Italy At The Present Time

The capital of Italy, Rome, hasbeen for centuries the political and cultural

center of Western civilization. In addition, it is the holy city for the Catholic

Church, being the pope the bishop of Rome and being within the city the

microstate of the Vatican. It is the third country in Europe that receives more

tourists per year, with Rome being the third most visited city on the continent.

Other important cities are: Milan, center of finance and industry, and,

according to the Global Language Monitor, the capital of Fashion; Naples

important port in the Mediterranean, historical capital and most populous city

of the Mezzogiorno; Turin, center of automotive industry and industrial design.

Italy is a democratic republic, is part of the G7 or group of the seven largest

advanced nations in the world and is a developed country with a very high

quality of life, being in 2005 among the top seven in the world. In addition, it is a

regional and global power.