Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela

Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Educacin

C.E.I Centro Educativo de Idiomas
Ingles Bsico

ITALY
ERICK DANIEL

11/08/2012
 INDEX

Index.1

Introduction..2

History..4

Geography...5

Economy.6

Politic....7

Climate....8

Tourism.9

Important People..11

Sports.17

Cuisine...18

Conclusion19

Bibliography..21

1
 INTRODUCTION

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in

South-Central Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria,
and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the
Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardiniathe two largest islands in the Mediterranean
Seaand many other smaller islands. The independent states of San Marino
and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an
Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2
(116,347 sq. mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With
60.8 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and
the 23rd most populous in the world.

Rome, the capital of Italy, has for centuries been a political and religious
center of Western civilization as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of
the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous
invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards
and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others.
Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the
Renaissance. Through much of its post-Roman history, Italy was fragmented
into numerous city and regional states (such as the Republic of Venice and
the Church State), but was unified in 1861. In the late 19th century, through
World War I, and to World War II, Italy possessed a colonial empire.

Modern Italy is a democratic republic. It has been ranked as the world's 24th
most-developed country and its Quality-of-life Index has been ranked in the
world's top ten in 2005. Italy enjoys a very high standard of living, and has a
high GDP per capita. It is a founding member of what is now the European
Union and part of the Eurozone. Italy is also a member of the G8, G20 and

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NATO. It has the world's third-largest gold reserves, eighth-largest nominal
GDP, tenth highest GDP (PPP) and the sixth highest government budget in
the world. It is also a member state of the Organization for Economic Co-
operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, the Council of
Europe, the Western European Union and the United Nations. Italy has the
world's ninth-largest defense budget and shares NATO's nuclear weapons.

Italy plays a prominent role in European and global military, cultural and
diplomatic affairs. The country's European political, social and economic
influences make it a major regional power. The country has a high public
education level and is a highly globalized nation.

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 HISTORY

The migrations of Indo-European people into Italy probably began about

2000 B.C. and continued until 1000 B.C. From about the 9th
century B.C. until it was overthrown by the Romans in the 3rd century B.C.,
the Etruscan civilization was dominant. By 264 B.C., all Italy south of
Cisalpine Gaul was under the leadership of Rome. For the next seven
centuries, until the barbarian invasions destroyed the Western Roman Empire
in the 4th and 5th centuries A.D., the history of Italy is largely the history of
Rome. From 800 on, the Holy Roman Emperors, Roman Catholic popes,
Normans, and Saracens all vied for control over various segments of the
Italian peninsula. Numerous city-states, such as Venice and Genoa, whose
political and commercial rivalries were intense, and many small principalities
flourished in the late middle Ages. Although Italy remained politically
fragmented for centuries, it became the cultural center of the Western world
from the 13th to the 16th century.

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 GEOGRAPHY

Italy, slightly larger than Arizona, is a

long peninsula shaped like a boot,
surrounded on the west by the
Tyrrhenian Sea and on the east by the
Adriatic. It is bounded by France,
Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia to
the north. The Apennine Mountains
form the peninsula's backbone; the
Alps form its northern boundary. The
largest of its many northern lakes is
Garda (143 sq. mi; 370 sq. km); the Po, its principal river, flows from the Alps
on Italy's western border and crosses the Lombard plain to the Adriatic Sea.
Several islands form part of Italy; the largest are Sicily (9,926 sq. mi; 25,708
sq. km) and Sardinia (9,301 sq. mi; 24,090 sq. km).

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 ECONOMY

The Italian economy is one of the worlds

most developed; the country has a high
standard of living with per capita GDP
higher than the EU average.

The Italian economy is also further boosted

by high public literacy and efficiency in the
labor force. Italy is also the worlds fifth
most visited country in the world. Due to its
rich history and culture, the country is a
major tourist hub throughout the year. Italys population as of 2010 was
60.206 million, 8.7 percent of which are unemployed. 4.2 percent of the
workforce is employed in agriculture, 30.7 percent in industries and 65.1
percent in services.

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 POLITICS

The politics of Italy is conducted

through a parliamentary,
democratic republic with a multi-
party system. Executive power is
exercised collectively by the
Council of Ministers, which is led
by the President of the Council of
Ministers, referred to as
"Presidente Del Consiglio" in
Italian. Legislative power is
vested in the two houses of
parliament primarily and
secondarily on the Council of
Ministers. The judiciary is
independent of the executive and
the legislative branches. Italy has been a democratic republic since 2 June
1946, when the monarchy was abolished by popular referendum. Giorgio
Napolitano was elected President on 10 May 2006.

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 CLIMATE

Thanks to the great longitudinal

extension of the peninsula and the
mostly mountainous internal
conformation, the climate of Italy is
highly diverse. In most of the inland
northern and central regions, the
climate ranges from humid
subtropical to humid continental and
oceanic. In particular, the climate of the Po valley geographical region is
mostly continental, with harsh winters and hot summers. The coastal areas of
Liguria, Tuscany and most of the South generally fit the Mediterranean
climate stereotype. Conditions on peninsular coastal areas can be very
different from the interior's higher
ground and valleys, particularly
during the winter months when the
higher altitudes tend to be cold, wet,
and often snowy. The coastal
regions have mild winters and warm
and generally dry summers,
although lowland valleys can be
quite hot in summer.

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 TOURISM

Italy is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the
world. High art and monuments are to be found everywhere around the
country.

St. Peters Basilica and St. Peter's

Square, The Leaning Tower of Pisa,
Coliseum, Naples, Squares,
Churches and Buildings designed by
the famous renaissance and baroque
artists and architects (Michelangelo
and Raphael), islands and lagoons of
Venice, winter sports at Veneto, the
villas in Riviera, tours of the islands of Sicily and Mt. Etna, and the Leonardo
da Vinci's The Last Supper at the convent of Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan
are just some of the attractions that draw tourists to Italy still reeling under its
past cultural and historical heritage.

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10
 IMPORTANT PEOPLE

Medici

The Medicis were a powerful family from Florence, who, with the hereditary
ruling system in place, influenced Italy and Europe from the 13th to the 17th
century. Popes Leo X, Clement VII, and Leo XI were of Medici descent. The
family achieved power through The Medici Bank with Giovanni di Bicci de'
Medici, which was one of the most prosperous and respected banks in
Europe. In 1434, the Medici family became unofficial head of the state of
Florentine republic. The senior branch of the family ruled until 1537, when
Alessandro de' Medici was assassinated, whereby the junior branch of the
family took over.

Marco Polo

Marco Polo was a trader and explorer who was born on

September 15, 1254 and died on January 8, 1324. He
was one of the first to travel to China and visit Kublai
Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan).

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 Dante

Durante degli Alighieri (known as Dante) was a poet from

Florence, Italy. He was born June 1, 1265, and died
September 13/14, 1321. He is known for his work, The
Divine Comedy, of which the part Inferno is most widely
known. It is considered Europe's greatest literary
statement from the medieval period.

Donatello

Donatello (Donato di Niccol di Betto Bardi) was born in

1386 and died on December 13, 1466. He was a famous
sculptor and artist of Florence in the Early Renaissance.
Famous statues include Gattamelata, and David.

Alberti

Leone Battista Alberti was an Italian painter,

poet, linguist, philosopher, cryptographer,
musician, architect, and polymath during the
Italian Renaissance. He was born February 14,
1404 and died April 25, 1472. He was educated
at the University of Bologna in law, and toured
Europe during his twenties. He is famous for the first study of scientific
perspective, and for numerous architectural buildings.

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 Botticelli

Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi (otherwise known as

Sandro Botticelli), was born on March 1, 1445 and died
on May 17, 1510. He was a painter of the Florentine
school during the Early Renaissance. He is most famous
for his painting, The Birth of Venus.

Columbus

Cristoforo Columbo (Christopher Columbus) was born in

1451 and died May 20, 1506. He was an explorer and
trader who sailed to America, reaching it on October 12,
1492. His discovery initiated the colonization of the
Americas.

Da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was born April 15, 1452 and died

May 3, 1519. He was an Italian Renaissance architect,
musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor,
geometer, and painter. He is well known for his
paintings The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa, as well
as his studies of anatomy.

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 Vespucci

Amerigo Vespucci is famous for voyaging to and

writing about the Americas. He was born March 9,
1454 and died February 22, 1512. He was an Italian
merchant and cartographer (map maker). He
discovered the new continent of South America
under disbelief from the general population that
anything but East Asia would be reached by sailing
west.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was

born March 6, 1475 and died February 18, 1564. He
was a Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter and
poet. He painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel,
sculpted the famous David and Pieta, and designed
the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Raphael

Raphael was born April 6, 1483 and died April 6,

1520. He was a master painter and architect in the
Italian High Renaissance, of the Florentine school.
He is renowned for the perfection and softness of his
paintings, which include Madonna and Child.

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 Galileo

Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer, astrologer,

physicist, and philosopher closely associated with the
scientific revolution. He was born February 15, 1564
and died January 8, 1642. He improves the telescope,
observed various aspects of astronomy, developed the
first and second laws of motion, and found proof to
support Copernicanism. The conflict Galileo experienced with the Roman
Catholic Church is seen as an example of the freedom of thought conflict.

Vivaldi

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was a baroque music composer

and Italian priest. He was born on March 4, 1678 and
died July 28, 1741. He is known for having composed
over 500 concertos, 46 operas, 73 sonatas, as well as
symphonies, chamber music, and sacred music.

Sergio Leone

Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, born on

January 3, 1929 and died on April 30, 1989. He is
well known for his Dollars Trilogy, which includes A
Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The
Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, which established
Clint Eastwood as a star.

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 Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti is an Italian Tenor singer born

on October 12, 1935. He is renowned for his
voice in opera. Pavarotti's became an
internationally known celebrity when his rendition
of "Nessun Dorma" by Giacomo Puccini became
the theme song of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in
Italy.

Versace

Gianni Versace created the Italian clothing business

known as Versace in 1978. It is now headed by
Donatella Versace, with Santo Versace as CEO. As
one of the world's leading international fashion
houses, Versace designs, markets and distributes
luxury clothing, accessories, fragrances, make up and
home furnishings.

Some other famous people of Italian descent include Gwen Stefani, Alicia
Keys, Mario Andretti, Martin Scorsese, Shakira, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, and
Al Capone (to name just a few).

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 SPORT

Italy has a long sporting tradition.

In numerous sports, both
individual and team, Italy has
good representation and many
successes. The most popular
sport is by far football. Basketball
and volleyball are the next most
popular/played, with Italy having a
rich tradition in both. Italy's Squadra Azzurra won the 2006 FIFA World Cup,
and is currently the second most successful football team in the world, after
Brazil, having won four FIFA World Cups. Italy has also got strong traditions
in cycling, tennis, athletics, fencing, winter sports and rugby. Italian Scuderia
Ferrari is the oldest surviving team in Grand Prix racing, having competed
since 1948, and statistically the most successful Formula One team in history
with a record of 15 drivers' championships and 16 constructors'
championships.

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 CUISINE

Modern Italian cuisine has evolved

through centuries of social and
political changes, with its roots
reaching back to the 4th century
BC. Significant change occurred
with the discovery of the New
World, when vegetables such as
potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers,
and maize became available.
However, these central ingredients
of modern Italian cuisine were not
introduced in scale before the 18th century.

Ingredients and dishes vary by region. However, many dishes those were
once regional have proliferated in different variations across the country.
Cheese and wine are major parts of the cuisine, playing different roles both
regionally and nationally with their many variations and Denominazione di
origine controllata (regulated appellation) laws. Coffee, and more specifically
espresso, has become highly important to the cultural cuisine of Italy. Some
famous dishes and items include pasta, pizza, lasagna, focaccia, and gelato.

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 CONCLUSION

Italians are warm, welcoming people, who love to relax, celebrate, and
socialize with family and friends. Their celebration and relaxation usually
takes place around a dinner table at a restaurant or at home, so they can
enjoy the traditions of Italian cuisine. Italians have a strong passion for eating,
but also enjoy talking.

In Italy, conversation is considered an art form. If you were to walk the streets
of Italy, or stop at a caf, you would notice people of all ages engaged in
intense and animated discussions on a wide variety of topics, ranging from
family, work, politics, gossip, food, drinks, and sports, especially soccer.

From the largest cities, to the most rural of villages, there is one place that will
always remain as the central meeting point of Italian culture the Piazza
(meaning square). No matter how big or small the Piazza is you will always
see people sitting, strolling, walking, talking, and interacting with one another.
Piazzas are also the main focal points for festivals, gatherings, celebrations,
and political events.

To real Italians, lunch is a 1-2 hour affair with traditionally a two to three
course meal, which explains why most places halt for two hours of the day.
Stores shut down, banks close, and all of the streets are empty. At around 2
oclock, people start to emerge from their houses and populate the streets
again until around 19:30 when its time for dinner. After dinner, the streets
come to life again as Italians stroll around the piazza to work off their meal or
head off for their evening engagement.

Italian food is high in the ranks of most delicious, richest, and most varied of
all cooking, with dishes for every occasion. Their food plays a huge role in

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their life and culture. Every region has their specialty, not only pasta, but all
varieties of meat and fish are cooked to old, handed down recipes,
mouthwatering puddings, and of course, nobody can beat their ice creams.

Shopping may not be a national past time, but it is taken very seriously in
Italy. The major cities, like Rome, Milan, Florence, are full of the most
wonderful shops selling everything from designer clothes to the newest and
hippest furniture to be found anywhere in the world. Milan has its furniture fair
every year and furniture makers from far and wide will go there to see what is
happening at the leading edge of furniture design. Leather is also a good buy
in Italy, Italians know their leather and the finest gloves, shoes, jackets, and
bags are worn by virtually all Italians. They glory in being chic, and are
generally always beautifully turned out.

Sports are a very important passion in the lives of many Italians. Football,
being their main passion, with hundreds of football clubs with top soccer
teams playing for their country. Volleyball is also much enjoyed as is rugby,
with the rugby team playing for the European Challenge Cup.

Italians place more value on the simple things in life (family, community,
enjoying a Tuscan sunset) rather than the material things most westerners
covet. There are plenty of happy farmers in Italy who want no more than to
share a meal with others in their community.

The Italian Language is a romance language, spoken as a native language by

about 70 million people in Italy, San Marino, and parts of Switzerland,
Croatia, Slovenia, and France. Italian is based on the Tuscan dialect, which
beforehand was only available to upper class Florentine society. Unlike other
romance languages, Italian retains Latins contrast between short and long
consonants. In particular, among the Romance languages, Italian is the
closest to Latin in terms of vocabulary.

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 BIBIOGRAPHY

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Italy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Italy

Google

http://translate.google.com/

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