User talk:Cbitnoff/sandbox

The contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP in 2017 was USD 76.2 billion, which makes up 4.2% of the country's total GDP. Italy's Travel and Tourism make up 1,118,990 jobs (5% of total employment). International tourist arrivals were 50.7 million in 2017, which decreased from 52.4 million tourists in 2016. Italy is the fifth most visited country in the world behind France, The United States, Spain, and China.

Land and Climate
Italy has a diverse landscape. The "boot shaped" country juts out into the Mediterranean Sea supplying a sandy coastline. In addition, Italy's northern area is mountainous, bordering France and Switzerland, and containing some of the highest peaks in Europe. Also found in Italy are rolling hills with lush grass, river valleys, Great Plains, vineyards, and olive groves. These areas are vast in scenery and vegetation.

Italy can be a country worth visiting year-round. The weather is usually reliable, although the weather is much colder in northern Italy than in southern. July and August bring the hottest weather, but frequent thunderstorms in the north can keep it cooler during these months. Due to its diverse weather, visiting during the spring and fall are ideal.

History
Italy as a country was founded on March 27, 1861, but the country's history is much older. The city of Rome has a long history, it was founded on April 21, 753 B.C.. Rome was founded as a republic in 600 B.C.. In 300 B.C. Rome began to expand throughout the Italian Peninsula, and later became known as the Roman Empire in 27 B.C.. The Roman Empire became known as an international political system for economy and religion, but fell in 476 as the last Roman Emperor was overthrown. This fall lead to a series of barbarian kingdoms. In 568 a network of smaller political entities began to arise throughout Italy.

Italy was eventually divided by states in the late 1700s. Many political and social events shaped Italy into becoming a unified country. Italy was officially founded on March 17, 1861. Venice and Rome were not a part of Italy at first, but joined shortly after in 1866 (Venice) and in 1870 (Rome).

Population
As of 2018, Italy's population is 59,306,833, making it the fifth most populated country in Europe. The most populated city in Italy is Rome, which is the capital city of the country, with 2,648,843 people. The next most populous cities are Milan, Naples, and Turin, with populations of 1,305,591, 1,046,987, and 921,485 respectively.

Government
Italy became a democratic republic on June 2, 1946. Italy was a monarchy before, but that was abolished. Italy has a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system. These include the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislative divisions. Italy is headed by a president who is elected every seven years. The president of Italy is voted for by chambers of parliament and three representatives from the regions of Italy. One of the main roles of a president is appointing a Prime Minister.

Italy has a Parliament which consists of two assemblies: The Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate of Republic (known as Senators) consists of 315 members, while the Chamber of Deputies (known as Deputies) consists of 630 members. Both parties have equal power.

Economy
As of 2016, Italy has a GDP of 1.67 trillion Euros (USD 2.06 trillion), seeing a 1% growth rate from 2015. The unemployment rate as of 2016 is 11.7%, showing a decrease from 12.6% in 2014. As of January 2018, Italy ranks as the third worst unemployment rate among the European Union countries. The two countries worst than Italy in Europe are Greece (20.9% Unemployment) and Spain (16.3$ Unemployment).

Language
Italian is the official language of Italy, with 97.4% of the country speaking Italian. Other languages spoken in Italy are English (13.74%), French (8.46% ), Spanish (6.56%), and German (2.06%). In Italy, there are 38 languages spoken as either a native language or a learned foreign language.

Visa/Entry Requirements
United States citizens need a valid passport good for at least six months. A visa is not required if staying less than 90 days within the country. All travelers entering the country need to explain why they are visiting, for how long they are remaining, and where they will be staying. U.S. citizens can find details about obtaining an Italian visa here: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/italy-visa/us-citizenship-passport-holders/

Currency/Currency Conversion
The official Italian currency is the Euro. As of April 2018, 1 Euro would be the equivalent to 1.22 USD (US Dollar), 1.57 CAD (Canadian Dollar), .87 GBP (British Pound), and 131.3 JPY (Japanese Yen). While cash (Euro) is accepted everywhere, Visa and MasterCard credit cards are also accepted across Italy.

Transportation Options
Italy has multiple ways to travel around the country. Italy is known for their well-developed Italian rail network which includes a high-speed rail network, intercity trains, and regional trains that connect major cities throughout the country and to neighboring countries as well. Italy's rail network is the 13th largest in the world. Due to the seacoast along Italy, there are multiple harbors for transportation of not only goods, but people as well. Italy has a total of 130 airports, 31 of which are international airports. The busiest airport is the Rome Fiumicino, which in 2009 had 311,679 flights either land or take-off, carrying a total of 32,445,496 passengers.

Florence
Florence is another main city within Italy. One of the main tourist destinations in Florence is the Florence Cathedral. The cathedral is one of the largest churches in Italy.

World Heritage Sites
Italy has the most World Heritage Sites out of any country in the world, 53 to be exact (The United States has 23). Click on List of World Heritage Sites in Italy to view more.

Safety/Security Concerns
According to Safe Around, who ranks all of the countries according to their safety, Italy is ranked as the 35th safest country in the world. Denmark is currently ranked as the safest country, and Syria is ranked as the least safest country, or the most dangerous country in the world.

Environmental Concerns
Italy has some environmental issues such as air and water pollution, acid rain, and a lack of proper waste treatments and programs. The air pollution is due mainly to transportation within the country. Italy is pushing to reduce black carbon emissions. Italy has started 190 different projects costing 190 million Euros to reduce the air pollution.

Emergency Contacts
The emergency number in Italy or any European country is 112 National emergency numbers: Police-113, Fire Brigade-115, First Aid-118

U.S. Embassy Rome: via Vittorio Veneto 121 00187 Roma Phone: (+39) 06.46741

U.S. Consulate General Florence Lungarno Vespucci, 38 50123 Firenze Phone: (+39) 055.266.951

U.S. Consulate General Milan via Principe Amedeo, 2/10 20121 MILANO Phone: (+39) 02.290351

U.S. Consulate General in Naples Piazza della Repubblica 80122 NAPOLI Phone: (+39) 081.583.8111