Part 363

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $9.2 billion, about 9.8% of GDP (1996)

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@Italy -----

Map ---

Location: 42 50 N, 12 50 E -- Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Flag ----

Description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green

Geography ---------

Location: Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Geographic coordinates: 42 50 N, 12 50 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total area: 301,230 sq km land area: 294,020 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Land boundaries: total: 1,935.2 km border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 235 km, Switzerland 740 km

Coastline: 7,600 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: Italy is negotiating with Slovenia over property and minority rights issues dating from World War II

Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal

Land use: arable land: 32% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 17% forest and woodland: 22% other: 19%

Irrigated land: 31,000 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities natural hazards: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification

Geographic note: strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

People ------

Population: 57,460,274 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 15% (male 4,419,636; female 4,167,860) 15-64 years: 68% (male 19,656,546; female 19,629,291) 65 years and over: 17% (male 3,902,426; female 5,684,515) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.13% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 9.87 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)