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Italy
The politics of Italy take place in a framework of a parliamentary, democratic republic, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised collectively by the Council of Ministers, which is led by a President. Legislative power is vested in the two houses of Parliament primarily, and secondarily in the Council of Ministers.
According to the International Monetary Fund, in 2008 Italy was the seventh-largest economy in the world and the fourth-largest in Europe. The country is divided into a developed industrial north dominated by large private companies and an agricultural, state-assisted south. During the last decade the average annual growth was 1.23% in comparison to an average EU annual growth rate of 2.28%.
Capital
- Rome (41°54'N 12°29'E)
Area
- Total: 301,318 km²
- Water(%): 2.4
Population
- 2008 est.: 60,054,511
- Density: 199.3/km²
GDP (PPP), 2008 estimate
- Total: $1.815 trillion
- Per capita: $29,273
Internet Usage
- 29,140,144 Internet users as of June 09
- 59.4% penetration
as at September 2009
