User:Foghe/U
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Italy (Italian: Italia) is a nation in Europe. Its territory consists of the Italian Peninsula, delimited by the Alps to the north and by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and of all of the surrounding and related islands, among which are the three largest of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica.[1]
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Europe |
Coordinates | 42°N 12°E / 42; 12 |
Adjacent to | Mediterranean Sea |
Largest city | Rome |
Area | 322,470 km2 (124,510 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 4,808 m (15,774 ft) |
Highest point | Mont Blanc |
Administration | |
Status | Divided among eight sovereign states |
Whole territory | |
Whole territory | |
Whole territory | |
Whole territory | |
Demographics | |
Demonym | Italian |
Population | c. 60,000,000 |
Pop. density | 186/km2 (482/sq mi) |
Languages | Official: Italian, Maltese, German, French, Slovene, Croatian |
Ethnic groups | 92.0% Italians 0.6% Germans 0.5% Slovenes 0.4% Croats 0.2% French 6.3% Other |
Additional information | |
Time zone | |
Religions | 95.0% Christianity 3.4% Islam 0.1% Judaism 1.5% Other |
The nation is governed separately by eight states, of which only four include an Italian population majority: the Italian Republic, the Republic of San Marino, the Vatican City State, the Republic of Malta, the French Republic, the Swiss Confederation, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Republic of Croatia. Italy has a population of circa 60 million people, of which 55 million are citizens of states ruling part of the territory. With an area of circa 322,000 square kilometers (124,300 sq mi) it has a population density of around 186 inhabitants per square kilometer (480/sq mi). The largest city is Rome, with 2.9 million residents.[2]
Italy has been for millennia the focus of Western civilization and culture. In legal studies, Roman law forms the ground for several juridical orders. Religiously, Christianity has been the main creed since the end of the Classical period—the Catholic Church holds its headquarters in Vatican City, an enclaved independent city-state in Rome. Italians mantain a set of distinctive characters of Italian culture, concerning interest regarding food, fashion, architecture, art, and music, scattered around the world through the Italian diaspora (1860s–1920s).