Italy, officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Italia, IPA: or Repubblica Italiana, IPA: ), is a Southern European country. It comprises the Italian Peninsula, the Po River valley, and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The country also shares a sea border with Croatia, and France. The independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory. It is shaped like a boot, and for this reason it is commonly called lo stivale (Italian for the boot).

Italy was home to many well-known and influential European civilizations, including the Etruscans, Greeks and the Romans. For more than 3,000 years Italy experienced migrations and invasions from Germanic, Celtic, Frankish, Byzantine Greek, Saracen, Norman, and the French Angevin, and Lombard peoples, and was divided into many independent states until 1861 when Italy became a nation-state.

Italy is called "il Belpaese" (Italian for beautiful country) by its inhabitants, due to the beauty and variety of its landscapes and for having the world's largest artistic patrimony; the country is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (41 as of July 13 2006).

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Italy has bumped it's terror alert from "Shout loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing" next up "Change Sides"
bankdraft (Leigh Scott) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:51:06 -0000
Italy has bumped it's terror alert from "Shout loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing" next up "Change Sides"
@popjustice In Italy, XF performances are available on iTunes straight after the episode airs. They're recorded during the rehearsals though
PopTopoi (Pop Topoi) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:50:39 -0000
@popjustice In Italy, XF performances are available on iTunes straight after the episode airs. They're recorded during the rehearsals though
@Franbouvier yes i know that brazialians are crazy and especially crazy for simple plan :) they must get it :P haha! i'm from italy!
NoneButM (Mary) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:50:26 -0000
@Franbouvier yes i know that brazialians are crazy and especially crazy for simple plan :) they must get it :P haha! i'm from italy!
Playing live worldwide. This is so cool. Wish this thing had a mic so i can talk to italy or france or something :)
inZainy (Zain Ayoub) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:47:46 -0000
Playing live worldwide. This is so cool. Wish this thing had a mic so i can talk to italy or france or something :)
RT @ItalyTravel: WebVisionItaly.com video of the vibrant region of Campania, Naples & Amalfi Coast: http://bit.ly/Campania #Italy #Trave ...
TripFYI (TripFYI) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:47:40 -0000
RT @ItalyTravel: WebVisionItaly.com video of the vibrant region of Campania, Naples & Amalfi Coast: http://bit.ly/Campania #Italy #Trave ...
La Befana, Italy's old witch, comes tonight with gifts for good kids and cenere e carbone (ashes and coal) for bad ones. becomingitalian.com
becomingitalian (Dianne Hales) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:46:48 -0000
La Befana, Italy's old witch, comes tonight with gifts for good kids and cenere e carbone (ashes and coal) for bad ones. becomingitalian.com

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