Country: Italy

OVERVIEW

The boot-shaped country of Italy is endowed with several magnificent wonders of the world.  It embraces a profound history that is three millennia deep, engendering a culture and nurturing a long tradition that can be rivaled by only a few nations.  Its splendid and wide-ranging artistic treasures, its contrasting physical beauty of turquoise seas and snow-covered mountains, its regional varieties of the world famous gastronomy and wines, and its trove of outstanding fashion shows all suffice to enthrall even the hardest to please critics.  From Rome's mighty Colosseum to Naples' roadside pizza, from the posh and voguish Milan with its glinting Duomo to the gondolas-driven Venice, there's no end to the exploration of the Italian peninsula.  Indeed, few other countries can be so beautifully mesmerizing, so tantalizingly seductive, and so charmingly stylish that when the locals proudly call their homeland Il Belpaese, the Beautiful Country, they speak with an indisputable truth one can hardly disagree with. 

STATISTICAL FACT

Country name: Italian Republic
Capital: Rome
Flag description: 3 equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white and red 
National anthem: La Canzone degli Italiani
Location: Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Geographic coordinates: 42 50 N, 12 50 E
Map references: Europe
Area:  301,230 sq km
Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain: Mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains; coastal lowlands
Population: 58,057,477 (2004 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.09% (2004 est.)
Birth rate: 9.05 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate: 10.21 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Nationality: noun: Italian(s) 
                    adjective: Italian 
Ethnic groups: Italian (include small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south) 
Religions: predominantly Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community
Languages: 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)
Literacy: 98.6%
Government type: Republic
National holiday: Republic Day, 2 June
Legal system: based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; hasn't accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13 May 1999)
                               head of government: Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (referred to in Italy as the president of he Council of Ministers)
Legislative branch: Bicameral parliament/Parlamento 
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court/Corte Constituzionale
GDP-real growth rate: 0.4% (2003 est.)
Currency: Euro (€)
Currency code: EUR
Internet country code: .it
Time zone: UTC+1 (CET); in summer UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code: +39
Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

DESTINATIONS

Rome
Italy's eternal city has witnessed almost 3 millennia of western as well as human history.  Rome's wealth of visual treasures makes it hard for visitors to resist the urge to spend all of their vacation here instead of proceeding to other places. To find accommodation in this city - visit Rome Hotels Italy

Milan
More European than Italian, Milan is a trendy metropolis and the world's capital of fashion par excellence.  The towering Duomo welcomes visitors to the city so full of exciting flavors it's hard to depart from Milan unimpressed. To find accommodation in Milan: Visit Milan Hotels Italy

Venice
The city of canals and the Queen of the Adriatic has long been praised for its beauty and inimitable charm.  Even in the 21st century, Venice still evokes romance with its canals full of gondolas and boat passengers.  Visit Venice to find accommodation there.

Florence
The Uffizi Gallery as well as myriads of artistic and historic attractions have served to remind us how much this city has contributed to the glory of the western civilization.  Florence is no doubt one of the fairest cities on earth.   Book your hotels in Florence.

Naples
A bustling tourist hub with an attitude, Naples is uncompromising when it comes to cultural expressions and lifestyle that distinguishes it from other tourist towns in the peninsula.  Welcome to the ruins of Pompeii and the birthplace of pizza. Find your accommodation at Naples Hotels Italy.

Bologna
This city of many nicknames is home to Europe's oldest university.  Bologna's huge student population today also helps conjure a bohemian atmosphere and an outrageous nightlife that beckon you to visit and experience all the fun yourself. Book your hotels in Bologna at: http://www.bolognaplus.com

Genoa
This hometown of Columbus is a place for visitors looking for gratifying sights and an antique air.  The city is designated the 2004's European Capital of Culture, and it is packed with medieval charms that can literally take your breath away. Find your accommodation in this great city at: http://www.genovahotelplus.com

Verona
Widely known as the setting for Romeo and Juliet's heart-breaking tragedy, there's so much more to be explored in Verona as it is awash with romanesque and renaissance monuments.  The city projects a genuine beauty under the Venetian sky. Find best hotel deal in this city at: http://www.veronahotelplus.com