By: Cory Coulter

The flag of Italy

Type of Gov. Italy has been a democratic republic since June 2, 1946, when the monarchy was abolished by popular referendum. The constitution was promulgated on January 1, 1948.

The Head of State The head of the Italian Republic is President Giorgio Napolitano.

Italy capita income The US Central Intelligence Agency reports that in 2002 Italy's gross domestic product was estimated at $1.438 trillion. The per capita GDP was estimated at $25,000. The annual growth rate of GDP was estimated at 0.4%. The average inflation rate in 2002 was 2.4%. The CIA defines GDP as the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year and computed on the basis of purchasing power parity rather than value as measured on the basis of the rate of exchange. It was estimated that agriculture accounted for 2% of GDP, industry 30%, and services 68%.

Italy’s Main Industries Some of the main industries of the automobile industry belong to Italy, industries which have a good piece of the international market, probably because Italian cars have that touch in the design and craftsmanship loved by foreign countries. Italy’s main industry in the automobile sector is surely FIAT, located in Turin, employing thousands of workers and many more people of other satellite businesses which produce auto parts and spare parts

Italy’s natural resources Italy's main natural resources are: coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land

Festivals of Italy Venice has one of the top carnival festivals in the world but carnival is celebrated in many Italian towns. Carnival events often occur prior to the actual Carnival date, too. Carnival usually falls in February. Take a look at some of Italy's interesting Carnival festivals by clicking on the link above.

Map of Italy

Italian economy The Italian economy has changed dramatically since the end of World War II. From an agriculturally based economy, it has developed into an industrial state ranked as the world's fifth-largest industrial economy. Italy belongs to the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations; it is a member of the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Italy has few natural resources. With much of the land unsuited for farming, it is a net food importer. There are no substantial deposits of iron, coal, or oil. Proven natural gas reserves, mainly in the Po Valley and offshore Adriatic, have grown in recent years and constitute the country's most important mineral resource. Most raw materials needed for manufacturing and more than 80% of the country's energy sources are imported. Italy's economic strength is in the processing and the manufacturing of goods, primarily in small and medium-sized family- owned firms. Its major industries are precision machinery, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electric goods, and fashion and clothing.

Italian education The Italian educational system provides nursery school for 3- to 5-year-olds; elementary school for 6- to 11-year-olds; lower secondary or middle school for 11- to 14-year-olds; upper secondary school or vocational training for 15- to 18- or 19- year-olds; and university, university institutes, or Fine Arts academies for those 19 and older. Upper secondary schools include classic or scientific high schools (five years) leading to higher education/university studies; artistic (four years); technical school (five years); vocational school (five years or more); nursery school and primary teacher training (three years); and higher/university education (three to five years).

Citizen protection The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; although there were problems in some areas, the law and judiciary provide effective means of addressing individual instances of abuse. The following human rights problems were reported: overcrowded prisons lengthy pretrial detention excessively long court proceedings violence against women child abuse trafficking in persons child labor

Personal protection Elite Events & Protection places at your disposal, a confirmed team of bodyguards and security (APR) Formed specially for personal protection, they regularly attend training courses of self defense to guarantee the success of their mission, under the guidelines of French legislation. Elite Events & Protection is entitled by the prefecture of Haute-Savoie ( decreed of 3rd April 2007) to carry out personal physical protection.