The Italy Report
Overview | History | Geography | Economy | People | Current Event
Star Player | World Cup Information | Links | Sources

Overview
     Italy a country rich with history and culture is competing in the World Cup in
     Japan this year. Ther star player, Paolo Maldini,  is n amazing athelete with years
     of experience. We hope that Italy does well this year and maybe even win!
 
History
Government:
National Holiday:  Republic Day, 2 June (1946)
Current Leader:  Silvio Berlusconi (Prime Minister)
Form of Government: Parlimentary Democracy
Head of State: President (elected by a Parliament to a 7-year term)

Ancient Rome began its overseas conuests in the 200's B.C. and by the A.D. 100's
the Roman Empire comtrolled all the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea. However, Rome
fell in A.D. 400's. The Italian peninsula was divided among many different rulers. When it was
captured by Napoleon Bonaparte, he united it and made it part of the French Empire. Most of
Italy was united as an independent country for the first time in 1861 under a constitutional
monarchy ruled by Victor Emmanuel II.
 
 

Geography

• Capital: Rome
• Major Cities:  Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo
• Landforms: The Alps form Italy's northern and northwestern borders. The Apennines occupy the center of Italy's peninsula. The Po River Valley is Italy's only major flat area.
• Neighbors: France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenis
• Climate:  Central and Southern Italy- hot, dry summers (day high: 86°F), mild winters (day high: 54°F). Northern Italy- slightly cooler summers, much colder winter (day high: 41°F), receives adequate moisture.
• Elevation: Highest: near the summit of Mont Blanc (15,771ft or 4, 807m) Lowest: sea level
• Area: 116, 320 sq. mi.

• Currency:  the lira was mainly used until they switched to the euro officially in 2002
• GDP (per capita):  purchasing power parity- $22,100
• Labor force: 23.4 million
• Inflation rate: 2.5%
• Major exports: clothing and shoes, motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals, fruit and vegetables
• Major imports: machinery, petroleum, motor vehicles, textile yarns, metals
• Industries: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
• Major trading partners: Germany, France, United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands

Population:  57679825 (2001)
Population ranking:  11*
Population growth rate: 0.07%
Birth rate: 9.05 births/1,000 population 
Death rate:10.07 deaths/1,000 population
Ethnic groups:  Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-,
and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians andGreek-Italians in the south)
Religions: predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities
and a growing Muslim immigrant community
Languages: Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly
German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in
Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
 
      The Majority of Italians live in urban areas. Their largest cities: Rome, Milan,
      and Naples all have more than a million people. Lombardy  and Liguria (NW)
      and Campania (S) are the most industrialized regions in Italy.
Current Event
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     Author of Article:
     Date of Article:

Star Player

• Name: Paolo Maldini
• Date of birth: 16 June 1968
• Height: 1.85m
• Weight: 85kg
• FIFA World Cup™ finals: 1990, 1994, 1998
• Games played in FIFA World Cup™ finals: 19

 

 

At 16, Maldini made his Serie A debute. Since then he has won at least 13 national
and international medals.Maldini lives with his wife, Adriana Fossa, outside Milan.
Their son, Christian, was born during the 1996 European Championshiomship

Links

• Daily Graphic Online:  one of Ghana's daily newspapers, in English

• CIA World Factbook (Italy) :  flag, geography, economy, and people section
• Italy Facts and Figures:  a fact sheet on Italy
• FIFA World Cup: Information on Paolo Maldini
• Paolo Maldini: Pictures of Paolo Maldini