Italy, officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a country in southern Europe and belongs to the European Union. North Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The rest of the country is surrounded by the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea.
The islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Elba and several smaller islands also belong to Italy.
The capital of Italy, Rome (Roma). Within the city ther is the independent Vatican City where the Pope is the head. A second independent enclave enclave within the borders of Italy is San Marino. Major cities are Milan (Milano), Turin (Torino), Genoa (Genova), Venice (Venezia), Florence (Firenze), Bologna, Verona, Naples (Napoli), Ancona, Bari, Perugia, Cagliari, Catania, Messina and Palermo (the capital of Sicily). |