Italy Country Monograph
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Italy Country Monograph CandiceBy: Live and Invest Overseas Editors Published by Live and Invest Overseas Altos del Golf, Loma Alegre, Calle Los Tulipanes, Casa B1, Panama City, Republic of Panama Publisher: Kathleen Peddicord Copyright © 2017 Live and Invest Overseas. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without the express written consent of the publisher. The information contained herein is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. www.liveandinvestoverseas.com Italy Country Monograph Table of Contents GOVERNMENT ................................................................................................................................ 3 ECONOMY AND RESOURCES ....................................................................................................... 3 CLIMATE .......................................................................................................................................... 4 POPULATION AND SOCIETY ....................................................................................................... 5 INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................................................................ 5 PRACTICAL INFORMATION ........................................................................................................ 5 SPECIAL BENEFITS FOR RETIREES .......................................................................................... 6 COST OF LIVING ............................................................................................................................. 6 TAXES ............................................................................................................................................... 8 TERRITORIALITY AND RESIDENCE ..................................................................................................................... 8 GROSS INCOME ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 DEDUCTIONS AND ALLOWANCES ....................................................................................................................... 8 TAX CREDITS ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 OTHER TAXES ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 FURTHER READING ...................................................................................................................... 9 Copyright © 2017 - Live and Invest Overseas - www.liveandinvestoverseas Italy Country Monograph National name Repubblica Italiana/Italian Republic Area: 301,300 square kilometers/116,331 square miles Capital: Rome Major towns/cities: Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence Major ports: Naples, Genoa, Palermo, Bari, Catania, Trieste Physical features: mountainous (Maritime Alps, Dolomites, Apennines) with narrow coastal lowlands; continental Europe's only active volcanoes: Vesuvius, Etna, Stromboli; rivers Po, Adige, Arno, Tiber, Rubicon; islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Elba, Capri, Ischia, Lipari, Pantelleria; lakes Como, Maggiore, Garda Government Head of state: Giorgio Napolitano since 2006 Head of government: Silvio Berlusconi since 2008 Political system: liberal democracy Political executive: parliamentary Administrative divisions: 103 provinces within 20 regions (of which five have a greater degree of autonomy) Political parties: Center-Right coalition: Lega Nord or LN [Umberto Bossi]; Movement for Autonomy or MpA [Raffaele Lombardo]; People of Freedom or PdL [Silvio Berlusconi] Center-Left coalition: Democratic Party or PD [Pier Luigi Bersani]; Italy of Values or IdV [Antonio Di Pietro] Other non-allied parties: Future and Liberty Party or FLI [Gianfranco Fini]; Union of the Center or UdC [Pier Ferdinando Casini] Armed forces: 216,800 (2002) Conscription: up to ten months Death penalty: abolished in 1994 Defense expenditure (% GDP): 1.8 (2005) Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.3 (2007) Economy and resources Currency: euro GDP (US$): 1.782 trillion (2010) Real GDP growth: 1.1% (2010) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$): 30,700 (2010) Italy Country Monograph Consumer price inflation: 1.4% (2010) Unemployment: 8.4% (2010) Major trading partners: EU (principally Germany, France, Spain, and UK), U.S. Resources: lignite, lead, zinc, mercury, potash, sulphur, fluorspar, bauxite, marble, petroleum, natural gas, fish Industries: machinery and machine tools, textiles, leather, footwear, food and beverages, steel, motor vehicles, chemical products, wine, tourism Exports: machinery and transport equipment, textiles, clothing and leather goods, wine (leading producer and exporter), metals and metal products, chemicals, wood, paper and rubber goods. Principal market: Germany 12.6% (2009) Imports: mineral fuels and lubricants, machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, foodstuffs, metal products. Principal source: Germany 16.6% (2009) Arable land: 26.41% Agricultural products: sugar beet, grapes, wheat, maize, tomatoes, olives, citrus fruits, vegetables; fishing Climate Italy enjoys four distinct seasons. Summers can be hot (temperatures can reach as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit), though winters are typically mild (rarely do temperatures reach freezing; the average winter temperature is 40 to 50 degrees). Falls can be warmer than you might expect (temperatures still can climb into the 80s); spring is pleasant and comfortable (temperatures average 50 to 70 degrees). Rome climatological information Italy Country Monograph Population and society Population: 61,016,804 (2011) Population growth rate: 0.42% (2011) Urban population (% of total): 68 (2010) Age distribution (% of total population): 0–14 13.8%, 15–64 65.9%, 64+ 20.3% (2011) Ethnic groups: mainly Italian; some minorities of German origin Languages: Italian (official), German and Ladin (in the north), French (in the Valle d'Aosta region), Greek and Albanian (in the south) Religion: Roman Catholic 90% Education (compulsory years): 8 Literacy rate: 98.8% (men); 98% (women) Labor force: 4.2% agriculture, 30.7% industry, 65.1% services Life expectancy: 79 (men); 84 (women) (2011) Child mortality rate (under 1, per 1,000 live births): 3.3 (2011) Internet users: 29.235 million (2009) Infrastructure Airports: 132 Railways total length: 19,729 kilometers Roads total road network: 487,700, of which 100% paved There are two international airports in Rome, Leonardo da Vinci and Giovan Battista Pastine Airport, but the second one offers flights only elsewhere within Europe (no domestic service). The national carrier is Alitalia.Trenitalia, Italy’s national train service, is the top option for service within the country. Some mainland routes are easier reached by bus than by train. The path from Florence to Siena, for example, is more efficiently served by bus. Smaller towns that do not have train stations do have bus stops, so bus travel is also a good option for getting more off the beaten path, though bus schedules are less dependable than train schedules; when traveling by bus in this country, be prepared to be flexible. Taxis are available in all cities and towns, but can be expensive. Practical information Visa requirements: visa not required Embassy in the U.S.: 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington DC 20009; tel. (202) 328-5500 American embassy: Via Veneto 119/A, 00187 Rome; tel: (39) 646-741 Chamber of commerce: Unione Italiana delle Camere di Commercio, Industria, Artigianato e Italy Country Monograph Agricoltura, Piazza Sallustio 21, 00187 Rome; tel. (39) 647-041 Office hours 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Mon–Fri Banking hours: generally 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Mon–Fri Time difference: GMT +1 Chief tourist attractions: Alpine and Mediterranean scenery; ancient Greek and Roman archaeological remains; medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque churches (including St. Peter's, Rome); Renaissance towns and palaces; museums; art galleries; opera houses Major holidays: 1, 6 January, 25 April, 1 May, 14 August (mid-August holiday, 2 days), 1 November, 8, 25–26 December; variable: Easter Monday Special benefits for retirees Seniors in Italy, foreign or not, enjoy discounts at restaurants and many places, including supermarkets, offer express lines for seniors. Cost of living As always, expenses depend on your lifestyle. Is your idea of dining out a village pizzeria with a wood-fired oven or a fancy fish restaurant in Pescara? Are you happy with local wine by the liter, or can’t you imagine life without imported beer? Do you plan to have weekends away in Rome? But to give you an idea, the Abruzzo Monthly Budget includes some basic costs. Abruzzo is one of our top recommendations in this country. Abruzzo Monthly Budget Apartment Rental Rent US$650 HOA fees US$0 Property taxes US$0 Transportation (Occasional bus and taxi fares) US$25 Gas (Used for cooking) US$33 Electricity (Average value, assuming seasonal variations) US$120 Telephone (Control line) US$21 Internet US$34 Cable TV US$37 Household help, fulltime US$0 Food (Groceries) US$400 Entertainment (Eating out, movies, bars, etc.) US$250 Homeowner's insurance US$11 TOTAL US$1,581 Italy Country Monograph Apartment Ownership US$0 Rent HOA fees US$0 Property taxes US$19 Transportation (Occasional