By: J. Guthrie

It is the official Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Southern Europe. To the north, Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. Italy covers an area of 301,338 km and has a largely temperate climate. With 59.7 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe. Italy is also the fourth-largest economy on the European Union, third in the Eurozone and ninth in the world.

 The country of Italy is in the Europe continent and the latitude and longitude for the country are 41°54'N and 12°29'E.

PROS 1. Beautiful scenery. 2. Good food. 3. Nice People. CONS 1. Gas is $5.00/gallon or more. 2. Food is twice as expensive as it is in America. 3. Southern part of Italy doesn’t have an industrialized economy, so the crime is bad there.

 Lowest prices and crowds in Italy are during low seasons  Italy's winter low season is November through March  Italy's summer low season is late July and all of August (this applies to the cities only)  Busiest independent travel months in Italy are May, June, first half of July, September, and first half of October  Most popular times for Italy weather are May and September

The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa, known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. The tower's tilt began during construction, caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed, and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The Colosseum in Rome is the largest and most famous amphitheater in the Roman world. Its construction was started by emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty in 72 AD and was finished by his son Titus in 80 AD. The Colosseum was capable of holding some 50,000 spectators who could enter the building through no less than 80 entrances.

 Referred to as “The City of Water”, Venice is the crown jewel of water cities. Romantic gondolas, and Italian architecture along the Grand Canal helped earn this status. Stitched together with over 150 canals that have become central to its character, Venice has decayed since its heyday and has more tourists than residents, but with its romantic charm it remains one of the top tourist attractions in Italy.

 italy/ italy/  

   4.5.4