Facts about Italy: Italy essential facts

Essential Facts about Italy
If you’re planning your next visit to Italy, then make sure you know some essential facts about traveling to this extra popular tourist destination in Europe, as it will help you plan and arrange your visit in the right way.
Here are some important Italy-Travel-Facts that you may want to know:

Italy Travel Facts

1. Accommodations
Italy offers a wide range of accommodations for all sorts of tourists. A lot of hotels can be found near train and bus stations and are usually low budget-types although some few are seedy. Inspecting a hotel before committing to it is often advisable. Italy hotels are generally rated by government system that does not take into account the appeal of the place. If you are staying longer, renting a house or apartment for a week is a good idea.
2. Italian Festivals
The best way to see more than what just an average tourist may see is finding sagras and Italian festivals. Sagras are blessing of such things as porcini mushrooms. One is likely to find great food served outdoors at communal tables and are a great way to meet Italians, all you need to do is dive in.

3. Language
Italy’s spoken language is Italian although you may hear some local dialects. In heavily tourist areas though, English is widely spoken. If there’s one Italian word you should remember, it is sciopero, pronounced as sho-per-o meaning strike. Strikes often happen in Italy that usually lasts for about a day or less, and seldom cause too many problems for tourists who are flexible. Labor issues are often displayed to public consciousness by short strikes so if you see papers on walls or windows of trains or bus stations, look for this word and you’ll know what’s up.

4. Italy Transportation
Italy public transport is served by extensive rail system and sometimes buses duplicate the rail routes. A lot of small cities in Italy have access to the larger cities nearby through twice-a-day bus conections. Bus stations are often very close to train stations. Since trains and busses are subsidized in Italy, they are slightly cheaper than most of the rest of Europe. Just take note that there are fewer trains on non-working days (weekends and holidays).
5. Maps of Italy
Providing yourself maps of Italy can be very helpfull, to plan your trip. There are a variety of maps of Italy that can be found online including rail map and region map.

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Facts about Italy

At this website you'll get various facts about Italy. It will be very interesting I guarantee!

Official name: Italian republic
Geographical location:Europe 8º O - 19º O/36º N - 47º N
Historical Year of the foundation:-753
Politically independent from 1861
Inhabitants: 58.133.509 inhabitants (2006)
Capital city: Rome 12º 29' O 41º 53' N
Population: 2,800,000 inhabitants
Largest city: Rome (2.800.000 inhabitants)
Official languages: Italian, German (regional), French (regional), Slovenian (regional)
Code: IT, ITA, http://www.*.it/

Hymn:
Fratelli d'Italia,l'Italia s'è desta,dell'elmo di Scipios'è cinta la testa.Dov'è la vittoria?Le porga la chioma,che schiava di RomaIddio la creò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò!Noi fummo da secolicalpesti, derisi,perché non siam popoli,perché siam divisi.Raccolgaci un'unicabandiera, una speme:di fonderci insiemegià l'ora suonò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò!Uniamoci, uniamoci,l'unione e l'amorerivelano ai popolile vie del Signore.Giuriamo far liberoil suolo natio:uniti, per Dio,chi vincer ci può?Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò!Dall'Alpi a SiciliaDovunque è Legnano,Ogn'uom di FerruccioHa il core, ha la mano,I bimbi d'ItaliaSi chiaman Balilla,Il suon d'ogni squillaI Vespri suonò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò!Son giunchi che pieganoLe spade vendute:Già l'Aquila d'AustriaLe penne ha perdute.Il sangue d'Italia,Il sangue Polacco,Bevé, col cosacco,Ma il cor le bruciò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò.Stringiamoci a coorte,siam pronti alla morte.Siam pronti alla morte,l'Italia chiamò!

English translation:
Italian Brothers,Italy has awakened,She has wreathed her headWith the helmet of Scipio.Where is Victory?She bows her head to you,You, whom God createdAs the slave of Rome.Let us band together,We are ready to die,We are ready to die,Italy has called us.

Facts about Italy regarding population structure and economy

Population structure:

Inhabitants: 58.133.509 (2006)

0-14 years: 13,8%
male: 4.147.149
female: 3.899.980

15-64 years: 66,5%
male: 19.530.512
female:19.105.841

over 65 years: 19,7%
male: 4.771.858
female: 6.678.169

Average age: 42.2 years
male:40.7 years
female: 43.7 years
Population growth: 0,04% (2006)
Birth rate: 8.72 born/1.000 inhabitants (2006)
Mortality rate: 10,4/1,000 inhabitants (2006)

Children for each woman: 1,28
Child number of deaths: 5.83/1.000 births
Boys: 6.42/1.000 births
Girls: 5.19/1.000 births (2006)
Average life expectancy: 79.81 years
Men: 76.88 years
Women: 82.94 years

Education degree (2003): 15 yearsold and older can read and writein per cent:
98,6% of Men
99% of Women

Religion: Christian 83.0 %, denomination 16.0 %, other one 1.0 %

Ethnical groups:Italian 94.0 %, other 6.0 %


Climate conditions:
Italy's climate is predominantly Mediterranean, meaning sunny and coastal. In the far north, the climate is Alpine, colder with lots of snow. In the south of Italy, it's hot and dry.


Economy:

GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: $ 1.698 trillion (2005)
GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT - real growth rate: 1,3%
GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT per head: $ 27.700
GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT after industries: Agriculture: 2,3%;
Industry: 28,8%;Service: 68,9%

Occupation: 24,27 million
After occupation: Agriculture 5%;Industry 32%;Service 63%
Yearly income perInhabitant: 20,220 $ (US)
Unemployment ratio: 7,9,%
Population below poverty border: n/a

Inflation rate: 2,3%

Incomes: $ 768.9 billion
Expenditures: $ 820.1 billion
Agricultural products: Fruits, vegetable, potatoes, sugar beets, soy beans, grain, olives, beef, fish
cultivation of the country: 27,79%
Covered with water: 26.980 sq/km
National treasures:Coal, mercury, zinc, marble, asbestos, pumice stone, fluorospar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and reserves to crude oil products, fish

Electricity Production: 270,1 billion a KW/H
Consumption: 302,2 billion a KW/H
Exports: 500 million a KW/H
Imported: 51,5 billion a KW/H

Oil Production:136.200 bbl/day
Consumption: 1,874 million bbl/day
Export: 456.600 bbl/day
Import:2,158 million bbl/day
Reserves: 586,6 million bbl

Natural gas productuction : 15,49 billion cu m
Consumption: 71,18 billion cu m
Export: 61 million cu m
Import: 54,78 billion cu m
Reserves: 209,7 billion cu m

Industries:
Tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothes, footwear, ceramic(s)
Industrial production growth rate: -1,5%
Export: $ 371.9 billion f.o.b (freely on board)
Import: $ 369.2 billion f.o.b. (freely on board)
Import partners: Germany 18%, France 10.9%, the Netherlands 5.9%, Spain 4.6%, Belgium 4.4%, United Kingdom 4.3%, China 4,2%
Current account condition: $ -27.62 billion
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $ 60 billion
Debts: $ 1.682 trillion
Economic aid: - receivers


Goverment (2007):

President: Giorgio NAPOLITANO
Prime minister: Romano PRODI
Dep. Prime minister: Massimo D'ALEMA
Dep. Prime minister: Francesco RUTELLI

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