Italy - Research Paper
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction and Country Background 1
Culture 4
Economy 12
Standard Operating Practices 18
SWOT Analysis 27
Conclusion 40
References 42
Introduction & Country Background
Geographically, Italy is comprised of a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, as well as two large islands. The shape of Italy has been depicted as a ‘boot’ in many cartoons and drawings for years. The country covers over 116,000 square miles, making it approximately the combined size of Florida and Georgia. (Killinger, 2002) Italy is a democratic republic that has a current population of around 60 million people, making it the twenty-third most populous country in the world. Italy is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the ‘Group of Six’, which later became the G8, and the European Union. ("Italy," 2010) Italians are primarily Roman Catholic and are required to have fourteen years of formal education. This has lead to a 98 percent literacy rate among the population that only has a growth rate of 0.02 percent per year, which is one of the lowest growth rates in the world. (Killinger, 2002)
After the decline of the Roman Empire, it took what is now Italy over fourteen centuries to become unified and drive out foreign rule. The state of Italy was formed following the Italian unification movement, known as Risorgimento. Italy installed their first Parliament and declared the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. (Killinger, 2002)
In 1922, Benito Mussolini created the first Fascist regime in history. Mussolini later established the Lateran Pact of 1929 with Pope Pius XI, which recognized the Catholic religion as the ‘sole religion of the state’ and the Vatican as an independent state. Italy entered World War II in October of 1940 by attacking Greece from Albania. In December of the same year, the victorious Greeks invaded Albania. Their advance was only stopped by German support. In
Introduction and Country Background 1
Culture 4
Economy 12
Standard Operating Practices 18
SWOT Analysis 27
Conclusion 40
References 42
Introduction & Country Background
Geographically, Italy is comprised of a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, as well as two large islands. The shape of Italy has been depicted as a ‘boot’ in many cartoons and drawings for years. The country covers over 116,000 square miles, making it approximately the combined size of Florida and Georgia. (Killinger, 2002) Italy is a democratic republic that has a current population of around 60 million people, making it the twenty-third most populous country in the world. Italy is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the ‘Group of Six’, which later became the G8, and the European Union. ("Italy," 2010) Italians are primarily Roman Catholic and are required to have fourteen years of formal education. This has lead to a 98 percent literacy rate among the population that only has a growth rate of 0.02 percent per year, which is one of the lowest growth rates in the world. (Killinger, 2002)
After the decline of the Roman Empire, it took what is now Italy over fourteen centuries to become unified and drive out foreign rule. The state of Italy was formed following the Italian unification movement, known as Risorgimento. Italy installed their first Parliament and declared the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. (Killinger, 2002)
In 1922, Benito Mussolini created the first Fascist regime in history. Mussolini later established the Lateran Pact of 1929 with Pope Pius XI, which recognized the Catholic religion as the ‘sole religion of the state’ and the Vatican as an independent state. Italy entered World War II in October of 1940 by attacking Greece from Albania. In December of the same year, the victorious Greeks invaded Albania. Their advance was only stopped by German support. In
References: Killinger, Charles. (2002). The History of Italy. Greenwood Pub Group. Hearder, H. (1990). Italy: A Short History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Italy. (2010, June 15). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy Amyot, G Members of the EU - Italy. (2010, June 15). Retrieved from http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/eu_members/italy/index_en.htm Ecomony of Italy The World Book Encyclopedia. (2009). Chicago, IL: Scott Fetzer company.