By Abdou | Updated on April 17, 2024
Reviewed by Rittika
Italy is located in Southern Europe on a boot-shaped peninsula that juts out deep in the Mediterranean sea. Its location played a huge role in world history, from the Roman Republic to the modern Italian Republic. Rome is the capital and Italy’s biggest city with its rich history. The official language is Italian, as the country mostly consists of Italians. While most of Italy is Catholic, there are minor groups of Muslims and other religions. As a member state in the European Union, Italy uses the “Euro” as the monetary unit. The country code is +39, while the official domain is “.it.”
Italy has more than one founder; Camillo Benso, Conte Di Cavour, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Giuseppe Mazzini, Vittorio Emanuele II, Di Savoia… Giuseppe Garibaldi is the national hero called “the hero of the two worlds” because of his patriotism in Europe and South America. He helped to unify the country and create the Kingdom of Italy. Italian flag consists of vertical stripes of red, white, and green, as these colors are national colors. Italy’s national day is the 25th of April, the day that the resistance in Italy won against the fascist regime in 1946.
Italy has many national symbols, such as the Victor Emmanuel II Monument in Rome, built in honor of Italy’s first king. Pisa Tower and the Collesium are some of the other globally famous national symbols of Italy. The national mausoleum is a cenotaph dedicated to every soldier in Italian history who died for their country; “Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.”
Italy is well known for its cuisine. One of the national symbols and food is the pasta “Ragu Alla Bolognese,” while pizza, lasagna, pasta, and risotto are also considered national symbols. The national drink is the lemon liquor “limoncello.” “Lily,” the renaissance flower, is Italy’s national flower, as the national tree is the “strawberry tree,” which is very common in Sardinia Island. Playing a significant role in Roman mythology, “the wolf” is one of Italy’s national symbols and it is also referred to as the national animal. The Italian sparrow is the national bird of the country.
Being the country of the Renaissance, Italy has lots of national artists and poets such as Dante Alighieri, Giosuè Carducci, Giacomo Leopardi, Ugo Foscolo, Gabriele D’Annunzio… Italy’s national dance is Tarantella, described as light, quick steps, teasing, and flirtatious behavior between partners. Mandolin is the national instrument that is commonly used in Italian folk music. Italy also has an airline called “Alitalia.” Italians are also known as fanatic football fans, as the national sport is football.
– Further information regarding the symbols and knowledge of Italy can be found in the table of contents –
Former name(s) | Italia |
Official name(s) | Italian Republic |
Alternative name(s) | Repubblica Italiana (official Italian name) |
Regional location | Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia |
Country name etymology | "Land of Cattle" |
Climate | Predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south |
Terrain | Mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands |
Population | 60,461,826 |
National Day | 2 Jun 1946 |
Language(s) | Italian |
Religion | Christianity, Islam, and other |
Country code | +39 |
Literacy rate | 98.8% |
Currency | Euro |
Capital city | Rome |
ISO | ITA |
Domain(TLD) | .it |
Ethnicity | Italians |
Head of government | Prime Minister |
Nationality | Italian |
Driving side | Drive on the Right-hand side |
Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
Total area | 301,340 km² (116,350 sq mi) |
Timezone | UTC+1 (CET) |
Average elevation | 538 m (1,765 ft) |
Coastline | 7,600 km |
Mains electricity | 230 V |
Emergency telephone numbers | Emergency Telephone Numbers |
The National animal of Italy is Wolf
The National flower of Italy is Stylized Lily. Botanical name is Lilium.
The National bird of Italy is Italian sparrow
Every door may be shut but death’s door. He who laughs too much, is hiding his grief. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Old thanks cannot be used for new gifts. One who speaks fair words feeds you with an empty spoon. What does not poison, fattens. He who sups with the devil must use a long spoon. Years and sins are always more than admitted. When the danger has passed, the saints are soon forgotten. A donkey cannot trot for long. Too much prosperity makes most men fools.