Italy

ITALIAN REPUBLIC

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Source: The World Fact Book (www.cia.gov)

I. INTRODUCTION

The Italian Republic, most known as Italy, is a peninsula located in the south-central part of the European mainland, and it is known for its "boot-shaped". It is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and bordering Austria, France, Switzerland, and Slovenia. Italy also includes two of the largest islands in the Mediterranean - Sicily and Sardinia, as well as several other minor offshore island groups. “Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II.” (www.cia.gov).

On the north side, Italy is bordered by the mountains known as the Alps. The highest point is Mont Blanc (Monte Blanco) at 15,771 ft. (4,807m).[pic]The remaining land is mostly mountainous and quite rugged. Appennino (Apennines) Mountains run the entire length of the country. “The total land area of Italy is about 116,300 square miles (301,230 sq km), making it slightly larger than the state of Arizona.” (http://goitaly.about.com). The country has over 2000 miles of coast land.[pic] Italy has two famous volcanoes: Mt. Etna (on Sicily) which is currently active, and Mt. Vesuvius (Bay of Naples) active, but not currently erupting.[pic]Significant rivers include the Arno, Po, and Tiber, as well as the Adige. Lakes include Como, Garda and Maggiore. In general, Italy has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and cool winters in the north and hot summers and mild winters in the south.

II. SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL FACTORS

According with my search on internet, Europe's Renaissance period began in Italy during the 14th and 15th centuries. Literary achievements such as the poetry of Dante, Petrarch, Tasso, and Ariosto; the writing style of Boccaccio, Machiavelli, and Castigliony; the painting, sculpture, and architecture of Filippo Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Botticelli, Fra Angelico,...