Italy in southern Europe, all known as the Republic of Italy. An area of almost 301,300 square kilometers. 576l million population is mainly Italian. Residents are Catholic, Italian is the official language, individual border areas speak French, German. Currency is the euro. Rome (Roma). Italy Map

National Flag

The flag three equal vertical green, white and red stripes. The legend was designed for Napoleon in 1796.

History

Italy is an ancient civilization, and has been ruled by the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. In the 11th century, the Normans invaded the south and established the kingdom. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, Italy was split into many kingdoms, principalities, autonomous cities and small feudal territories. In May 1861, the kingdom of Italy was re-established. In 1870, the army captured Rome to complete reunification. In 1922, Mussolini came to power and practiced fascist rule for more than 20 years. In 1946, the Republic was established.

Economic and Cultural Customs

Heavy industry, food, textiles and chemicals are Italy's major industrial sectors, including some of the most developed machinery industries in the world such as shipbuilding, machine manufacturing and home appliances. Italy leads the world in garment exports. The Italian footwear industry is also well developed, with beautifully designed, well-made and stylish shoes. The footwear industry is based around small businesses only responsible for a single process to ensure the quality and quantity. Italy is Europe's main wheat and rice producer and is also among the world's leading grape, wine, olive and citrus fruit producers.

Florence

The birthplace of the Renaissance in Europe, where the most abundant Renaissance works of art are preserved. Between 1865 and 1871 it was known as the capital of Italy. The city has 40 museums and galleries, more than 60 palaces and more than a dozen kinds of churches. Most notable are the Uffizi Gallery and the most enchanting Bark, which highlights the essence of Italian painting. Santa Croce church Galileo to open Langqi Luo, Rossini and other famous cemetery, the "Italian Pantheon" known to the world.

Venice

In the Adriatic Riviera, Venice is sometimes called the "Water Capital." It is surrounded by a causeway, which connects it to the mainland. In a city about 51 km long and between 8 and 14.5 km wide it contains more than 120 small islands. A total of 400 different bridges connect the island with 177 canals crisscrossing the city's main traffic areas. The gondola is a favorite tourist mode of transportation. Famous monuments includes St. Mark's Cathedral, Regent Palace, the "Giant Ladder" and the "Bridge of Sighs."

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Built in 1174–1350, the design for the eighth floor is 56 m high. When the third layer was completed, it was found to have uneven foundation settlement because of poor geological conditions. The designers increase the settlement to remedy the situation but the result was even more severe subsidence. The project was stalled several times, but finally finished in an inclined state. The completion of the project deviated from a vertical tower by 2.1 m. After 650 years, the Leaning Tower of Pisa continues to tilt towards the ground despite various measures such as the pouring of concrete and tilt speed control.