Country Overview – Italy
You have arrived at last, in the Bel Paese, a nation that has collectively in the same boot, as Italians affectionately refer to the peninsula, a wide range of cultures, traditions, dialects, cuisines and lifestyles.
Italy is a modern, industrialized nation. Generally speaking the Italian economy is driven by small and medium size companies. Some of these companies are presently developing a high-technology-oriented production in order to compete with the ever increasing competition from low-cost production countries in Asia. Known worldwide mainly for its exports of fashion, food, luxury vehicles and motor yachts, Italy today also exports motor vehicles, aerospace and defence technology, chemicals, petrochemicals and electrical goods.
Another driving force behind the Italian economy is tourism. Italy is ranked as the fifth major tourist destination in the world: its 8000-kilometre-long coastline and its mountains run the country’s length from the Alps right down to Sicily, which is just off the North African coast. The beauty of the Italy’s landscape is only a part of the country’s wealth: it has more classified historical monuments than any country in the world, a cultural and artistic legacy totally unrivalled.
This country cannot be visited in a hurry. Italy’s most well-known cities – Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples and Milan – retain a lot less of the Mediterranean lifestyle most foreigners expect to find: life doesn’t grind to a halt in the middle of the day for a siesta if you are stuck in a traffic jam or imprisoned in a cattle-car-full bus. These cities have a high cost of living: rents, utilities, hotels, good-quality clothing are expensive.
Italians are helpful people in general and are unpredictable at times, they keep you waiting but then surprise you with the quality of their service. They place great importance on friendship, often combining it with good food. At times their behaviour will frustrate you, and the only choice you have is to accept them for what they are, because you’ll never change them. Their lifestyle is still very family-oriented. Religion still dominates people’s lives and even those who don’t attend church regularly, take part in the hundreds of local festivals in which you can bet that at least one Saint is being celebrated.
Driving around most Italian cities can be a bit unnerving. You must get used to the fact that other drivers most of the time will not respect the distance that should be left between one car and another while driving and some have the bad habit of double parking. At times you might get the impression that drivers drive as they wish, but Italian traffic regulations and signs comply with the European standard. The penalties for traffic violations are very high. On toll motorways the speed limit is 130 km/h, on toll-free highways 90 km/h and in urban areas 50 km/h.
Diversity in climate shape the Italian countryside. In winter in some areas of northern and central Italy one will shiver with the cold, whereas in southern regions the climate can be much milder. In July and August temperatures can rise to 40 degrees all over the country.
Italian Republic in brief
Area: 301230 sq km
Coastline: over 8000 km
Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south.
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Time Zone: GMT+1
Capital city: Rome
Population: over 58 million inhabitants.
Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, other 10% includes Protestant, Jewish and Muslim communities.