Country Info:
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Italy Location:
41°54'N, 12°29'E
Italy Geography:
The climate in Italy is highly diverse and can be far from the stereotypical Mediterranean climate and "land of sun", depending on the location. The inland northern areas of Italy (Turin, Milan, and Bologna) have a continental climate, while the coastal areas of Liguria and the peninsula south of Florence fit the stereotype (even if the city of Genoa, about once a year, may experience heavy snow falls). The coastal areas of the peninsula can be very different from the interior, particularly during the winter months. The higher altitudes are cold, wet, and often snowy. The coastal regions, where most of the large towns are located, have a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot and generally dry summers. The length and intensity of the summer dry season increases southwards (compare the tables for Rome, Naples, and Brindisi).
Between the north and south there is a quite remarkable difference in the temperatures, above all during the winter: in some winter days it can be -2 °C and snowing in Milan while Rome gets +12 °C and it is +18 °C in Palermo. Temperature differences are less extreme in the summer. (See how Po valley can be frosty in winter [1])
The east coast of the peninsula is not as wet as the west coast, but is usually colder in the winter. The east coast north of Pescara is occasionally affected by the cold bora winds in winter and spring, but the wind is less strong here than around Trieste. During these frosty spells from E-NE cities like Rimini, Ancona, Pescara and the entire eastern hillside of the Apennines can be affected by true "blizzards". The town of Fabriano, located just around 300 meters in elevation, can often see 0.50-0.60 m of fresh snow fall in 24 hours during these episodes. Northwide, on the coast line from Ravenna to Venice and Trieste, snow falls more rarely: during cold spells from east, the cold can be harsh but with bright skies; while, during the snowfalls that affects Northern Italy, on the Adriatic coast usually blows a milder Scirocco wind which makes snow turning into rain - the mild effects of this wind, anyway, often disappear just a few kilometers inside the plain, and sometime the coast from Venice to Grado sees snow while it is raining in Trieste, the Po mouths and Ravenna. Rarely, the city of Trieste may see snow blizzards with north-eastern winds, but just in very particular conditions; in the colder winters, the Venice Lagoon may freeze, and in the coldest ones even enough to walk on the ice sheet.
Italy is subject to highly different weather conditions in autumn, winter, and spring, while summer is usually more stable, although the northern regions often have thunderstorms in the afternoon/night hours and some grey and rainy days. So, while south of Florence the summer is typically dry and sunny, the north is tends to be more humid and cloudy. Spring and Autumn weather can be very changeable, with sunny and warm weeks (sometime with Summer-like temperatures) suddenly broken off by cold spells (sometime bringing snow in November, March or April even at sea level) or followed by rainy and cloudy weeks.
The least number of rainy days and the highest number of hours of sunshine occur in the extreme south of the mainland and in Sicily and Sardinia. Here sunshine averages from four to five hours a day in winter and up to ten or eleven hours in summer. In the north precipitation is more evenly distributed during the year, although the summer is usually slightly wetter. Between November and March the Po valley is often covered by fog, especially in the central zone (Pavia, Cremona, and Mantua), while the number of frost days usually goes from 60 to 80 a year. Snow is quite common between early December and early March in cities like Turin, Milan and Bologna, but sometime it appears in late November or late March and even April. In the winter of 2005-2006, Milan received around 0.75-0.80 m of fresh snow, Como around 1.00 m, Brescia 0.50 m, Trento 1.60 m, Vicenza around 0.45 m, Bologna around 0.30 m, and Piacenza around 0.80 m. (see the late January 2006 snowfall of Bergamo [2])
Summer temperatures are often similar North to South, but with the different weather conditions seen above. July temperatures are 23-24 °C north of river Po, like in Milan or Venice, and south of river Po can reach 25-26 °C like in Bologna, with less thunderstorms; on the coasts of Central and Southern Italy, and in the near plains, mean temperatures goes from 23 °C to 27 °C. Generally, the hottest month is August in the south and July in the north; during these months the thermometer can reach 38-42 °C in the south and 33-35 °C in the north; rarely, the country can be split as during winter, with rain and fresh temperatures like 20-22 °C during the day in the North, and 30 °C to 40 °C in the South; but, having a hot and dry summer does not mean that Southern Italy never see rain from June to August.
The coldest month is January: the Po valley's mean temperature is around 0-1 °C, Venice 2-3 °C, Trieste 4-5 °C, Florence 5-6 °C, Rome 7-8 °C, Naples 9 °C, Palermo 12 °C. Winter morning lows can occasionally reach -30/-20 °C in the Alps, -14/-8 °C in Po valley, -7 °C in Florence, -4 °C in Rome, -2 °C in Naples and 2 °C in Palermo. In cities like Rome and Milan, strong heat islands can exist, so that inside the urban area, winters can be milder and summers more sultry. Often, the biggest snow falls happen in February, sometime in January or March; in the Alps, snow falls more in Autumn and overall Spring over 1500 m, because winter is usually marked by cold and dry weeks; while the Apennines see many more snow falls during winter, but they are warmer and less wet in the other seasons; both the mountain chains can see up to 5-10 m of snow along a year at 2000 m; on the highest pikes of Alps, snow may fall even during mid summer, and small to large glaciers are present.
The absolute record low was near -45 °C in the Alps, and the record low near the sea level was -28.8 °C (recorded during January 1985 near Bologna), while in the south cities like Catania, Foggia, Lecce or Alghero have experienced highs of 48 °C in some hot summers.
Italy People:
Population
- 2006 estimate 59,093,092[1] (23rd)
- October 2001 census 57,110,144
- Density 196.1 /km2 (54th)
507.9 /sq mi
Italy Government:
Government Parliamentary republic
- President Giorgio Napolitano
- Prime Minister Romano Prodi
Italy Economy:
According to the nominal GDP calculations, Italy was ranked as the seventh largest economy in the world in 2006, behind the United States, Japan, Germany, China, UK, and France, and the fourth largest in Europe. According to the OECD, in 2004 Italy was the world's sixth-largest exporter of manufactured goods. This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south. Italy's economy is supposed to have an "underground" sector that is not included in the official data.
Most raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported. Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a tight fiscal policy in order to meet the requirements of the Economic and Monetary Union and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates. Italy joined the Euro from its introduction in 1999.
Italy's economic performance has at times lagged behind that of its EU partners, and the current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term growth. It has moved slowly, however, on implementing certain structural reforms favoured by economists, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labour market and expensive pension system, because of the current economic slowdown and opposition from labour unions.
Italy has a smaller number of world class multinational corporations than other economies of comparable size. Instead, the country's main economic strength has been its large base of small and medium size companies. Some of these companies manufacture products that are technologically moderately advanced and therefore face increasing competition from China and other emerging Asian economies which are able to undercut them on labour costs. These Italian companies are responding to the Asian competition by concentrating on products with a higher technological content, taking advantage of the technological potential of the country and the cultural tradition of high-quality products, while moving lower-tech manufacturing to plants in countries where labour is less expensive. The small average size of Italian companies remains a limiting factor, and the government has been working to encourage integration and mergers and to reform the rigid regulations that have traditionally been an obstacle to the development of larger corporations in the country.
Italy's major exports are motor vehicles (Fiat Group, Aprilia, Ducati, Piaggio) chemicals, petrochemicals and electric goods (Eni, Enel, Edison), aerospace and defence tech (Alenia, Agusta, Finmeccanica), firearms (Beretta) ; but the country's more famous exports are in the fields of food industry (Parmalat, Barilla Group, Martini & Rossi, Campari), fashion (Armani, Valentino, Benetton, Prada, Luxottica), luxury vehicles (Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini) and motoryachts (Ferretti, Azimut).
Tourism is very important to the Italian economy. With over 37 million tourists a year, Italy is ranked as the fifth major tourist destination in the world.
Italy More Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy |
