The World Factbook (1982)/Italy

by the Central Intelligence Agency

ITALY

(See reference map V)

LAND

301,217 km²; 50% cultivated, 17% meadow and pasture, 21% forest, 3% unused but potentially productive, 9% waste or urban

Land boundaries: 1,702 km

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm

Coastline: 4,996 km

PEOPLE

Population: 57,353,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.3%

Nationality: noun—Italian(s); adjective—Italian

Ethnic divisions: primarily Italian but population includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and of Albanian-Italians in the south

Religion: almost 100% nominally Roman Catholic (de facto state religion)

Language: Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region (for example, Bolzano) are predominantly German speaking; significant French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region; Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area

'Literacy: 5%-7% of population illiterate (1972); illiteracy varies widely by region

Labor force: 22,372,000 (1980); 14.1% agriculture, 37.6% industry, 48.3% other (1980); 7.6% unemployment (1980); 1.5 million Italians employed in other West European countries

Organized labor: 50-55% (est.) of labor force

GOVERNMENT

Official name: Italian Republic

Type: republic

Capital: Rome

Political subdivisions: constitution provides for establishment of 20 regions; five with special statute (Sicilia, Sardegna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Valle d'Aosta) have been functioning for some time and the remaining 15 regions with regular statute were instituted on 1 April 1972; 95 provinces, 8,081 communes

Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; constitution came into effect 1 January 1948; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June

Branches: executive—President empowered to dissolve Parliament and call national election; he is also Commander of the Armed Forces and presides over the Supreme Defense Council; otherwise, authority to govern invested in Council of Ministers; legislative power invested in bicameral, popularly elected Parliament; Italy has an independent judicial establishment

Government leaders: President Alessandro PERTIN1; Premier Giovanni SPADOLINI

Suffrage: universal over age 18 (except in senatorial elections where minimum age of voter is 25)

Elections: national elections for Parliament held every five years (most recent, June 1979); provincial and municipal elections held every five years with some out of phase; regional elections every five years (held June 1980)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DC), Flaminio Piccoli (secretary general); Communist Party (PCI), Enrico Berlinguer (secretary general); Socialist Party (PSI), Benedetto Craxi (secretary general); Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Pietro Longo (secretary general); Liberal Party (PLI), Valerio Zanone (party secretary); Italian Social Movement (MSI), Giorgio Almirante (party secretary); Republican Party (PRI), Giovanni Spadolini (party secretary)

Voting strength (1979 election): 38.3% DC, 30.4% PCI, 9.8% PSI, 5.3% MSI, 3.8% PSDI, 3.0% PRI, 1.9% PLI, 3.4% other

Communists: 1,814,740 members (February 1978)

Other political or pressure groups: the Vatican; three major trade union confederations (CGIL—Communist dominated, CISL—Christian Democratic, and UIL—Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican); Italian manufacturers association (Confindustria); organized farm groups

Member of: ADB, ASSIMER, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECOWAS, ECSC, EEC, EIB, ELDO, ESRO, EURATOM, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IEA, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

ECONOMY

GDP: $394 billion (1980), $6,900 per capita; 63.1% private consumption, 20.0% gross fixed investment, 16.6% government, net foreign balance —0.5%; 1980 growth rate 4.0% (1975 constant prices)

Agriculture: important producer of fruits and vegetables; main crops—cereals, potatoes, olives; 95% self-sufficient; food shortages—fats, meat, fish, and eggs; daily caloric intake, 3,172 calories per capita (1977)

Fishing: catch 401,958 metric tons (1978); exports $90 million (1979), imports $459 million (1979)

Major industries: machinery and transportation equipment, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles

Shortages: coal, fuels, minerals

Crude steel: 26.5 million metric tons produced (1980), 465 kg per capita

Electric power: 48,000,000 kW capacity (1981); 186.0 billion kWh produced (1981), 3,247 kWh per capita

Exports: $77.9 billion (f.o.b., 1980); principal items-machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs, chemicals, footwear

Imports: $99.7 billion (c.i.f., 1980); principal items—machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs, ferrous and nonferrous metals, wool, cotton, petroleum

Major trade partners: (1980) 46% EC-nine (17% West Germany, 14% France, 5% UK, 4% Netherlands); 2% USSR and 3% other Communist countries of Eastern Europe

Aid: donor—bilateral economic aid committed (ODA and OOF), $5.8 billion (1970-79)

Monetary conversion rate: Smithsonian rate as of December 1973, 650.4 lire=US$1; average rate in 1980, 856 lire=US$1

Fiscal year: calendar year

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: 20,085 km total; 16,140 km government owned standard gauge (1.435 m), 8,585 km electrified; 3,945 km nongovernment owned—2,100 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 1,155 km electrified, and 1,845 km narrow gauge (0.950 m), 380 km electrified

Highways: 294,410 km total; autostrade 5,900 km, state highways 45,170 km, provincial highways 101,680 km, communal highways 141,660 km; 260,500 km concrete, bituminous, or stone block, 26,900 km gravel and crushed stone, 7,010 km earth

Inland waterways: 2,500 km navigable routes

Pipelines: crude oil, 1,703 km; refined products, 2,148 km; natural gas, 13,749 km

Ports: 16 major, 22 significant minor

Civil air: 146 major transport aircraft, including 6 leased in

Airfields: 147 total, 142 usable; 84 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 32 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: well engineered, well constructed, and efficiently operated; 18.1 million telephones (31.7 per 100 popl.); 135 AM, 1,830 FM, and 1,350 TV stations; 20 coaxial submarine cables; 2 communication satellite ground stations with a total of 5 antennas

DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 14,075,000; 11,862,000 fit for military service; 466,000 reach military age (18) annually

Military budget: proposed for fiscal year ending 31 December 1982, $8.8 billion; about 4.4% of central government budget