Italy the Italian Republic is a boot-shaped peninsula extending from the southern edge of Europe into the Mediterranean Sea. It is slightly larger than Arizona, includes the two large islands Sicily and Sardinia, as well as enclosing entirely within its borders the independent nations San Marino and the Vatican City.
The city-states which preceded modern Italy made a rich and lasting contribution to Western civilization in many different areas. The concept of a unified Italy as it exists today is a relatively recent one. The state of Italy was first organized as a constitutional monarchy under King Victor Emmanuel II in 1861. |