About Italy
Italy, officially Repubblica italiana, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy. Italy covers some 301,338 km2 and has a temperate seasonal climate. With 60 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe.