of the most spectacular coastal scenery. With its rocky coasts and colorful villages on the cliffs, it attracts many tourists every year.

Italy is also renowned for its rugged islands, most of which are volcanic. The large islands are Sicily and Sardinia, and the smaller islands are Capri, Elba, Ischia, and the Aeolian Island group. Much of Italy is volcanic in origin, and even today some of Italy's mountains are volcanically active, including Sicily's Mt. Etna, Aeolian Islands Stomboli, and Mt. Vesuvias near Naples, which is constantly being monitored because it could explode any minute.

 

 

 

Climate

Italy's climate is very diverse, because of its great longitudinal extension. The climate in the northern and mountainous regions are very different from the southern and coastal regions. In the inland north and central regions climate ranges from humid subtropical to humid continental and oceanic. The climate of the Po Valley has harsh winters and hot summers. In general, the coastal areas of Tuscany, Liguria, and most of the south fit the Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and warm, dry summers. Higher latitudes will get a cold, wet, and often snowy winter season.

Environmental Issues

• Air Pollution - From 1985 to 1989, United Nations sources estimated that carbon monoxide emissions increased by 12%.  In the 1990's, Italy had the worlds tenth highest level of industrial carbon dioxide emissions.
• Water Pollution - Italy's rivers and coasts have been polluted by industrial and agricultural contaminants. Lakes have been contaminated by acid rain.
• Chemical Plant Explosion - In July 1976, there was an explosion at a small Swiss-owned chemical plant in the city of Seveso, just north of Milan. There was a cloud of debris contaminated by dioxin. More than 1,000 were evacuated, and pregnant women were advised to have abortions.
• Venice - This beautiful city has faced long-term threats of flooding, pollution, erosion, and sinkage of the island. Every year Venice sinks 2 millimeters. By the mid 1980's, little was being done to control the number and speed of powerboats on the Grand Canal. The churning of waters causes erosion of the buildings.
• Endangered Animals - 10 mammals are endangered, as well as 7 birds species, and 202 plant species.