Italy

Capital of Italy: Rome
Area of Italy: 301,336 km² (116,346 mi²) (72st)
Population of Italy: 59,342,867 (25th) - (2024 est.)

Location: Southern Europe, Eastern Mediterranean
Languages of Italy: Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German-speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area), Croatian (in Molise)
Religions of Italy: Christian 80.8% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants), Muslim 4.9%, No religion 13.4%, other 0.9% (2020 est.) Currency: Euro (€) (EUR) Organizations: United Nations, European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Border countries (6): Switzerland (698 km or 434 mi), France (476 km or 296 mi), Austria (404 km or 251 mi), Slovenia (218 km or 135 mi), San Marino (37 km or 23 mi), Vatican City (3.4 km or 2.1 mi).
Coastline: 7,900 km (4,900 mi) on the Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Ligurian Sea, Sea of Sardinia and Strait of Sicily.
Maritime boundaries: Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea

Italy (Italian: Italia) is a country in Southern Europe.  it is regarded as the "birthplace" of Western culture, and it is also home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, including high art and monuments.
It is famous worldwide for its delicious cuisine, its trendy fashion industry, luxury sports cars and motorcycles, diverse regional cultures and dialects, as well as for its beautiful coast, alpine lakes and mountain ranges (the Alps and Apennines). No wonder it is often nicknamed the Bel Paese (the Beautiful Country).
In the shape of a boot, the country continues to be one of the world's most influential countries. It is a member of the European Union and shares borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. There are thousands of things to do in this mesmerising country, and if you want to experience what living the life feels like, you're bound to find it in Italy.
Two independent mini-states are surrounded entirely by Italy: San Marino and Vatican City. While technically not part of the European Union, both of these states are also part of the Schengen Area and the European Monetary Union (EMU). Apart from different police uniforms, there is no evident transition from these states and Italy's territory, and the currency is the same. Italian is also the official language in San Marino and is commonly spoken in Vatican City whose official language is Latin.

Administrative divisions in Italy
15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma)
Regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto
Autonomous regions: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sardegna (Sardinia), Sicilia (Sicily), Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German), Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) or Vallee d'Aoste (French).

Cities, towns, and villages

• Rome (Italian and Latin: Roma), the 'Eternal City', — is the capital and largest city of Italy and of the Lazio region. It's the famed city of the Roman Empire, the Seven Hills, La Dolce Vita, the Vatican City and Three Coins in the Fountain. Rome, as a millennia-long centre of power, culture and religion, was the centre of one of the greatest civilisations ever, and has exerted a huge influence over the world in its circa 2500 years of existence.
  The historic centre of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With wonderful palaces, thousand-year-old churches and basilicas, grand romantic ruins, opulent monuments, ornate statues and graceful fountains, Rome has an immensely rich historical heritage and cosmopolitan atmosphere, making it one of Europe's and the world's most visited, famous, influential and beautiful capitals. Today, Rome has a growing nightlife scene and is also seen as a shopping heaven, being regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world; some of Italy's oldest jewellery and clothing establishments were founded in the city. With so many sights and things to do, Rome can truly be classified a "global city".
• Bologna  (Emilian: Bulåggna) — is a beautiful and historic city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northeast Italy. It has the oldest university in the Western world, a lively student population, excellent food, a striking brick terracotta-roofed cityscape, and lots to see and do.
• Florence (Italian: Firenze) — is the capital of the region of Tuscany in Italy. The city is a cultural, artistic and architectural gem, and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, Florence was the home to powerful families, creative geniuses and scientific masterminds who left their legacies in the city's many museums and art galleries. The city also has a very rich literary history, being the birthplace of the famous poet Dante, and standard Italian today is primarily based on the dialect of Tuscan spoken in Florence.
• Genoa (Italian: Genova, Ligurian: Zena) is a historic port city in northern Italy, the capital of the Liguria region. As a tourist attraction, it is often overshadowed by cities such as Rome or Venice, even though it has a long history as a rich and powerful trade centre. However, with its multitude of hidden gems behind cozy alleyways, excellent cuisine (notably fish and seafood), renovated old port, beautiful sights (including one of Europe's biggest aquariums), and its position as the European Capital of Culture in 2004, the birthplace of explorer Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo) is an enticing place which is gradually becoming more included in the tourism market. With its profusion of slate-roofed houses, lovely seaside villas, and several luxurious boutiques, Genoa is a must-see if you want to experience the quintessential Italy.
• Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese: Milan) — is financially the most important city in Italy, and home to the Borsa Italiana stock exchange. It is the second most populous city proper in the country, but sits at the centre of Italy's largest urban and metropolitan area. While not considered as beautiful as some Italian cities, having been greatly destroyed by Second World War bomb raids, the city has rebuilt itself into a thriving cosmopolitan business capital. In essence, for a tourist, what makes Milan interesting compared to other places is that the city is truly more about the lifestyle of enjoying worldly pleasures: a paradise for shopping, football, opera, and nightlife. Milan remains the marketplace for Italian fashion – fashion aficionados, supermodels and international paparazzi descend upon the city twice a year for its spring and autumn fairs.
  Milan is famous for its wealth of historical and modern sights - the Duomo, one of the biggest and grandest Gothic cathedrals in the world, La Scala, one of the best established opera houses in the world, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, a glamorous 19th-century arcaded shopping gallery, the Brera art gallery, with some of the finest artistic works in Europe, the Pirelli tower, a majestic example of 1960s modernist Italian architecture, the San Siro, a huge and famed stadium, or the Castello Sforzesco, a grand medieval castle. So, you have your fair share of old and new monuments. Plus, it contains one of the world's most famous paintings - Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
• Naples (Italian: Napoli, Neapolitan: Napule), — in southern Italy, is the capital of the Campania region. Naples is a major port city in the center of the ancient Mediterranean region. The city is the third most populated municipality (city proper) and a metropolitan area in Italy.
  Naples represents one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site with an unmatched heritage as a place of exchange between cultures. This is reflected in the city's structure and monuments, which are a mixture of Greek, Roman, Norman, Angevin, Spanish and French architecture. The UNESCO evaluation committee described Naples' historic centre the largest in Europe – as being "of exceptional value", and went on to say that Naples' setting on its Bay "gives it an outstanding universal value which has had a profound influence". But Italians have known these things for centuries: The view of Naples from the sea is so beautiful that a traditional Italian saying states that once you've seen it, you can die.
  As a testimony to its extraordinary history, the Naples region hosts an unparalleled concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Center of Naples itself; the Roman archaeological sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Cumae, Pozzuoli, Oplontis and Stabiae; the Royal Palace of Caserta; the royal site of San Leucio and the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli. It is close to Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the European continent and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Paestum's Greek temples and the Amalfi Coast are possible day trips, as are the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida in the Bay of Naples. This is also the birth-place of pizza.
• Pisa — is a city in Tuscany, Italy, best known for its world-famous leaning tower. But the tower isn't the only thing to see – there are other architectural and artistic marvels in this beautiful city. The half-hour walk from the Campo dei Miracoli to the train station runs through a pedestrian street with many interesting sights, shops, and restaurants. The best way to visit Pisa is walking the streets, as the city centre is small and cosy, and enjoying the sight and the atmosphere.
  The city is also home to the University of Pisa, which has a history going back to the 12th century, the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, founded by Napoleon in 1810, and its offshoot, the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies.
• Turin (Italian: Torino, Piedmontese: Turin) — is a city in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. For many visitors it's simply the place where their budget flight lands then they jump on the coach to the Val d'Aosta ski resorts.  Today, Turin, with its fine, aristocratic atmosphere, old-world sophisticated shops, grand boulevards and palaces, leafy parks, and several art galleries, is an increasingly popular tourist resort. The 2006 Winter Olympics and its status recently as World Book Capital have promoted tourists to visit this beautiful and underestimated Italian city, which has a longstanding cultural and artistic history.
• Venice (Italian: Venezia; Venetian: Venexia) — is a sanctuary on a lagoon that is virtually the same as it was 600 years ago, which adds to the fascinating character. Venice has decayed since its heyday and suffers from overtourism, but the romantic charm remains. Venice and its lagoon are a UNESCO World Heritage site. It used to be an independent republic, and remains one of Italy's most important cities. Venice is also known as the home of the world's first international film festival, founded in 1932.

Natural resources: coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land.