Italy is a boot-shaped peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the southern portion of Europe and has France bordering it on the northwest, Switzerland along with Austria on its northern border and Slovenia on the northeast. Within Italy lies Vatican City, the world's smallest country and the center of the Catholic Church, and the tiny nation of San Marino. The Italian Alps stretch some 600 miles from east to west in northern Italy and contain Europe's highest mountain in the 15,781 foot tall Mont Blanc. The Apennine Mountains slice Italy in half, extending north to south through the middle of the country. The Po River in northern Italy is in a fertile valley. Italy has 2,000 miles of coastline and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, off the southwestern coast, also are part of the country. Sicily is the Mediterranean's largest island and home to Mount Etna, a 10,860-foot-tall active volcano. Mount Vesuvius, near the city of Naples, is the only active volcano in all of mainland Europe.
The Italian climate varies according to the region of the country. The northern summers are warm, the central portion of Italy is humid and the southern area is hot and dry. Hot winds carried northward from Africa are the reason for this. The south will be mild in the winter, but there can be plentiful rainfall. The central winters are characterized by lots of fog and the northern winters are much colder than anywhere else in Italy due to the high elevations of the mountains.
The population of Italy hovers around 60 million people, with over half of those living in the northern section of the nation. Italy is the 23rd most populated country in the world and seven out of ten Italians live in an urban setting. There are 2.7 million people living in Rome, the capital, with another million in the surrounding metropolitan area. Milan is the largest city in terms of people living within its metropolitan area, with 7.3 million individuals. Almost 88% of Italians are Roman Catholics.
Rome is one of the most historical cities in the world, with ancient monuments, museums, palaces, fountains and churches. Venice is located in northeastern Italy and is built on water, with canals connecting the city. It, like many other Italian cities, is rich in culture and historical significance. The city of Florence is a major architectural and arts center while Turin, in the northwest and near the Italian Alps, is a major cultural center. Milan is one of Europe's wealthiest cities and is more modern than most of Italy's other metropolitan areas. Naples in the southwest is a bustling hub. Genoa is Italy's most important seaport and is found on the northwest coast of the country.
The Italian flag features three vertical stripes the same size of green, white and then red from left to right. The total area of Italy in square miles is 116,346, making it about the size of the state of Arizona. Cars in Italy drive on the right side of the road. Italy became a democratic republic in 1946. The literacy rate in Italy is extremely high, with almost 99% of the population able to read. Some of Italy's natural resources include coal, zinc, asbestos, marble, natural gas and mercury.
