General Information
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor Emmanuel II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic reanimation began. Italy is a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community. Italy joined the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Country name:
long form: Italian Republic - short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana - local short form: Italia
former: Kingdom of Italy
Border Countries:
Austria 430 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, France 488 km, Switzerland 740 km
 Italian Flag Description:
Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red
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