Italy is a country that looks like a boot. It has a population of about 57.8 million people. It is 116,305 square miles in area. Some of the surrounding waters are the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is west of Italy. The Adriatic Sea, which is east of Italy, and Ionian Sea, that is southeast of Italy. The capital city of Italy is Rome.
Rivers and Mountains
Some of the rivers in Italy include the Po River, which is the biggest, and the Tiber River, which isn’t quite as big as the Po. Some of the well-known mountain ranges are the Alps and the Dolomites.
Climate
The climate in Italy is much like the climate of York, Nebraska. It ranges from 32 degrees in January and 84 degrees in July. Italy gets approximately 4.9 inches of rainfall through the months of June, July, August, September, October, and November.
Plants and Animals
Some animals include Toads, Chamois, Geckos, Chameleons, Sardinians, marginated Tortoises, snakes, dormouse, Brassica Bugs, many birds, and wolves.
Some plants include slow growing shrubs, purple cushion, arum pictum, white wool, and many flowers.
Agricultural Products
Many agriculture products are abundant here. Some are barley, corn, eggs, meat, milk, oats, potatoes, rice, soybeans, sugar, tobacco, and wheat.
Natural Resources
There us a great abundance for many minerals or natural resources in Italy. Mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, natural gas, petroleum, fish, coal, rock salt, feldspar, asbestos, barite, zinc, magnesium, and lead are some examples of the natural resources in Italy.
Industry
The leading industries are beer, butter, cement, cheese, cigarettes, merchant vessels, newsprint, paper and paperboard, passenger cars and radios.
Foreign Trade
Major Imports includes machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, livestock, metals, petroleum products, and wool.
Major Exports includes machinery, textiles, vehicles, chemicals, clothing, shoes, metal products, petroleum products, and foodstuffs.
Government
Type- Republic
Head of Government- President Oscar Luigi Scalfro, and Prime Minister Giuliano Amato.
The government has a strong communist party, has president and Prime Minister with six different political parties.
Transportation and Communication
For inexpensive transportation people ride the buses and trains. Most households in Italy have at least one car. Boats and airplanes air used to transport goods. People communicate by way of newspaper, magazines, going to malls, TV, and radios.
Cultural Expressions
Life in northern Italy differs greatly from the life of people in southern Italy. The North is more urbanized than the south and is richer. Italians have contributed to some of the world’s most admired sculpture, architecture, painting, literature, and music, particularly opera. Italians do not consider themselves to be a “new” people, but as the descendents of ancient Romans.
