You can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval hill towns, go skiing in the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and gaze at beautiful churches. Naturally you can also indulge in the pleasures of la dolce vita: good food, good wine and improving your wardrobe.
From the Arab-Norman and Byzantine wonders of Palermo in Sicily to the majestic peaks of the Dolomites, Italy is a movable feast of endless courses. No matter how much you gorge yourself on its splendours, you always feel you haven't made it past the antipasti. Few countries offer such variety and few visitors leave without a fervent desire to return. The Italians are not joking when they call their home Il Belpaese, the Beautiful Country.
Warning
Travel advisories are warning that there is currently a risk of 'wildcat' snap strikes by transport workers across Italy. There are also pre-planned strikes set down for December and January, mostly affecting Alitalia passengers. Staff of Alitalia are protesting the massive job losses resulting from the severe restructuring of the ailing airline. A list of proposed strike dates can be found at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.Full country name: Italian Republic
Area: 301,230 sq km
Population: 57.99 million
Capital City: Rome
People: Italian
Language: Italian, Croatian, French, German, Serbian
Religion: 84% Roman Catholic, 6% Jewish, Muslim and Protestant
Government: republic
Head of State: President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Head of Government: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
GDP: US$1.45 trillion
GDP per capita: US$25,100
Inflation: 2.6%
Major Industries: tourism, engineering, textiles, chemicals, food processing, motor vehicles, clothing and footwear
Major Trading Partners: EU (especially Germany, France, UK, Spain, Netherlands), USA
Member of EU: Yes
