 Italy is one of the most recognisable countries on Earth: A long, slender, boot-like peninsula jutting far out into the Mediterranean Sea, seemingly kicking a “football” (the island of Sicily). The island of Sardinia lies to the west, and France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia all lie along the historic northern Alpine border – the natural border that Hannibal crossed in 218 B.C. with his army to threaten the young Roman Republic. Rome soon emerged as the undisputed “world power”, the most significant and far-reaching culture ever before or since.Centuries later, the various Italian city-states and kingdoms made up what was the birthplace of the European Renaissance leading up to unification in 1861 – now 21 regions, 5 with autonomous powers. Despite heavy involvement in both world wars and its infamous struggle with organised crime, modern Italy is a democratic republic, EU member state and world-class military power with the eighth-highest quality of life index rating in the world. Italian industry is dominated by global players and noted for a wide range of famous brands. Rich in history, Italy is the fifth-most-visited country in the world and founding member of numerous key organisations. Media The media empire of Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s longest-serving prime minister ever, owns of over half the country’s entire media market. Advertising revenues are dominated by television: there are only about 150 daily newspapers – still led by “Corriere della sera” and “Repubblica” – but eight national and about 800 local TV channels. Radio remains very popular in Italy. Internet access has surpassed the 50% mark, low by Western European standards but still reaching over 30 million users with incomes higher than the EU average. Accessing this market is easier than you thought. Population: 60,045,068 (2009) Official language: Italian Capital city: Rome Official currency: Euro (EUR) Top-level domain: .it Please upgrade your Flash Player
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