About Italy
The Capital City of Italy is Rome.
Population: 58,103,033 (July 2005 est)
Religions in Italy: Italy is predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community
Life Expectancy:Total population average: 79.68 years
Male: 76.75 years
Female: 82.81 years (2005 est.)
Government Type of Italy:Republic
National anthem is: Il Canto degli Italiani
Internet domain: .it
Country calling code: +39
Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, clothes, wine
GNI per capita: US $30,010 (World Bank, 2006)
Activities
For much of the year, Italy benefits from having a wonderful climate, some of the best beaches and counrtyside in the world, and an abundance of glorious sun. There are a wealth of activities and sports for holidaymakers to enjoy both inland or by the coast to make an even more enjoyable holiday.
Lakes and Sea:
Lake Fishing, Sailing, Snorkelling, Scuba-diving, Swimming, Canoeing, Yachting, Motor-Boats, Sea Fishing, Wind-surfing.
On Land:
Ballooning, Bowls, Camping, Cycling, Golf, Hiking, Trekking, Horse-Riding, Go-Karting, Beach-Volleyball.
Indoors:
Bowls, Cookery, Dancing, Darts, Languages, Painting, Theraputic-Spas, Wine-tasting.
Winter: Skiing in the Southernmost Mountain Regions around Puglia.
City Life
A lot more than two-thirds of Italy’s people live around the Urban Areas. Italians live in concrete apartment buildings. A few of the wealthy people live in single-family homes. The oldest parts of an Italian cities consist a lot of low buildings that have apartments around the central court yard. The newer sections of the city often have big apartment buildings. Most of the home owners by rather apartments than rent their apartments. The poor neighborhoods are usually located on the outer part of the city.
Most unmarried children live with their parents. Parents a lot of the time help an adult son or daughter near an apartment near their own. A lot of young women work outside of their house. Grandparents often help watch the children of working moms. Most of the urban areas have public child-care centers.
Cities grew because of the use of private cars which led to serious urban pollution. In big cities, the air pollution problems pose a health hazard and has damaged priceless architecture. Bologna and a lot of other cities have eased this problem by banning private cars from the city centers.
Currency
Currency in Italy:
Euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries .
Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
Food / Eating Out
The Italians take a lot of pride in their cooking. They usually eat their main meal at midday. They have big meals, such as a pasta meal, which
is followed by the main meal of either meat or fish. Sometimes they eat a meal of antipasto, which are appetizers. The antipasto has a lot of different cold meats and some vegetables, such as prosciutto (a type of ham,) salami, olives, and artichoke hearts.
Italian food differs a lot by the regions. In the north, flat, ribbon-shaped pastas get served with cream sauces are the most popular. In the south, macaroni is served with tomato-based sauces. Soups of all kinds usually take the spot of pasta as a first meal. Another popular meal is risotto, a rice plate with vegetables. The most popular meats are veal and pork. Cheeses are also important. They are either eaten alone or used in other meals. Pizza is a popular snack and is also eaten as a light meal. Fresh fruit is a popular desert. Traditionally, wine is served with every meal except breakfast.
Getting around
Most Italian towns have a good network of local transport services, which can include buses, metros, trains, trams, funiculars and lifts. Public transport is usually cheap and efficient and is probably the best way to visit Italian cities, since parking, petrol and motorway tolls are quite expensive in Italy.
Trains
Buses
Planes
Ferries and hydrofoils
Driving
Hitchhiking
Cycling and motorbiking
Transport systems vary from town to town, but generally you can buy tickets valid across the whole range of local transport types. Normally you can buy a ticket in advance, at a ticket machine or at local news kiosks and tabacchi, which you validate when you are boarding the vehicle. A single ticket is usually valid for a certain period of time, while day tickets can be good options for tourists. It is usually more expensive to buy a single ticket, so it is worth your while finding out about the cost of weekly or monthly tickets for transport in your town. Be aware that bus tickets are not sold on board and need to be purchased beforehand, usually at tobacconist's and newsstands.
All tickets must be stamped before boarding trains and underground trains or on board buses.
Car Rental is popular with all the major Car Rental companies offering good Rates during off-peak or for longer periods.
Language
Languages of Italy:Italian (official),
German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking),
French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region),
Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area).
English is widely understood in tourist areas.
Shopping
Whether you are searching for fashion, jewelry, furniture, glass or leather, no expense account is safe when shopping in Italy.
The main cities for shopping are: Rome, Milan, Venice and Florence and all offer the most prestigious designers and manufacturers in the world.
Milan is without doubt one of the main centers for shopping in Italy and the numerous districts in the city provide nearly every consumer good you could imagine for sale.
Florence resembles Milan, shopping-wise, as it offers high fashion boutiques and numerous leather shops. Where Florence makes a name for itself, however, is the wide variety of top jewelry, gold and silver goods that defy imagination and budgetary constraints.
Siena can't match Florence in selection, but can offer many of the same products for lower prices. The jewelry is just as immaculate and the gold is no less impressive. The streets of Siena also showcase many different kinds of ceramics and have a renowned selection of discounted leather goods that rival the best of any city in Italy. Siena's most famous export is everywhere, though. You can hardly walk a city block without running into someone selling one of the region's fine Chiantis - and the very low prices bring tourists to peruse the selections available.
Venice’s most visited shops are located between the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco - many of Italy’s most famous designers have their stores here.Other Venetian trademark goods include Murano glass, Carnevale masks, lace and silk.
Shopping in Rome is varied. Rome's shops cater to a more egalitarian crowd than the other major cities. The city’s most exclusive and high-end boutiques reside close to the famous Spanish Steps. These shops, like the high percentage of those found in the famous shopping districts of Italy, are designed for the obscenely wealthy.
Rome is full of remnants of the past - from the ruins to the art to the ancient cathedrals and town squares – and the shopping is no different, with a vast accumulation of antiques awaiting your perusal. The interminable street of Via del Corso is a focal point of any Italy shopping tour, and contains a number of chic boutiques that cater mostly to the vibrant Roman youth. Rome also has the widest selection of neighborhood markets, where you can casually peruse everything from fresh fruit to hand-crafted goods.
Sights
Famous Cities of Italy:
Florence,Genoa, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Pisa, Rome, Sicily, Siena, Sorrento, Turin, Venice & Verona.
Interesting Places and Sights include:
Basilica San Marco
Capri
Circus Maximus
Church of the Madonna
Church of the Miracles
Colosseum
Duomo
Italian Opera
Leaning Tower Of Pisa
Michaelangelos David
Mount Etna
Pantheon
Pompeii
Ponte Del Lovo
Ponte Di Rialto
Ponte Vecchio
Roman Amphitheatre
Roman Forum
San Pietro
Santa Maria Del Rosario
Scala Contarini Del Bovolo
Scuola Grande Di San Rocco
Sistine Chapel
Trevi Fountain
Uffizi Gallery
Vatican Museum
Venice Carnevale
Weather
The weather in Italy varies greatly throughout all regions.
In the North the summers are hot and mostly dry, with much cooler winters. Most rain showers are expected around the lakes.
In central and southern regions, long very hot and dry summers are normal, with the winter and spring being much cooler.
For regional forecasts see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/weather/search/new_search.pl?search_query=Italy
Wine
A brief selection of Italy's Wines and their Regions:
Rome: Frascati
Umbria: Orvieto
Tuscany: Chianti
Veneto: Pinot Gritio, Soave, Merlot & Valpolicella
Trento: Chardonnay & Gewurztriminer