Below we give you some facts on the greatness that is ITALY!
Population: 61.3 million people live in Italy (2013)
Capital: Roma (Rome), which is often called 'Eternal City', with 2.6 mio inhabitants and Italy’s biggest city.
Name: Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic) or simply: Italia, Nickname: 'Bel Paese' which means beautiful country
Government: Democracy, Republic
Language: Italian as well as German, French and Ladin in some regions in Northern Italy.
Currency: 1 Euro=100 cents, before 2001 Italian Lira
History: The country has a long history, as Rome its capital city today was founded in 753BC. After the Roman Empire broke down in 395AD, there were many separate kingdoms and city states. However, Italy became one nation only in 1861 and since then includes the islands of Sicily and Sardegna. It was a kingdom until 1946 after the second World War, where Italy sided with the German Nazis. Italy is founding member of the European Union (EU) and the NATO.
Flag: The colors represent these virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red)