Italy

The Italian Republic or Italy, (Italian Repubblica in Italian) is an European country who forms European part of the European (the EU).

Its territory consists mainly of the Itálica Peninsula and of two great islands of the Mediterranean Sea: Sicily and Sardinia. By the north it is bordered by the Alps, by where it limits with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and Vatican City(db/gae) are enclaves within the Italian territory. Italy forms part of the G8 or group of the eight industrialized nations more of the world. Located in the heart of the old Roman Empire, she is full of treasures that reconstruct the history of the bases of the Western civilization.

Italy has been the home of many European cultures as Etruscan and the Romans and also were the cradle of the movement of the Renaissance, that began in the region of Tuscan and soon it extended by all Europe. The capital of Italy, Rome, has been during centuries the political and cultural center of the Western civilization, and also it is the holy city for the Catholic Church, because within the city is the microstate of the Vatican.

Etimológico origin

The Italy word designated in century V a. C., according to the Greek historian Antíoco de Siracusa, the southern part of the present Italian region of Calabria - the old Brucio-, inhabited by the ítalos. Two more recent Greek writers something, Helánico and Timeo, relate the same name to the indigenous word vitulus (bull calf), whose meaning explained due to being Italy a rich country in bovine cattle. In century I a. C., the bull, symbol of the towns incited to rebellion against Rome, are represented in the currencies issued by the rebels drifting a she-wolf, symbol of Rome: the viteliú legend (of the ítalos) confirms that they tied the behalf of Italy with the bull calf-bull. On the other hand also it is possible that the ítalos took their name from an animal-totem, the bull calf, that, in one primrose sagrada had guided, them until the places in which they were based definitively. With time, the name extended by all the southern Italy to include all the peninsula later. In century II a. C., the Greek historiógrafo Polibio calls Italy to the territory between the Straits of Mesina and the northern Apennines, although his Catón contemporary extends the territorial concept of Italy until the alpine arc. Sicily, Sardinia and Córcega will not happen to comprise of Italy until century III d. C., as a result of the administrative reforms of Diocleciano, although their narrow cultural ties with the peninsula allow to consider them like party in the labor.

Another theory maintains that the Italy denomination would derive almost with complete certainty from a Greek colony in the Brucio (present Calabria), the one of the italos (referible to italiotas). On the other hand the word italos in ancient Greek alluded to the young bull; when it concluded the hegemony of rasena (“Etruscan”) in Italy and began the Roman, the peninsular towns that coaligaron themselves against the incipient Roman power adopted like emblem the bull.

History

The history of Italy is perhaps most important for the development of the culture and company of the Mediterranean area and the western culture like a whole. The country has been host of many human activities in prehistoric times, that's why have been numerous archaeological deposits in different regions: Straight, Tuscan, Umbría and Basilicata. After Great Greece, the Etruscan civilization and especially the Roman empire, that came to dominate the Mediterranean by many centuries, after whose fall Italy was born as been (proclaimed Odoacro king of Italy) they arrived at the medieval humanism and the Renaissance, that I help in the formation of the philosophy and the European art. The city of Rome contains some of the more important examples of baroque style of all Europe.

Between centuries XIV and XVI, Italy was not a political unity, fragmented in multiple states. In the north the cities been like the Republic of Venice existed, the Republic of Florence or the Republic of Genoa. Around the city of Rome the Pontifical States, and to the south the Kingdom of Naples, later conformante of Corona de Aragón and therefore of the Hispanic Monarchy. Given his fragmentation, it was scene of the interests of the European powers during centuries XVI, XVII and XVIII, such as the Italian Wars, the War of Spanish Succession, the conflict Hispanic-Austrian by the Neapolitan possessions, as well as of the French and Napoleonic revolutionary wars. Still there were conflicts during first half of century XIX, century in which appeared the Italian nationalistic feeling that it will end at the Unification of Italy, materialized the 17 of March of 1861, when the states of the itálica peninsula and the Two Sicilies were united forming the Kingdom of Italy, which would be organized by the monarch Víctor Manuel II, of the Saboya dynasty, until then governor in Piedmont and king of Sardinia. The creator of the Italian unification, nevertheless, was Count Camillo Benso I gave Cavour, the minister in commander of the king. Rome, on the other hand, stayed separated of the rest of Italy under the command of the Pope and it was not part of the kingdom of Italy until the 20 of September of 1870, final date of the Italian unification, soon was made a plebiscite in which it chose itself to Rome like the capital of this Kingdom. The Vatican is an independent enclave, surrounded completely by Italy, like San Marino.

The facist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini happened in 1922 took to Italy to an alliance with Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan, lead which it to the defeat of Italy after World War II. During the course of this war and in the later years, thousands of Italians emigrarón abroad having as destiny mainly America, France and Germany.

The 2 of June of 1946, a referendum on the monarchy established the republic like Italian system of government, adopting the country a new constitution the 1 of January of 1948. The family members real were taken to I exile, by their report with the Fascist regime, until the 10 of November of 2003, when they could return to Italy thanks to the modification of the constitution by the Italian parliament.

The Treaties of Rome of 1957 signed by six European countries have done of Italy one of the founding members of the European Union.

Government and policy

The policy of Italy is based on a parlamentarista republican system with representative democracy. Prime minister is the head of government. In addition, it is a multiparty system.

Political-administrative organization

Italy is divided in 20 administrative regions, divided in provinces and these as well in municipalities or communes. Of the twenty regions, five (Valley of Aosta, Friuli-Venice Julia, Sicily, Sardinia and Trentino-High Adige) have estatus special in regard to their geographic, cultural or social nature. The others are put under a common statute of administration.

Geography of Italy

The relief appears four regional formation force: to the North, a continental sector dominated by the Alps; on its feet, the plain of the Po; to the South a peninsular sector articulated by the Apennines; and finally the grounds insulares. The alpine system almost extends by Italian territory the totality of its southern slope. In this great mountainous assembly they emphasize the formation calcáreas of the Dolomitas (Marmolada, 3,342 ms of alt.) and in the crystalline sector, of more rustic forms, some of main summits of all the alpine system: It mounts Rosa (4,634 ms), Cervino (4,478 ms). Some mountain passages (Mont Cenis, Simplon, Brennero) ensure communications with the neighbouring regions. The prealpine region appears lengths and deep valleys, with numerous Lagos: Garda (370 km ²), Major, Like, Iseo. To the South of the Alps, between these and the Apennines, the plain of the Po extends (the longest river of the country, with 652 km in longitude), moats Tectonics filled up by the sedimentary tanks contributed by the rivers that descend from the Apennines and, especially, of the Alps (Adige, 410 km; Piave), and that drains the plain that is abre to the Adriatic Sea by the coast NE of Italy. The rest of Italian, although numerous plains, is of little extension, and they are located preferably in the tirrénico coast, formed by important rivers (Arno, Tíber) or by coastal plains (Maremma, Pontino Land). The imprisonment of the Apennines constitutes the spine of the Italian peninsula, and in her three sectors are distinguished: the northern Apennines, those of smaller height and smoother forms (it mounts Cimone, 2,163 ms); the central Apennines, also denominated Abruzos, that constitute the ceiling of the imprisonment (Great Sasso, 2,914 ms), and appear modeled of cárstico type; finally, the southern Apennines, that have their high point in the Pollino mount (2,271 ms). To both slopes of the imprisonment they extend choline formation, denominated the SubApennines or the AntiApennines, emphasizing those of the rim Or, where some volcanos rise (Vesubio, mounts Amiata, Flégreos Fields). In the extreme S of the Itálica peninsula, the island of Sicily is considered an prolongation of the Apennines (I mount Nebrodi, Peloritani, Madonia), emphasizing the Etna mount, that with its 3,345 ms of alt. more stop of Europe is the active volcano. The island of Sardinia is also mountainous (I mount of Gennargentu), although is possible to emphasize the tectonic grave of Campidano, between Oristano and Cagliari. The Italian climatology, although it has Mediterranean character, appears remarkable regional variations. First of all, as a result of its considerable extension in latitude: annual averages in Milan of 23 °C in July and 1.5 °C in January, whereas in Palermo, 11 average happiness are of 26.2 and °C. On the other hand, due to the orographic conditions: the Alps, that act of barrier before winds of the North, register the majors precipitations (3,000 to 3,800 mm annual); the Apennines, on the other hand, establish a clear distinction between their two slopes: the tirrénica, that are exposed to the humid currents of the West, and the adriática slope, to leeward of these influences (less than 500 mm annual in Apulia).

Ecology

Most of Italy corresponds to bioma of Mediterranean forest, although also they are present the forest temperate of leafy, in the valley of the Po and the Apennines, and the tempered coniferous forest in the Alps.

According to WWF, the territory of Italy it is distributed between eight different ecorregiones:

• Forest temperate of leafy
  • Mixed forest of the Alps Dináricos, in the end this, the border with Slovenia
  • Mixed forest of the valley of the Po, in the plain padana
  • Non-evergreen montano forest of the Apennines
• Temperate coniferous forest
  • Forest of the Alps
• Mediterranean forest
  • Non-evergreen forest of Iliria, in the coast of the region of Trieste
  • Montano mixed forest of the southern Apennines
  • Mixed forest and esclerófilo of the Tirreno and the Adriatic, in coastal low territories of South half of the peninsula Itálica and Sicily. It also includes the totality of Sardinia, the Tuscan archipelago (between Córcega and continental Italy), Pantelaria and the Pelagias islands.
  • Seminon-evergreen forest esclerófilo and of Italy, in the rest of the country

Economy

The industrial activity has been the engine of the Italian development, and the present axis of its economy. As opposed to it, the agricultural activities have undergone a considerable retreat, as much in occupation of the active population (7.3 %), like in their participation in the GIP (3.7 %). The agricultural production does not supply the demand for food of the population, and is especially little in the cattle branch: bovine (Sardinia), pig (Emilia-Romaña). Agriculture is more extended, with cultivations of cereals (wheat, rice - European leading producer, maize), leguminous, industrial plants (sugar beet), vegetables (peppers, eggplants, tomatos and onions) and flowers. Special mention deserves the fruitgrowing (pears, peaches and apples in Emilia, Véneto and Campania; bitter in Sicily), the olive tree (in Liguria and the Mezzogiorno), that generates the second oil world production (435,300 t), and finally, the grapevine, whose cultivation it locates at the top to Italy of the wine world production (68.6 million of hl), reconnoitered internationally by its quality.

Demography

Italy is as much linguistic a very homogenous country as religiously, but he is diverse cultural, economically and politically. Italy owns the fifth population highest density in Europe, with an average of 198 people by square kilometer. From the Sixties of century XX the Italian population underwent an exchange in its rate of growth, that decreased until 0.0 % of annual average between 1985-1990: the descent of mortality rate was accompanied by a considerable descent of birth rate. The exchange in the demographic trends also affected the traditional migratory movements that until then had done of Italy one of the skilled labor major reservations of Europe and America. Italy happened to become o'clock of arrival of immigrants of the Developing world, but, mainly, important internal migratory currents settled down, with a people of the South mass movement towards Rome and the North industrialized (Turin, Milan, Genoa, Florence and Bologna), but not towards the northeast, that still was very poor, that has not made but radicalize the differences between the north and the south. The merger of the Italian population in the urban cores (69 % of urban population) has generated a network homogenous of great cities, that play the role of regional hubs (Naples, 1.067.365 hab. ; Turin, 962.507; Palermo, 698.556; Genoa, 678.771; Bologna, 404,378, and Florence, 403,294), with two outstanding cores at national level; Rome (2.775.250 hab.), the political capital, and Milan (1.369.231), the economic capital.

The minority groups are small, being the German major of these the one of speech in the Tyrol of the South (according to the 1991 census, the population is composed by 287,503 people of German speech and only 116,914 of Italian speech) and the Slovenes around Trieste.

Other minority groups with languages partially officers include the French minority of speech in the region of the Valley d'Aosta; the Sardinians, the Sicilians, the judeo-spanish language in dolomitas mountains and the Catalan in the Alguer.

In spite of being the Roman catholicism the predominant religion (85% of the population), exists mature communities of protestants and Jews and an increasing community of Muslim origin.

Italy has 58.883.000 inhabitants, and this composing ethnically by 97.6% of European (Italian 95.5% + other European 2.1%), 1.1% of African (majority of Moroccans), 0.7% of Asians (majority of Chinese), 0.4% of Americans (majority of Ecuadorian) and 0.2% of others.

Culture

Italy is recognized by its art, culture and numerosísimos monuments, among them the turret of Pisa and the Roman Coliseo; as well as by its gastronomy (famous Italian plates are the pizza and it grazes), its wine, its style of life, its painting, its design, cinema, theater, Literature and music, in particular the opera. It won I complete world-wide.

The period of the European Renaissance began in Italy during centuries XIV and XV.

Gastronomy

The gastronomy of Italy is very varied: the country was unified in 1861, and their kitchens reflect the cultural diversity of their regions as well as the diversity of their history. The Italian kitchen is including within the denominated Mediterranean gastronomies and is imitated, as well as practiced anywhere in the world. He is very current that is known the gastronomy of Italy by its plates more famous than they are the pizza, grazes and risotto, but the certain thing is that it is a kitchen where the abundant aromas and the flavors of the Mediterranean exist. One is a kitchen with has known to perpetuate old prescriptions like polenta (food of the Roman legions) that nowadays can taste in any trattoria Italian.

Literature

Italian Literature is all that one Literature that has been written in the Italian language. The political configuration of Italy and its unification as been unique it were in century XIX, moment at which the Tuscan dialect like official tongue with the denomination of Italian language is adopted; this decision was taken essentially due to the long literary tradition and to the great figures of Literature that had used this tongue previously. For this reason, they are considered like authors in Italian to all those that have used this tongue, independent of the fact that at its Italy time it existed already like independent unique state with own official language.

During the Middle Age and the Renaissance authors as Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarca generally exerted an considerable influence on European Literature and Spanish in particular; being adopotadas some estróficas forms like soneto, the lira or the eighth real one, when becoming popular the endecasílabos and octosílabos verses.

References

1. '50 years of European integration' (in Spanish). Deutsche Welle 19.03.2007 (2007). Consulted the 11/04/2008.
2. ↑ salastampa (in Italian). istat.it (2005). Consulted the 11/04/2008.

It is also seen

• Vestibule: Contained Italy related to Italy.
• Italian Armed Forces
• Native symbols of Italy

External Links

• WikcionarioDefiniciones in Wikcionario
  
• WikiquoteCitas in Wikiquote
  
• CommonsMultimedia in Commons
  
• WikinoticiasNoticias in Wikinoticias
  

• Italia.it

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