Italy facts

Land & people

Area: 301,230 sq km
Population (July 2007 est.): 58.147 million
Capital: Rome
Languages: Italian, German, French, Slovene and Ladino
Per capita GDP (2006 est.): $30,200

Located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea — Sicily and Sardinia — Italy shares its northern Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. Its most prominent feature is its boot-like shape.

Mountains cover much of the country. The Dolomite Mountains, extending across northern Italy, are part of the Alps mountain range. The Apennine mountains cut down the centre of Italy, stretching from north to south, dividing the east and west coasts. Just south of the Dolomite Mountains, the Po Valley is the basin of the Po River and is a fertile farmland.

Geographical divisions (regions with main cities) of Italy include: Piedmont (Turin), Aosta Valley (Aosta), Lombardy (Milan), Trentino Alto Adige (Trento Bolzano), Veneto (Venice), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Trieste), Liguria (Genoa), Emilia-Romagna (Bologna), Tuscany (Florence), Umbria (Perugia), Marches (Ancona), Latium (Rome), Abruzzo (L'Aquila), Molise (Campobasso), Campania (Naples), Apulia (Bari), Basilicata (Potenza), Calabria (Catanzaro), Sicily (Palermo), and Sardinia (Cagliari).

Useful addresses

- Embassy of Italy
P.B. No. 46752, Abu Dhabi
Tel: 02-4435622; Fax: 02-4434337; E-mail: italianembassy.abudhabi@esteri.it

- Consulate General of Italy
P.B. No. 9250, Dubai
Tel: 04-3314167; Fax: 04-3317469; E-mail: agente.dubai@esteri.it

- Italian Trade Commission
P.B. No. 24113, Dubai
Tel: 04-3314951; Fax: 04-3314279; E-mail: dubai.dubai@ice.it

- Italian Business Group (IBG)
P.O. Box 106482, Abu Dhabi
Tel: 02-6672323; Fax: 02-6673003; E-mail: ibg_ad@emirates.net.ae; Web: www.ibgauh.com

- Italian Business Council
P.O. Box 58046, Dubai
Tel: 04-3213082; Fax: 04-3213083; Email: ibcdubai@emirates.net.ae; Web: www.ibcdubai.ae

- Italian Industry and Commerce
Office in the UAE
P.O. Box 48558, Sharjah
Tel: 06-5563838; Fax: 06-5563588; Email: asst@iicuae.com; Web: www.iicuae.com

Passport/visa

Visitors need a valid passport and visa to enter the country. Citizens of European Union Member States can travel to Italy with only their identity card, issued by their country of origin. For further information on entry requirements, contact your nearest Italian embassy or consulate.

Credit cards/cash

Credit cards are widely accepted in the country and the exchange rate is usually better than for cash or travellers cheques. Many banks have bancomats or ATMs (automatic teller machines), enabling you to draw foreign currency.

Banks and post offices are the most reliable places to change traveller's cheques and generally they provide the best rates. It is possible to cash your travellers cheques at main railway stations and airports.

When to go

The best months for travelling in Italy are from April to June and late September to October when the temperatures are usually mild and the crowds aren't quite as intense. The summer rush really picks up by mid-June, and from July to mid-September the country abounds with visitors. Most attractions operate on shorter hours during winter or are closed for renovation from late October to Easter.

GETTING AROUND
Well connected
Getting to Italy is easy, thanks to frequent and safe connections with other countries worldwide. Italy has flight connections to the majority of European countries, the US, Canada, Australia and all continents. The main international airport in Italy is the Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino airport, but a large number of intercontinental flights also land at Milan Malpensa.

For European citizens, apart from flights, it is advisable to enter Italy by car, coach and train.

For non-European citizens, competition between different national airlines and low-cost airlines has made for extremely attractive ticket prices.

Ferries connect the country with Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Albania, France, Slovenia, Croatia and Spain.