意大利英语介绍ppt

The Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana; IPA: [�0�1e �0�5pubblika ita 'lja�0�9na]) or Italy (Italia; (IPA: [i'ta�0�9lja]) is a southern European country that comprises the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is also called by Italians lo Stivale ("the Boot," due to its boot-like shape), or la Penisola[1] ("the Peninsula" as an antonomasia). Italy shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian enclave in Switzerland. Italy was home to many well-known and influential European cultures, including the Etruscans, Greeks, and the Romans. Its capital Rome has been a historically important world city, especially as the core of ancient Rome and the Roman Catholic Church. For more than 3,000 years Italy experienced migrations and invasions from Germanic, Celtic, Frankish, Lombard, Byzantine Greek, Saracen, Norman, and Angevin peoples during the Middle Ages, followed by the Italian Renaissance period, in which the Italian Wars took place and various city-states were noted for their cultural achievements. Italy divided into many independent states and often experienced foreign domination before Italian unification took place, creating Italy as an independent nation-state for the first time in its history. During the period under the Italian monarchy and during the world wars Italy experienced much conflict, but stability was restored after the creation of the Italian Republic. Italy is called il Belpaese ("beautiful country") by its inhabitants, due to the beauty and variety of its landscapes. The country is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (41). Today, Italy is a highly-developed country with the 7th-highest GDP and the 17th-highest Human Development Index rating. It is a member of the G8 and a founding member of what is now the European Union, having signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Inhabitants of Italy are referred to as Italians (Italiani, or poetically Italici).