Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia.The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.Italy is the place of roman efficiency and Renaissance aesthetics is one of the single greatest repositories of sensorial pleasures on the face of the earth.From art to food, from stunning and varied countryside to flamboyant fashion, Italy has it all. Italy occupies a long, boot-shaped peninsula, surrounded on the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and on the east by the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia to the north. The Apennine Mountains form the peninsula's backbone; the Alps form its northern boundary. There are several active volcanoes in Italy: Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe; Vulcano; Stromboli; and Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe. In October 2007, the Italian population surpassed 59.7 million, Italy currently has the fourth largest population in the European Union, and the 23rd largest population worldwide.Italian is the official language,although there are small areas where French,German and other languages are spoken.
With more than 36.5 million tourists a year, Italy is the fifth most visited country in the world, behind France (76.0 million), Spain (55.6 million), United States (49.4 million), and China (46.8). Italy is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (43) to date. Italian paintings are famous all over world. Italian painting enjoyed preeminence in Europe for hundreds of years, from the Romanesque and Gothic periods, and through the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the latter two of which saw fruition in Italy. Notable artists whom fall within these periods include Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Bernini, Titian and Raphael. . Italy & Tourism are synomonous as Italy is a history lover's paradise with more than 3000 museums, churches and archeological sites dating back to Roman and Greek times. The islands of Italy have been enjoyed for hundreds of years like Capri, famous for it's style and romanticism or 'Ischia' known for its natural thermal spas. It is also famous worldwide for its cuisine, its fashion, the luxury sports cars and motorcycles, as well as for its beautiful coasts, lakes and mountains. Pasta, Pizza, fine art, great wine, Roman Empire, the Colloseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, amazing pastries, GELATO, beautiful beaches and gorgeous mountains, good chocolate, parmasean cheese, friendly people, good music, opera, romance, gondolas, expensive clothes and brands, gorgeous shoes (leather).