Population : 57. 728, 714 inhabitants
Surface Area : 301, 337 square km
Capital : Rome
Administration : 20 regions ( 5 of which have special status); 95 provinces(2 of which are autonomous); 8,092 councils
Currency : Euro
Official language : Italian
National borders : borders with France in the west and continental part of the country, north with Switzerland and Austria, east with Slovenia, the peninsula is surrounded by sea, to the west by the Ligurian Sea , the Sardinian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the south by the Sicilian Sea and Ionian Sea and to the east by the Adriatic Sea.
Main religion : Catholic
Main cities : Florence, Venice, Naples, Rome, Milan, Turin, Genova, Bari, Palermo.
Italy stretches from the Italian peaks of the Aurine Alps in the north to the island of Lampedusa in the south, from the Cape of Otranto in the east to the rocky outcrops of Chardonnet in the Cozie Alps to the west.
Italy is divided into three distinct regions, continental in the north, an area formed by a line running from Rubicone to La Magra, peninsular south of this line and insular with the country's archipelago and islands. Italy's two large mountain ranges are the Alps ( Western, Piemontese, Central and Eastern) and the Appennines (Ligurian, Tuscan-Emilian, Central, Southern or Lucan and Calabro) .
The low- lying flat regions of Italy include, the Po Valley, and the Venetian Plain. The Tyrrhenian coastal side of the country, is the site of the Arno Valley, the Roman Campagna, the Tuscan Maremma and the Campana Plain. The Puglia Plateau and the lands of Bari and Otranto extend from the point where the Appenine mountain range curves towards the south.The Po is the largest Italian river. It starts from its source in Monviso and flows in five separate forks into the Adriatic.The Adige river in the Resia Pass flows into the Adriatic, having followed almost a parallel course to that of the Po. The Venetian rivers include the Brenta, the Piave, the Tagliamento and the Isonzo. The rivers on the Adriatic coastal side include the Reno, Montone, Ronco, Savio, Rubicone, Marecchia, Tronto, Sangra and Ofanto. The rivers on the Tyrrhenian coastal side include the Arno, the Tevere and the Volturno. The rivers on the Ionian coastal side of the country include the Basento, Agri, Sinni and Neto. The richest area of lakes in Italy is located in its mountainous regions and at the foot of the Pre-Alps. The lake, furthest west, is Lake Orta, in the Piemonte region. Lake Maggiore(Verbano) stretches between Piemonte and Lombardy .Lake Garda(Benao) has its banks in both Lombardy and Veneto regions.Given the mountainous conformation of the peninsula section, Italy has a predominantly rocky coastline with brief strips of sand along the foot of its hilly slopes. Italy's coastline covers an area of 7,500 km and not only includes the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia, but also the Tremiti islands in the Adriatic Sea, the Tuscan Archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea and the islands of Ponziane, Partenopee, Eolie and Egadie. Italy has a notable difference in climatic conditions, owing to the relief of the country, its longitudinal development, the seas which surround it and the arc of mountains which closes it in the north. However it is the Mediterranean which most strongly characterizes Italy's climate, becoming more evident as one travels further south. The northern regions are usually those which see more rain, while in the south both the winter and the summer seasons are prolonged as is typical, with a Mediterranean sub-tropical climate.
