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 | Italian Republic
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| Location: |
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia |
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| Area: |
301,230 sq km |
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| Climate: |
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south |
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| Terrain: |
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands |
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| Population: |
56,735,130 (July 1999 est.) |
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| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 98%, other 2% |
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| Languages: |
Italian, German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area) |
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| Capital: |
Rome |
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