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Italy

Europe · 59 million

About Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a sovereign country located in Europe, specifically within the Southern Europe subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Rome, and the country is home to approximately 58.9 million people. In its native language, the country is known as “Italia”. Italian and Catalan are recognised as official or widely-spoken languages, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Italy. The official currency in circulation is the euro (€), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Italy is widely recognised for the Colosseum, pizza and Renaissance art. People from Italy are referred to as Italian.

Geography & climate

Italy covers approximately 301,336 km² of territory, making it a mid-sized country by land area. It shares land borders with 6 neighbouring countries — a position that has historically influenced migration patterns, regional politics, and cross-border commerce. Geographically, Italy sits in the Northern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 42.8° N, 12.8° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+01:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Italy can be summarised as: mediterranean coast & alpine north with mild & sunny. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 58.9 million inhabitants, Italy is one of the more populous nations on Earth. Linguistic life is plural here: Italian and Catalan are all in active use, with regional and minority tongues often adding further variety. Locals refer to their homeland as “Italia”, a name with linguistic and historical roots that long predate modern borders. Citizens are formally known in English as Italian, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the euro (€) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Italy should familiarise themselves with the capital, Rome, the local time zone (UTC+01:00), the local currency (euro). The international dialling prefix is +39, which is required when phoning a Italy number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .it, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Italy is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Italy is generally classified within the Europe region and more specifically the Southern Europe subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties.

Bordering countries

Italy shares land borders with 6 countries. Click any neighbour to read about it:

Did you know?

With 58 UNESCO World Heritage Sites as of 2023 — more than any other nation — the territory spans from buried Roman cities to Alpine peaks.

Italy in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Italy appears as an easier opening puzzle for new players. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Italy carries the personality tags “🍕 Culinary Capital” and “🏛️ Ancient Rome”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Italy to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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