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Independence:

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

National holiday:

Republic Day, 2 June (1946)

Constitution:

passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many times

Legal system:

based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006)

head of government: Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) (since 8 May 2008) note - in Italy the prime minister is referred to as the president of the Council of Ministers

cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president

elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 10 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2013); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament

election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president on the fourth round of voting; electoral college vote - 543

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; members elected by proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats; to serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held April 2010); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2010)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - S. BERLUSCONI coalition 174 (PdL 147, LN 25, MpA 2), W. VELTRONI coalition 132 (PD 118, IdV 3), UdC 3, other 6; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - S. BERLUSCONI coalition 344 (PdL 276, LN 60, MpA 8), W. VELTRONI coalition 246 (PD 217, IdV 29), UdC 36, other 4

Judicial branch:

Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts)

Political parties and leaders:

Silvio BERLUSCONI coalition: People of Freedom or PdL [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Lega Nord or LN [Umberto BOSSI]; Movement for Autonomy or MpA [Raffaele LOMBARDO]

Walter VELTRONI coalition: Democratic Party or PD [Walter VELTRONI]; Italy of Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]

other non-allied parties: Union of the Centre or UdC [Savino PEZZOTTA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio; Confindustria; organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori; Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNO], which is Roman Catholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)

International organization participation:

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA

chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400

FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151

consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco

consulate(s): Detroit

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald P. SPOGLI

embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome

mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624

telephone: [39] (06) 46741

FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356

consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

Flag description:

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

Economy Italy

Economy - overview:

Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with 20% unemployment. 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 Unions and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates. The current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term growth. Italy has moved slowly, however, on implementing needed structural reforms, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor market and over-generous pension system, because of the current economic slowdown and opposition from labor unions. But the leadership faces a severe economic constraint: Italy's official debt remains above 100% of GDP, and the government has found it difficult to bring the budget deficit down to a level that would allow a rapid decrease in that debt. The economy continues to grow by less than the euro-zone average and growth is expected to decelerate from 1.9% in 2006 and 2007 to under 1.5% in 2008 as the euro-zone and world economies slow.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$1.786 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$2.105 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

1.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$30,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1.9%

industry: 28.9%

services: 69.2% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

24.71 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 5%

industry: 32%

services: 63% (2001)

Unemployment rate:

6% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.3%

highest 10%: 26.8% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

33 (2005)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

21.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $981.8 billion

expenditures: $1.021 trillion (2007 est.)

Public debt:

104% of GDP (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:

fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish

Industries:

tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

Industrial production growth rate:

1.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

278.5 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 78.6%

hydro: 18.4%

nuclear: 0%

other: 3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

307.1 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:

1.109 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

50.26 billion kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

164,800 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

1.732 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

521,400 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

2.182 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

621.7 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

11.49 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

82.64 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

379.8 million cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

70.45 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

217.3 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$47.25 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$501.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals

Exports - partners:

Germany 13.2%, France 11.8%, US 7.4%, Spain 7.4%, UK 6.1% (2006)

Imports:

$498.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco

Imports - partners:

Germany 16.8%, France 9.3%, Netherlands 5.6%, China 5.1%, Spain 4.3%, Belgium 4.2% (2006)

Economic aid - donor:

ODA, $3.641 billion (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$94.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$2.345 trillion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$324.3 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$460.7 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$798.2 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

euro (EUR)

Currency code:

EUR

Exchange rates:

euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Italy

Telephones - main lines in use:

25.049 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

71.5 million (2005)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services

domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks

international: country code - 39; a series of submarine cables provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat

Radio broadcast stations:

AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)

Radios:

50.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

30.3 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.it

Internet hosts:

4.117 million (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

93 (Italy and Holy See) (2000)

Internet users:

28.855 million (2006)

Transportation Italy

Airports:

132 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 101

over 3,047 m: 7

2,438 to 3,047 m: 32

1,524 to 2,437 m: 15

914 to 1,523 m: 34

under 914 m: 13 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 31

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 11

under 914 m: 19 (2007)

Heliports:

5 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 18,863 km; oil 1,258 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 19,460 km

standard gauge: 18,038 km 1.435-m gauge (11,354 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,299 km 0.950-m gauge (161 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 484,688 km

paved: 484,688 km (includes 6,529 km of expressways) (2004)

Waterways:

2,400 km

note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 604 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,529,192 GRT/13,150,989 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 53, cargo 46, carrier 1, chemical tanker 141, combination ore/oil 1, container 32, liquefied gas 33, livestock carrier 3, passenger 17, passenger/cargo 156, petroleum tanker 40, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 35, specialized tanker 14, vehicle carrier 28

foreign-owned: 62 (Denmark 2, France 5, Germany 1, Greece 13, Sweden 1, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 11, Turkey 1, UK 7, US 16)

registered in other countries: 169 (Bahamas 1, Belize 4, Bolivia 1, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 5, France 2, Gibraltar 1, Greece 1, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 31, Malta 45, Marshall Islands 3, Norway 4, Panama 10, Portugal 11, Singapore 4, Slovakia 1, Spain 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 19, Sweden 7, Turkey 3, UK 4) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Sarroch, Taranto, Trieste, Venice

Military Italy

Military branches:

Italian Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-27 year of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2005; women may serve in any military branch; 10-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 45 (Army and Air Force) or 39 (Navy) (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 13,884,079

females age 16-49: 13,158,378 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 11,285,488

females age 16-49: 10,680,672 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 290,740

females age 16-49: 273,569 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

1.8% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Italy

Disputes - international:

Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa

Illicit drugs:

important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Jamaica

Introduction Jamaica

Background:

The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and in 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.