Italy became a unified state only in 1861 and most people have more loyalty to their town, province or region than to Italy as a whole, considering themselves Florentines, Milanese, Neapolitans, Romans or Sicilians first and Italians a distant second, summed up by the word campanilismo – literally ‘loyalty to your bell-tower’.
The population of Italy was around 59.5m in early 2007, with a population density of almost 200 inhabitants per km2, which makes Italy the fifth most densely populated country in Europe.
Italy is a Christian country, some 88 per cent of the population belonging to the Roman Catholic church, although only around a third of these regard themselves as ‘active’ in religious terms.
To find out more contact:
Embassy of Italy
12 Grey Street
Deakin ACT 2600
+61 2 6273 3333
http://www.ambcanberra.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Canberra
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