rs: the Roman Catholic Church;
three major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale
D'ANTONI] which is Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro
manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria,
Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori,
Confagricoltura)

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CEI, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G-10, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ferdinando SALLEO
chancery: 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 and 2700 16th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los
Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Detroit

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas M. FOGLIETTA
embassy: Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist
side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is
longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to
the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed--orange
(hoist side), white, and green

Economy

Economy--overview: Since World War II, the Italian economy has
changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial
economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as
France and the UK. This basically capitalistic economy is still
divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private
companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with large
public enterprises and more than 20% unemployment. Most raw
materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements
must be imported. In the second half of 1992, Rome became unsettled
by the prospect of not qualifying to participate in EU plans for
economic and monetary union