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DEPARTMENT OF
STATE
FEBRUARY 1969
ITALY
BACKGROUND NOTES
Population: 53.0 million (1968 est.)
Capital: Rome
Italy is a 700-mile-long peninsula extending
Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy. From
into the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. On the
1870 until 1922 Italy was a constitutional monarchy
west and south it includes the large islands of
with a parliament elected under limited suffrage.
Sardinia and Sicily, plus many smaller ones, the
During World War I Italy denounced her standing
most prominent being Elba, Pantelleria, and the
alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary and in
Eolian (Lipari) group. Throughout history, Italy's
1915 entered the war on the side of the Allies.
position on the main routes between Europe,
Under the post-World War I settlement, she re-
Africa, and the Near and Far East has given it
ceived some former Austrian territory, along the
great political, economic, and strategic impor-
northeast frontier. In 1922 Mussolini came to
tance. The peninsula is 43 miles from Albania,
power, and in the course of the next few years
and Sicily is 90 miles from mainland
eliminated the old political parties, curtailed per-
Africa.
sonal liberties, and installed a Fascist dictator-
Except for the Po Valley area in the north,
ship, the Corporate State. The King, with little
the heel of ''the boot" in the south, and small
or no power, remained titular head of state.
coastal areas, Italy is rugged and mountainous.
The climate is generally mild and "Mediter-
World War II found Italy allied with Germany,
ranean," but there are wide variations. Sicily
and she declared war on Britain and France in
and the south are comparable to southern Cali-
1940. Following the Allied invasion of Sicily in
fornia, though warmer on the average, whereas
1943, Italy became a co-belligerent of the Allies
the Alps and Dolomites in the north have a
against Germany. There was a noteworthy re-
climate similar to that of our Mountain
sistance movement by the people of northern Italy
States.
against the remaining Germans, who were finally
Italy's flag is comprised of three vertical
driven out in April 1945. The monarchy ended in
bands-green, white, and red. A variation of the
a plebiscite in 1946, and a Constituent Assembly
French revolutionary flag, it flew over Italy dur-
was elected to draw up the plans for the present
ing the Napoleonic period and was later adopted
Republic.
by the country. The colors symbolize democracy,
independence, and unity.
Under the 1947 Peace Treaty minor adjust-
ments were made in Italy's frontier with France,
THE PEOPLE
the eastern border area was transferred to
Yugoslavia, and the area around the city of
Although in territory Italy is roughly equiva-
Trieste was designated as a Free Territory. In
lent to New York and the New England States
1954 the Free Territory, which had remained
combined-a total of 116,300 square miles-the
under the administration of U.S.-British forces
population density is twice as great. The rate of
(Zone A, including the city of Trieste) and of
population growth, about 300,000 per year, is
Yugoslav forces (Zone B), was divided between
somewhat lower than in the United States, and
Italy and Yugoslavia substantially along the zonal
there has been no significant immigration since
boundary. Under the Peace Treaty Italy alsogave
the Middle Ages. Minority groups are small, the
up its overseas territories and certain Mediter-
largest being the German-speaking people of
ranean islands.
Bolzano Province and the Slovenes around Trieste.
In addition, there are ancient communities of Al-
The position of the Catholic Church in Italy
banian, Greek, Ladino, and French origin. More
since the destruction of its temporal powers in
than 99 percent of Italians are Catholic. There
1870 has been governed by a series of accords
are about 150,000 Protestants (two-thirds of whom
with the Italian Government, the most recent
belong to the Waldensian sect, which predates the
being the Latern Pacts of 1929. Under these pacts,
Reformation), about 35,000 Jews, anda very small
which were confirmed by the present Constitu-
number of Greek Orthodox.
tion, the Vatican City State is recognized by Italy
as an independent sovereign state. Although Ro-
HISTORY
man Catholicism is the official religion of the
Republic of Italy, the Constitution provides that
Modern Italian history dates from 1870 with
all religious faiths are equally free before the
the unification of the entire peninsula under King
law.
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}