Introduction to Italy’s Culture and Economy

 

Italy

Have any of you ever wanted to travel to a place filled with ancient ruins of a once mighty empire, delicious cuisine and wine, and beautiful scenery? Well, Italy is the perfect place for you! Italy is a European country with a very artistic formative country. Italy has an ancient and culture dating back from 27 BC. One of the most famous ancient ruins in Rome is the Colosseum from way back from 72-70 AD. Italy’s food is a big part of the Italian culture. They like to get all together and spend time with each other. Most Italian families get together every Sunday, spend time with each other and eat with each other as a family. The currency in Italy is a Euro. Euros look like colorful money. On the euro it has on silver strip on the the edge from one side.

Italy is a peninsula in Southern Europe. The Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, and the Tyrrhenian surround Italy along with their neighboring countries: France, Austria, and Switzerland. The Alps go from the north of Italy all the way down the western side, while the Apennines mountains run down the center of the entire country. To the west of the Apennines were the wooded hills and many of Italy’s cities, and to the south were hot, dry coastlands and fertile plains where they planted olives, almonds, and figs. They own 301,230 sq km and has a population 59.83 million.

Italy had an economic transformation since WWII. In the 1960s, Italy was one of the world’s best economies. Their dominant exports were: clothing, shoes, food, and wine. The industrial north was dominated by private companies, a less developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, and had a high number unemployment. The imports cost $389.2 billion, and  the cost of the exports was $454.6 billion. And because of the type of government they have, their official name is Republica Italiana.

Italy has a very unique culture. As you know, Italians mostly speak Italian, but the population also speak English, French, and even Spanish. Their education system is separated into sections; Children learn to read and to write in a variety of subjects including maths, Italian, English, and geography. Italians also spend their time watching opera, and it has become a major tradition there. On special occasions, Italians will eat Sunday lunches, and on holidays they will usually eat lasagna, ravioli, and tiramisu. The Italians discovered the world’s best food which is pizza. Italians were the first ones to The Renaissance, and especially their art, is a big part of Italian culture. Today, you can see all these works of art in galleries across the globe; the Renaissance also encouraged trade, science, and a new way of thinking.

Similar to the US, Italy has some well known holidays like Christmas and Easter. Italy’s religion is similar to the US as well. Like the US, Italy is mostly Christian. Both of those countries even have a high GDP. Although Italy and the US are similar, they are also different in multiple ways. For one what makes Italy such a unique and popular destination is the places you can go. Like for example, you can visit the ancient ruins of Rome like the colosseum or just go and eat a pizza and a carafe of wine in Naples. Italy’s population might be less than half of ours, but it has a lower crime rate, HIV/AIDS, and longer life span. Italians mostly eat three times a day. Mostly their diet is cold meat, pasta, and rice but it depends on where they live it may be different diet on where they live. As you can see, Italy has a lot in common and a lot different with the US.

Overall the Italian culture focuses on food, tradition, and family. Italian culture is very unique and great to witness first hand. If you think of Italy, the first things that would come up is food/wine, famous places like Rome, Venice, and Florence, and the rich history of Italy. Italy is a place you should definitely put on your bucket list.