Italy

A little larger than the state of Arizona with 301,230 sq. km, Italy is located in southern Europe, and extends its boot shape into the central Mediterranean Sea. Rome, the national capital, is located in the center of the country. The majority of people in Italy are Roman Catholic. The southern part of Italy is hot and dry, while the northern tip of the country is much cooler. Most of the country is covered by mountains, but some areas have coastal lowlands and plains. At least 31% of the land is used for growing crops, 10% for permanent crops, and 15% for permanent pastures. Forests and woodlands cover 23% of the land and there is an estimated 27,100 sq. km of irrigated land. Italy’s natural resources include: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, natural gas, oil reserves, fish and coal.

The city of Rome in Italy is the home of the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Italy is the birthplace of the Mafia. It is a land of the ancient and the very modern, a fascinating d...