About Italy Country

Italy is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, and Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.

The land known as Italy today has been the cradle of many European cultures and peoples, such as the Etruscans and the Romans. Italy's capital, Rome, was for centuries the center of Western civilization. Later it became the birthplace of the Renaissance and also played a major role in the development of modern science and astronomy, particularly heliocentrism, as well as the University, and opera. Even though throughout the Middle Ages, Italy was divided into numerous kingdoms and city-states (such as the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the duchy of Milan), the nation finally became unified in 1861, a period in history known as the "Risorgimento". In the late 19th century to World War II, Italy possessed a major colonial empire, which extended its rule to Libya, Eritrea, Italian Somalialand, Ethiopia, Albania, Rhodes, Dodecaneses and the Tientsin part of China. Today, the cultural significance of Italy is reflected in the fact that it boasts the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, and that it is rich in art, culture and literature from many different periods.

Italy has a global influence in politics, culture, science, education, fashion, art, archaeology, religion, cuisine, business, healthcare, sport, architecture, design, cinema, finance and music. Milan, Italy's centre of finance and industry, is the world's true current fashion capital, according to the 2009 Global Language Monitor. Italy also receives the fifth highest number of tourists every year, and Rome is the EU's 3rd most visited city, and is commonly regarded as one of the most beautiful ancient cities in the world. Venice is also considered the most beautiful city in the world, according to the New York Times, which describe the city as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man".

Source : Wikipedia