Italy

CE5

Italy ĭtˈəlē [key], Ital. Italia, officially Italian Republic, republic (2015 est. pop. 59,504,000), 116,303 sq mi (301,225 sq km), S Europe. It borders on France in the northwest, the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, the Ionian Sea in the south, the Adriatic Sea in the east, Slovenia in the northeast, and Austria and Switzerland in the north. The country includes the large Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia and several small islands, notably Elba, Capri, Ischia, and the Lipari Islands. Vatican City and San Marino are two independent enclaves on the Italian mainland. Rome is Italy's capital and largest city.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Continuing Political Seesaw
• Postwar Italy
• World War II
• 1861 to the Rise of FascismWorld War II
• Napoleonic Triumph and the Rebirth of Italy
• Political Disintegration and Rebirth
• The Rise of Cities
• Medieval Italy
• The Barbarian Invasions
• Ancient Italy
• History
• Government
• Economy
• Land and People
• Bibliography

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