Overview
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II.
An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II.
A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC).
It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.
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Country
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Surface Area: 301,230 square km Population: 58,133,509 (July 2006 est.) Located in: Southern Europe Capital City: Rome Head of State: Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006) Prime Minister: Romano PRODI (since 17 May 2006) Independent since: 17 March 1861 Currency: €uro Flag (image): 
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