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Italy is considered to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with a rich history and a first-rate artistic and cultural heritage. It is situated in the southern part of continental Europe, bathed by the Mediterranean Sea and crowned by Western Europe's principal mountain range, the Alps.

The country comprises the Italian peninsula, shaped like a boot and traversed by the Apennines, as well as the two largest islands in the Mediterranean: Sicily, with its exceptional monuments that testify to the presence of the ancient Greek civilisation, and Sardinia, where the coastal city of Alghero was built and where Catalan continues to be spoken after being introduced in the middle of the 14th century.

The capital of Italy is Rome, which, in Antiquity, built a vast empire that extended both sides of the Mediterranean and across a significant part of Europe (as far as the banks of the Danube and Rhine rivers). Other important cities in Italy include Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Venice, Florence and Bologna.

The modern Italian state was not created until 1870. After the Second World War (1939-1945), the country consolidated its position as one of the world's richest democracies, something that was not accompanied by political stability: from 1945 to date, Italy has had about 60 different governments (an average of one per year).

The latest political crisis took place at the beginning of this year. It was resolved with the resignation of the prime minister, Romano Prodi, and the calling of early elections, set for this coming Sunday and Monday (13 and 14 April). The centre-left candidate is Walter Veltroni, whilst the centre-right candidate, Silvio Berlusconi, is the likely winner, according to opinion polls.