| Italy,
officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Italia, IPA: [i'ta:lja] or
Repubblica Italiana, IPA: [re'pubblika ita'lja:na]). This romantic country
is a Southern European country, situated on the western side of the European continent.
It comprises the Italian peninsula, and the Po River valley. Lastly two large
islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its
northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia.
Italy also shares a sea border with Croatia, and France. The
independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves
within the Italian territory. Italy is shaped like a boot, and for this reason it
is commonly called "lo stivale" (Italian for boot). For more than 3,000
years Italy experienced a rush of migrations and invasions from Germanic,
Celtic, Frankish, Byzantine Greek, Saracen, Norman, and the French Angevin,
and Lombard peoples. Italy was also home to many well-known and
influential civilisations, including the Etruscans, Greeks and the Romans.
Since the expulsion of the German army near the end of WWII, Italy has
been secure within its current borders. Italy is called Bel paese (Italian for
beautiful country) by its inhabitants, due to the beauty and variety of
its landscapes. It also has the world's largest artistic patrimony; the
country is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (40
as of January 1, 2006). Today, Italy is a highly developed country with
the 6th highest GDP in 2004, a member of the G8 and a founding member of
what is now the European Union, having signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957. |
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