Italy ( painting ) by Bert Hooijer

Italy, officially the Republic of Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a country in southern Europe. The north of Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The rest of the country is surrounded by the Tyrrhenian, Mediterranean, Ionian and Adriatic seas. The islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Elba and a number of smaller islands also belong to Italy. Much of mainland Italy is located on the Apennine Peninsula and is surrounded by water. Because of its elongated shape, the country is also called "the boot". In a territory of over 300,000 km², Italy has a population of 62,402,659 (2020). The country's capital is Rome (Roma). The independent states of Vatican City, whose head is the Pope, and San Marino are two enclaves within Italy's borders. Campione d'Italia, in turn, is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. In ancient times, Italy was the centre of the Roman Empire, which grew into the largest empire in Europe. Later, Italy, specifically the region of Tuscany, was the cradle of the Renaissance. Italian unification took place on 17 March 1861, and since the monarchy was voted down by the people in 1946, the existence of the Repubblica Italiana has been a reality. Italy is a parliamentary republic with both a president and a prime minister in power. Internationally, the country is represented in organisations such as the European Union, the United Nations, NATO, the WTO and the G8. In 2005, Italy was among the top ten countries in the Quality of Life Index