Basic facts about Italy

    The following are basic facts about the country.

    Italy covers an area of 301,300 square km. It comprises a peninsula extending from south Europe into the Mediterranean Sea and a number of adjacent islands. The two major islands are Sicilyin the southwest and Sardinia in the west. The capital is Rome.

    Its climate is temperate in the north and Mediterranean in the south, with mild winters and long, dry summers. According to Italian official estimates, the population was 57,888,245 in 2004.

    The principal language is Italian. German and Ladin are spoken in the Alto Adige region on the Austrian border, and French in the Valle d'Aosta region bordering France and Switzerland.

    Almost all of the inhabitants in Italy profess Christianity. More than 90 percent are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church.

    Italian legislative power is held by the bicameral parliament elected by universal suffrage every five years. The Senate has 315 elected members and 10 life Senators. The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the parliament, has 630 members. The two houses have equal power.

    A new electoral law approved last year restores full proportional representation, enhancing the possibility for small parties to enter the parliament.

    The president is a constitutional head of state elected for seven years by an electoral college comprising both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives.

    Executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers. The head of state appoints the prime minister and other ministers on the recommendation of the latter. Enditem

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