Religions:
virtually 100% Roman Catholic
Languages:
Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German
speaking; small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region;
Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area
Literacy:
97% (male 98%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
23,988,000; services 58%, industry 32.2%, agriculture 9.8% (1988)
Organized labor:
40-45% of labor force (est.)

:Italy Government

Long-form name:
Italian Republic
Type:
republic
Capital:
Rome
Administrative divisions:
20 regions (regioni, singular - regione); Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria,
Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia,
Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto
Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
Independence:
17 March 1861, Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
Constitution:
1 January 1948
Legal system:
based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals
treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in
Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister (president of the Council of Ministers)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consists of an upper chamber or Senate of
the Republic (Senato della Repubblica) and a lower chamber or Chamber of
Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Guiliano AMATO (since 28 June 1992); Deputy Prime Minister
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party (DC), Arnaldo FORLANI (general secretary),
Ciriaco De MITA (president); Socialist Party (PSI), Bettino CRAXI (party
secretary); Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Carlo VIZZINI (party secretary);
Liberal Party (PLI), Renato ALTISSIMO (secretary general); Democratic Party
of the Left (PDS - was Communist Party, or PCI, until January 1991), Achille
OCCHETTO (secretary general); Italian Social Movement (MSI), Gianfranco FINI
(national secretary); Republican Party (PRI), Giorgio La MALFA (political
secretary); Lega Nord (Northern Leagu