Italy
Italian Flag
Interesting Facts:
Italy is a long peninsula shaped like a boot, surrounded on the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and on the east by the Adriatic
Population - 60 million
Italy has few natural resources
The famous children's story, Pinocchio, was written by an Italian
The city of Naples invented the pizza
Famous Italian explorers include Christopher Columbus
Italy is the fourth most visited country in the world.
The ice cream cone is an Italian invention
Map of Italy
Italy is located in southern Europe
Its area is slightly larger than Arizona
It’s mostly rugged and mountainous with some plains
The weather is predominately Mediterranean and dry in the southern region
The President of Italy
Italian President - Giorgio Napolitano, Republic government
Giorgio Napolitano was elected President on May 10, 2006.
He is the eleventh President of the Italian Republic
The president serves as a point of connection between the three branches of power
He is elected by the lawmakers, he appoints the executive, and is the president of the judiciary
The president is the commander-in-chief of armed forces.
Giorgio Napolitano is a former lifetime senator
Government –
The President is elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term
Legislative branch:
Bicameral Parliament consisting of 326 Senate seats
11 are appointed senators-for-life
Senate members serve five-year terms
The Chamber of Deputies consists of 630 seats
Members of the Chamber of Deputies serve five-year terms
The president serves as apoint ofconnection between the three branches of power
The president is elected by the lawmakers, he appoints the executive, and is the president of the judiciary
Money Used in Italy
The currency in Italy is the euro
Euro banknotes and coins were circulated on the 1st of January 2002.
Twelve European Union countries use the euro as currency.
They are Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland.
The names and relative values of the coins depicted above are, from left to right:
One Cent = 1/100 of a Euro
Two Cents = 2/100 of a Euro
Five Cents = 5/100 of a Euro
Ten Cents = 10/100 of a Euro
Twenty Cents = 20/100 of a Euro
Fifty Cents = 50/100 of a Euro
Euro banknote denominations are 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500.
Prior to Italy becoming a member of the European Union and converting to the euro, the currency was the lira
1 Euro = 1.3177 U.S. dollars
Religions in Italy
Duomo di Milano, the second largest church in the world
Italy is the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the Catholic religion
85% of native-born Italian citizens professed to be Roman Catholic
Muslim religion is the second largest religion in Italy. The total number of followers in Italy currently stands at about 700,000
Jehovah's Witnesses form the third largest denomination among native-born Italian citizens, with about half a million followers
Scientologists have about 100,000 followers
Buddhists have about 60,000 followers
Jewish Religion has about 30,000 followers
Waldensians (a Calvinist sect) have about 30,000 followers
Mormons have about 20,000 followers
The Orthodox and Protestant Churches have small communities
Hinduism is also represented
Today nearly one fifth of the population of Italy profess to be either Atheists or Agnostics
Industries In Italy
Tourism
machinery
iron and steel
chemicals
food processing
textiles
motor vehicles
clothing
footwear
ceramics
pharmaceuticals
electric goods
Agricultural Products
of Italy
An 83-year-old Italian farmer
Italy has a large work force of 1.4 million people employed in farming
Products that are Grown in Italy
Include:
wheat
rice
grapes
olives
citrus
fruits
potatoes
sugar
beets
soybeans
beef
dairy products
Italy's natural resources are fish and natural gas
Famous Landmarks in Italy
Eiffel Tower
As strong as iron yet as delicate as lace, the Eiffel Tower is the romantic symbol of Paris
Leaning Tower of Pisa
www.virtourist.com/europe/italy/pisa/index.htm
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy
www.webshots.com/g/32/584-sh/1212
Italian Art
The Sistine Chapel ceiling in Rome, Italy painted by Michelangelo
Different Forms of Art found in Italy Includes:
Etruscan
Bronze figures
Pictorial mosaic
Gothic architecture Religious Paintings
Sculptors
Portraits
Landscape paintings
Architecture
Literature
Italian Music
The Music Taste of People in Italy include:
Classical
Opera
Pop
Rock
Hardcore
Folk
Jazz
Hip Hop
Progressive Rock
Click on the arrow and listen to Luciano Pavarotti
Favorite Foods of Italians
Lunch is the biggest meal of the
day for Italians and they literally
keep on eating for hours!
Italians often take three hour lunch breaks
Pasta
Casseroles
Pizza
Croissant
Yogurt
Gelato
Fish Cheeses Nuts Bread without butter
Salads Fresh fruit
Gelato (Italian ice cream)
AND
Coffee and cappuccino
