Italian Economic Measures
1.
GDP- $2.068 trillion U.S dollar (2013 estimate)
2.
GDP per capita- $29,600 (2013 estimate)
3.
Life Expectancy- 82.03 years old (2013 estimate)
4.
Poverty Rate-29.9 percent of the Italian population are below the
poverty line
5.
Literacy Rate- 99 percent of population above the age of 15 can
read and write
6.
Unemployment Rate-12.4 percent (2013 estimate)
7.
Inflation-1.2 percent (2013 estimate)
Italian Resources
1.
Natural Resources- Italy has very few natural resources, there are
no significant iron, coal, or oil deposits, natural gas reserves off the shore
of the Adriatic have grown and are the most important mineral resource. Italy is very depended on important energy
sources, but in the last decade, Italy has become one of the world’s largest producers
of renewable energy. There are many major rivers and waterways in and
surrounding Italy. There are more than 1,000 rivers that cross the Italian
countryside, the major rivers include the Po (starts in the Alps and flows more
than 400 miles through the city of Turin before ending at the Adriatic Sea),
the Arno (rises I hills of Tuscany and flows 150 miles through Florence into
the Ligurian Sea), and the Tiber (forms in the Umbrian countryside before
flowing more than 250 miles through the middle of Rom to the Tyrrhenian Sea).
Italy is also surround by seas on three sides The Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Seas
are on the Western coast, Mediterranean lies to the Southwest; the Ionian Sea
in on the Southern coast, and the Adriatic Sea makes up the Eastern border.
These rivers and seas have been very important to Italian culture, and played a
major role in how civilizations in Italy developed centuries ago. Italy also
has many other important canals, the most famous of which, make up the historic
district of Venice, where 150 canals weave there way through. The agriculture
in Northern Italy produces mostly maize corn, rice, sugar beets, soybeans,
meat, fruits and dairy products, while the agriculture in the South specializes
in wheat and citrus fruits. Italy is also one of the world’s largest producers
of wine, olive oil, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In 2000 there 2.6 million
farms covering 19.6 million hectares in Italy. The average rainfall in Italy
depends on the region. In Northern Italy the average rainfall is 1000 mm per
year, while in the central regions it is 750mm, and 600mm in the southern
parts. The growing season in Italy usually lasts from around April to near
October. The growing season based on the consecutive days the temperatures
above 5°C. The start of the growing season is marked by the first time there
are five consecutive days when the temperature is above 5°C, and the end is
marked when the temperature does not reach 5°C for five days in a row. The
climate in Italy varies considerably depending on the region. In Northern
Italy, between the Alps and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennies, the climate is harsh,
with very cold winters and very hot and humid summers. In central in Italy the
climate is milder with a smaller difference in temperature between the summer
and winter, with shorter less intense cold season and a longer summer. Southern
Italy and the islands winters are not very harsh, while the spring and fall
season temperatures are similar to those reached in the summer in other areas
of Italy.
2.Labor- According to a 2012
estimate the Italian labor force consists of 25.65 million people. The division
of the labor force by occupation is 3.9% in agriculture, 28.3% in industry, and
67.8% in services. In Italy education is
mandatory from the ages 6 to 16, There are five main stages to the educational
system: kindergarten, elementary school, lower secondary school, upper
secondary school, and university. The education system can be either public or
private.
3. Capital- Although it
performs poorly compared to similarly sized Western European countries, Italy
has modern and efficient infrastructure. The entire peninsula is well connected
through an extensive system of railways, roads, airports and seaports. The infrastructure was rebuilt after World
War II, and constantly being improved. However, although it is modern and
efficient, many major projects have failed, such as a subway system in Naples,
and other railways in the south and east. These projects would improve the
facilitation of goods. Italy has 136 airports, with the biggest being in Rome,
Milan, Trieste, Turin, and Venice. While sea transport ahs decreased, the use
of the ports in Trieste, Genoa, Naples, Taranto, Augusta, Gioia Taurao and
Livorno are still economically important to their regions. The Italian merchant
fleet is made up of over 2,000 ships. The roads in Northern Italy are very
developed and are constantly upgraded. The roads also provide good links to the
rest of Europe. The quality of the infrastructure defers on the region in
Italy. In the north and center roads and railways are plentiful and well
constructed, but in the south the infrastructure is poor. Recently Italy has begun
focusing on the Ocean technology industry, to further develop their infrastructure
and trade by sea. Currently tourism is one of the most important industries in Italy;
also the service sector has grown in importance and employs the majority of the
labor force. Northern Italy is important in manufacturing engineering steel,
and chemical products. Due to the small amount of natural resources available,
Italy’s large foreign trade is used to import many energy sources such as
petroleum. The chief trade partners for Italy are Germany, France, Spain, and England.
Links : http://www.indexmundi.com/italy/labor_force_by_occupation.html,
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html,
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