Background:
 
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include sluggish economic growth, high youth and female unemployment, organized crime, corruption, and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.

Country name:
 
conventional long form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
local short form: Italia
former: Kingdom of Italy
 

Government type:

republic
 

Capital:

name: Rome
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
 

Administrative divisions:

15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma)
regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto (Venetia)
autonomous regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Sardegna (Sardinia); Sicilia (Sicily); Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German); Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) or Vallee d'Aoste (French)
 

Independence:

17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
 

National holiday:

Republic Day, 2 June (1946)
 

Constitution:

previous 1848 (originally for Kingdom of Sardinia and adopted by Kingdom of Italy in 1861); latest enacted 22 December 1947, adopted 27 December 1947, entered into force 1 January 1948; amended many times, last in 2012 (2013)
 

Legal system:

civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in Constitutional Court
 

International law organization participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
 

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25
 

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Matteo RENZI (since 22 February 2014); note - the prime minister is referred to as the President of the Council of Ministers
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister and nominated by the President of the Republic
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held on 18-20 April 2013 (next scheduled for 2020); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament; national parliamentary elections were last held on 24-25 February 2013
election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president on the sixth round of voting; electoral college vote - 738 out of a possible 1,007 (504 votes required); Enrico LETTA sworn in as prime minister on 28 April 2013 following formal talks between the center-left Democratic Party (PD), the center-right People of Freedom party (PdL), the centrist Civic Choice, and President NAPOLITANO that also led to the creation of a broad coalition government; the talks coming after the February 2013 legislative election produced a stalemate that impeded government formation; the PdL split into the Forza Italia and the New Center Right (NCD) in November 2013 and only the NCD remained in the governing coalition
 

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (321 seats; members elected by proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; members to serve five-year terms; and up to 5 senators for life appointed by the president of the Republic) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats; members to serve five-year terms); note - it has not been clarified if each president has the power to designate up to five senators or if five is the number of senators for life who might sit in the Senate
elections: Senate - last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - center-left coalition [Pier Luigi BERSANI] 123 (PD 111, SEL 7, SVP 2, other 3), center-right coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI] 117 (PdL 98, LN 18, other 1), M5S 54, centrist coalition [Mario MONTI] 19, other 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - center-left coalition [Pier Luigi BERSANI] 345 (PD 297, SEL 37, CD 6 SVP 5), center-right coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI] 125 (PdL 98, LN 18, FdI 9), M5S 109, centrist coalition [Mario MONTI] 47, other 4; note - President NAPOLITANO dissolved Parliament on 22 December 2012
 

Judicial branch:

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cassation or Corte Suprema di Cassazione (organized into penal, civil, administrative, and military divisions, each with a president and several judges); Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (consists of 15 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, headed by the president, to serve NA terms; Constitutional Court judges - 5 appointed by the president, 5 elected by parliament, 5 elected by select higher courts; judges serve up to 9 years)
subordinate courts: various lower civil and criminal courts (primary and secondary tribunals, courts, and courts of appeal)
 

Political parties and leaders:

Center-right parties:: 
Forza Italia [Silvio BERLUSCONI]
The New Center-Right or NCD [Angelino ALFANO]
Northern League or LN [Roberto MARONI]
Brothers of Italy or Fdl [Giorgia MELONI, Ignazio LA RUSSA, and Guido CROSETTO]
The Right or LD [Francesco STORACE]
other minor parties
Center-left parties:: 
Democratic Party or PD [Matteo RENZI]
Left Ecology Freedom or SEL [Nichi VENDOLA]
Italian Socialist Party or PSI [Riccardo NENCINI]
Democratic Centre or CD [Bruno TABACCI and Massimo DONADI]
South Tyrolean People's Party or SVP [Arno KOMPATSCHER]
Centrist parties:: 
Civic Choice or SC [Alberto BOMBASSEI]
Union of the Center or UdC [Pier Ferdinando CASINI]
Future and Freedom for Italy or FLI [vacant]
other coalitions and parties:: 
Five Star Movment or M5S [Beppe GRILLO]
Civil Revolution or RC [Antonio INGROIA]
Act to Stop the Decline or FiD [Michele BOLDRIN]
 

Political pressure groups and leaders:

manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio; Confindustria
organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori; Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church
three major trade union confederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Susanna CAMUSSO] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNI], which is Roman Catholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist
 

International organization participation:

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
 

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Claudio BISOGNIERO (since 13 January 2012)
chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400
FAX: [1] (202) 518-2154
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
consulate(s): Detroit, Newark (NJ), San Francisco
 

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador John R. PHILLIPS (since 16 August 2013); note - also accredited to San Marino
embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (06) 46741
FAX: [39] (06) 4674-2244
consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples
 

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; design inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797; colors are those of Milan (red and white) combined with the green uniform color of the Milanese civic guard
note: similar to the flag of Mexico, which is longer, uses darker shades of red and green, and has its coat of arms centered on the white band; Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green
 

National symbol(s):

white, five-pointed star (Stella d'Italia)
 

National anthem:

name: 'Il Canto degli Italiani' (The Song of the Italians)

lyrics/music: Goffredo MAMELI/Michele NOVARO
note: adopted 1946; the anthem, originally written in 1847, is also known as 'L'Inno di Mameli' (Mameli's Hymn), and 'Fratelli D'Italia' (Brothers of Italy)

Location:
 
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
 

Geographic coordinates:

42 50 N, 12 50 E
 

Map references:

Europe
 

Area:

total: 301,340 sq km
country comparison to the world: 72
land: 294,140 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
 

Area - comparative:

Area comparison map:  
 

Land boundaries:

total: 1,836 km
border countries: Austria 404 km, France 476 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3 km, San Marino 37 km, Slovenia 218 km, Switzerland 698 km
 

Coastline:

7,600 km
 

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
 

Climate:

predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
 

Terrain:

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
 

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)
 

Natural resources:

coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
 

Land use:

arable land: 22.57%
permanent crops: 8.37%
other: 69.07% (2011)
 

Irrigated land:

39,510 sq km (2007)
 

Total renewable water resources:

191.3 cu km (2011)
 

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 45.41 cu km/yr (24%/43%/34%)
per capita: 789.8 cu m/yr (2008)
 

Natural hazards:

regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Etna (elev. 3,330 m), which is in eruption as of 2010, is Europe's most active volcano; flank eruptions pose a threat to nearby Sicilian villages; Etna, along with the famous Vesuvius, which remains a threat to the millions of nearby residents in the Bay of Naples area, have both been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Stromboli, on its namesake island, has also been continuously active with moderate volcanic activity; other historically active volcanoes include Campi Flegrei, Ischia, Larderello, Pantelleria, Vulcano, and Vulsini
 

Environment - current issues:

air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities
 

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
 

Geography - note:

strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Location:
 
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
 

Geographic coordinates:

42 50 N, 12 50 E
 

Map references:

Europe
 

Area:

total: 301,340 sq km
country comparison to the world: 72
land: 294,140 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
 

Area - comparative:

Area comparison map:  
 

Land boundaries:

total: 1,836 km
border countries: Austria 404 km, France 476 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3 km, San Marino 37 km, Slovenia 218 km, Switzerland 698 km
 

Coastline:

7,600 km
 

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
 

Climate:

predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
 

Terrain:

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
 

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)
 

Natural resources:

coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
 

Land use:

arable land: 22.57%
permanent crops: 8.37%
other: 69.07% (2011)
 

Irrigated land:

39,510 sq km (2007)
 

Total renewable water resources:

191.3 cu km (2011)
 

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 45.41 cu km/yr (24%/43%/34%)
per capita: 789.8 cu m/yr (2008)
 

Natural hazards:

regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Etna (elev. 3,330 m), which is in eruption as of 2010, is Europe's most active volcano; flank eruptions pose a threat to nearby Sicilian villages; Etna, along with the famous Vesuvius, which remains a threat to the millions of nearby residents in the Bay of Naples area, have both been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Stromboli, on its namesake island, has also been continuously active with moderate volcanic activity; other historically active volcanoes include Campi Flegrei, Ischia, Larderello, Pantelleria, Vulcano, and Vulsini
 

Environment - current issues:

air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities
 

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
 

Geography - note:

strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Economy - overview:
 
Italy has a diversified industrial economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, highly subsidized, agricultural south, where unemployment is higher. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of them family-owned. Italy also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 17% of GDP. These activities are most common within the agriculture, construction, and service sectors. Italy is the third-largest economy in the euro-zone, but its exceptionally high public debt and structural impediments to growth have rendered it vulnerable to scrutiny by financial markets. Public debt has increased steadily since 2007, topping 133% of GDP in 2013, but investor concerns about Italy and the broader euro-zone crisis eased in 2013, bringing down Italy's borrowing costs on sovereign government debt from euro-era records. The government still faces pressure from investors and European partners to sustain its efforts to address Italy's long-standing structural impediments to growth, such as labor market inefficiencies and widespread tax evasion. In 2013 economic growth and labor market conditions deteriorated, with growth at -1.8% and unemployment rising to 12.4%, with youth unemployment around 40%. Italy's GDP is now 8% below its 2007 pre-crisis level.
 

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$1.805 trillion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
$1.838 trillion (2012 est.)
$1.883 trillion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
 

GDP (official exchange rate):

$2.068 trillion (2013 est.)
 

GDP - real growth rate:

-1.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211
-2.4% (2012 est.)
0.4% (2011 est.)
 

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$29,600 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$29,800 (2012 est.)
$30,100 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
 

Gross national saving:

17.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
16.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
16.4% of GDP (2011 est.)
 

GDP - composition, by end use:

household consumption: 60%
government consumption: 20.6%
investment in fixed capital: 17.6%
investment in inventories: -0.3%
exports of goods and services: 30.1%
imports of goods and services: -27.9%
(2013 est.)
 

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

agriculture: 2%
industry: 24.4%
services: 73.5% (2013 est.)
 

Agriculture - products:

fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish
 

Industries:

tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
 

Industrial production growth rate:

-2.7% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
 

Labor force:

25.74 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
 

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 3.9%
industry: 28.3%
services: 67.8% (2011)
 

Unemployment rate:

12.4% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
10.7% (2012 est.)
 

Population below poverty line:

29.9% (2012)
 

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 26.8% (2000)
 

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

31.9 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
27.3 (1995)
 

Budget:

revenues: $984 billion
expenditures: $1.052 trillion (2013 est.)
 

Taxes and other revenues:

47.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
 

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):

-3.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
 

Public debt:

133% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
126.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
note: Italy reports its data on public debt according to guidelines set out in the Maastricht Treaty; general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year, in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the central government, state government, local government and social security funds
 

Fiscal year:

calendar year
 

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.2% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
3% (2012 est.)
 

Central bank discount rate:

0.25% (31 December 2013)
country comparison to the world: 131
0.75% (31 December 2012)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
 

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

5.2% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
5.22% (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of narrow money:

$1.138 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
$1.162 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
 

Stock of broad money:

$2.15 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
$2.134 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of domestic credit:

$3.407 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
$3.438 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$480.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
$431.5 billion (31 December 2011)
$318.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Current account balance:

-$2.4 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
-$14.88 billion (2012 est.)
 

Exports:

$474 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
$478.9 billion (2012 est.)
 

Exports - commodities:

engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, nonferrous metals
 

Exports - partners:

Germany 12.63%, France 11.11%, United States 6.84%, Switzerland 5.72%, United Kingdom 4.72%, Spain 4.48% (2013 est.)
 

Imports:

$435.8 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
$453.5 billion (2012 est.)
 

Imports - commodities:

engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco
 

Imports - partners:

Germany 14.73%, France 8.4%, China 8.4%, Russia 6.35%, Netherlands 5.85%, Spain 4.54%, Belgium 4.09% (2013 est.)
 

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$181.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
$173.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
 

Debt - external:

$2.604 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
$2.516 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$466.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
$457.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$683.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
$653.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Exchange rates:

euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.7634 (2013 est.)
0.7752 (2012 est.)
0.755 (2010 est.)
0.7198 (2009 est.)
0.6827 (2008 est.)

Telephones - main lines in use:
 
21.656 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 13
 

Telephones - mobile cellular:

97.225 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 14
 

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern, well-developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international: country code - 39; a series of submarine cables provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat (2011)
 

Broadcast media:

two Italian media giants dominate - the publicly owned Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) with 3 national terrestrial stations and privately owned Mediaset with 3 national terrestrial stations; a large number of private stations and Sky Italia - a satellite TV network; RAI operates 3 AM/FM nationwide radio stations; some 1,300 commercial radio stations (2007)
 

Internet country code:

.it
 

Internet hosts:

25.662 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 4
 

Internet users:

29.235 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 13         

Airports:
 
129 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 45
 

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 98
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 11 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 
20 (2013)
 

Heliports:

5 (2013)
 

Pipelines:

gas 20,223 km; oil 1,393 km; refined products 1,574 km (2013)
 

Railways:

total: 20,255 km
country comparison to the world: 13
standard gauge: 18,611 km 1.435-m gauge (12,662 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,290 km 0.950-m gauge (151 km electrified); 231 km 0.850-m gauge (2008)
 

Roadways:

total: 487,700 km
country comparison to the world: 14
paved: 487,700 km (includes 6,700 km of expressways) (2007)
 

Waterways:

2,400 km (used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 37
 

Merchant marine:

total: 681
country comparison to the world: 17
by type: bulk carrier 105, cargo 42, carrier 1, chemical tanker 164, container 21, liquefied gas 28, passenger 25, passenger/cargo 154, petroleum tanker 59, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 39, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 30
foreign-owned: 90 (Denmark 4, France 2, Greece 7, Luxembourg 14, Netherlands 2, Nigeria 1, Norway 6, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 13, Taiwan 10, Turkey 4, UK 2, US 23)
registered in other countries: 201 (Bahamas 1, Belize 3, Cayman Islands 7, Cyprus 6, Georgia 2, Gibraltar 4, Greece 5, Liberia 47, Malta 45, Marshall Islands 1, Morocco 1, Netherlands 6, Panama 25, Portugal 12, Russia 14, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Singapore 5, Slovakia 2, Spain 1, Sweden 5, Turkey 1, UK 3, unknown 1) (2010)
 

Ports and terminals:

major seaport(s): Augusta, Cagliari, Genoa, Livorno, Taranto, Trieste, Venice
oil terminals: Melilli (Santa Panagia) oil terminal, Sarroch oil terminal
container port(s) (TEUs): Genoa (1,847,648), Gioia Tauro (2,264,798), La Spezia (1,307,274)

Electricity - production:
 
299.3 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
 

Electricity - consumption:

307.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
 

Electricity - exports:

2.304 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
 

Electricity - imports:

45.41 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
 

Electricity - installed generating capacity:

124.2 million kW (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
 

Electricity - from fossil fuels:

65% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
 

Electricity - from nuclear fuels:

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
 

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:

18% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
 

Electricity - from other renewable sources:

15.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
 

Crude oil - production:

112,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
 

Crude oil - exports:

6,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
 

Crude oil - imports:

1.591 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
 

Crude oil - proved reserves:

521.3 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
 

Refined petroleum products - production:

6,600 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
 

Refined petroleum products - consumption:

1.454 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
 

Refined petroleum products - exports:

628,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
 

Refined petroleum products - imports:

393,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
 

Natural gas - production:

7.8 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
 

Natural gas - consumption:

68.7 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
 

Natural gas - exports:

324 million cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
 

Natural gas - imports:

67.8 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
 

Natural gas - proved reserves:

62.35 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
 

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:

400.9 million Mt (2011 est.)

A total of 500 Realistic Export Opportunities (REOs) from South Africa to Italy are identified based on the North-West University’s (South Africa) TRADE Decision Support Model (DSM).

The methodology is a very useful instrument to identify market opportunities globally for one’s product and also provides a good reference for one to be able to prioritise marketing efforts based on the value and size of these opportunities.

The TRADE-DSM Navigator provides sound information that companies are able to use in developing their export marketing strategy and forms the basis and guidance for further research should this be required.

In total 500 of the products associated with import demand are identified as realistic export opportunities. The relative 'untapped' potential of the market opportunity is shown in the chart below:

A total 'untapped' potential from South Africa's perspective of approximately 9.02 (in million US dollar terms) based on the average value of the top 6 supplying countries (excluding South Africa) are associated with these specific product export opportunities.

The highest number of identified opportunities are associated with the economic sector of

Food (301-304) .

Not all sectors will be present, as not all economic sectors (some of which are based on economic activity while the REOs are based on traded products) are relevant for all products. However, various other sectors also do exhibit potential.

While the above examples are based on high level economic sectors, the information is available at a much more granular level on the HS 6-digit tariff code level. To demonstrate the following example of a product description is provided:

HS CHAPTER 84:
NUCLEAR REACTORS, BOILERS, MACHINERY AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES; PARTS THEREOF
Sub-heading 84.27:
Fork-lift trucks; other works trucks fitted with lifting or handling equipment:
HS 6-digit product code 8427.10:
Self-propelled trucks powered by an electric motor.

Research reports containing more detailed information related to these realistic export opportunities (down to product level as illustrated with the above product description) for each country are available from TIKZN.

Please contact us if you are interested in more detail by clicking here.

For an example of a more detailed country report please click here.

Please note that a more up-to-date version for the specific country report used in this example is available from TIKZN. This report is provided for demonstration purposes only and should not be used for any decision-making.

For more in-depth research you can also contact our NWU knowledge partners at
TRADE Research Advisory.

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