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; inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797

Italian Republic

Italy

Repubblica Italiana (long)
Italia (short)

Kingdom of Italy

Italian(s) (noun) Italia (adjective)

Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)

Rome

republic

58,145,320 ranked 25, (data 2008)

strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe. The lowest point is Mediterranean Sea 0 m.

Coastline 7,600 km.

1,899km, Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 199 km, Switzerland 740 km.

15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions* (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma); Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia*, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Sardegna* (Sardinia), Sicilia*, Toscana (Tuscany), Trentino-Alto Adige* (Trentino-South Tyrol), Umbria, Valle d'Aosta* (Aosta Valley), Veneto (Venetia)

17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)