General information

Italy is located in southern Europe, in the middle of the Mediterranean. The country borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.
Italy is a mountainous country.

The Alps are in the north. The Apennine Mountains stretch from north to south for more than 1200 kilometers.There are two active volcanoes - Vesuvius and Etna. Vesuvius is located in the south of the country, 15 kilometers from Naples, Etna - in Sicily.Italy is washed by five seas. To the west is the Ligurian Sea, with the Gulf of Genoa to the north. In the east, the country is washed by the Adriatic Sea, with the Gulf of Venice in the northern part.

The southwestern coast of Italy is washed by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the southeastern coast by the Ionian Sea, with the Gulf of Taranto. The southern part of the island of Sicily is washed by the Mediterranean Sea.

The climate in Italy is subtropical Mediterranean. In the north of the country, the average temperature in summer is +22-+30 °С, and in winter - no more than +5 °С. In the central part of Italy, long hot summers, and winters are mild and rainy. On the islands of Italy - Sardinia and Sicily - most of the year it is clear and sunny. Summer is hot, the average temperature is +30°C and above, winter, on the contrary, is warm - +10-+15°C.

Italy has the eighth economy in terms of nominal GDP in the world and the third largest economy in the Eurozone. In the list of countries according to the Human Development Index, Italy ranks 29th in the world ranking.

Industrial industry is developed in the north of the country, agricultural industry is in the south. Key industries in Italy: mechanical engineering, chemical and light industry, metallurgy. Italy is a global supplier of cars, mopeds, bicycles, refrigerators and washing machines, as well as clothing and leather goods.

The agricultural sector produces pasta, cheese, olive oil, wines, tomato and fruit preserves.

The Italian railway network exceeds 17 thousand kilometers, including more than a thousand kilometers of high-speed roads laid between the key cities of the country: Rome, Venice, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Naples, Florence, Verona, etc.

The trains are comfortable and modern. The only drawback is that there may be slight disruptions in the schedule.
Intercity bus service is also developed in Italy. You can buy a bus ticket at tobacco kiosks and bars, look for an orange-purple logo and the inscription “ATAF“ on the doors of the institution.More than 140 seaports are located on the shores of the country.

The largest port known to the whole world is Genoa. There are about 130 airports in Italy, providing both domestic and international traffic. Key domestic air carriers are Alitalia and ATI.

The Mediterranean diet is one of the keys to good health. The most delicious and healthy products are available to Italians - olive oil, fresh fish, various seafood, ripe vegetables and fruits. Italy is a country of centenarians: in 2020, the life expectancy of an average citizen is 82.3 years.

Sunbathing and life by the sea also have a beneficial effect on both the physical and psycho-emotional state of the inhabitants of Italy. According to the International Happiness Index (Happy planet index) - as of March 2022, Italy ranks 31st in the list of the happiest countries.

The UNESCO World Heritage List includes 55 sites located in Italy. This is more than 4.6% of the objects on the entire Earth! Italy is truly a God-kissed country in this regard. Such wealth, which Italy owns, no other state has.

Rome is one of the most significant cities in the world, famous for its history of three millennia. The cultural heritage of Rome is almost inexhaustible. The ancient Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain - just a small fraction that lies on the surface. You can explore the eternal city endlessly. No wonder it is said that all roads lead to Rome.

Venice is a unique city on the water, connected by more than 400 bridges. Romantic Venice was admired by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Joseph Brodsky. The Venice Carnival attracts thousands of tourists every year.Florence is famous for its art collection and Renaissance architecture.

A special pride is the Uffizi Gallery, which stores world masterpieces. Particular attention should be paid to the works of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci located here.
In general, it is simply impossible to talk about the cultural heritage of Italy in one paragraph. Each region of the country is special and unique in its own way, and you can explore Italy and fall in love with it throughout your life.

It is impossible to ignore the topic of food and wine if we are talking about Italy. Italian cuisine is a special kind of bliss. First of all, the cuisine is famous for pizza and pasta, but each region of Italy has its own specialties. 

A feature of Italian cuisine is the use of Mediterranean products with a low amount of animal fats, which makes such food not only tasty, but also healthy. Italians also know a lot about wines. Italy produces 4.6 billion liters of wine annually, the highest in the world.

Italy is an excellent choice for higher education in art, design or architecture. Italian universities offer many educational programs, including those in Italian. The average cost of studying at an Italian university is from two thousand euros per year. 

It will be noted that Italians enter universities after graduating from 12 years of school, so a graduate with 11 classes of education will not be able to immediately enter a university. It is necessary to either complete the first year at a university in your home country or complete a preparatory program (Foundation) already in Italy.