Italy , officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Southern Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands.
Italy is the second largest in the world (after Germany) on the use of solar energy for residential and industrial buildings. Currently, one third of all electricity produced in the country due to the photoelectric equipment. The minister of the environment, Andrea Orlando recalled at the ongoing rally in Mestre “Clean energy and construction” in the framework of the European Week of interchangeable energy sources.
At the end of 2012 for the production of electricity in the country were involved in 478,135 solar panels, which provided 16,420 MW. “This is still a very broad field, – said the minister – as only 2% of the buildings in Italy are equipped with photovoltaic cells. In addition, our country does not have enough production lines of this trend, yet we import solar panels from other countries, primarily from China.
Italy is well-connected to the rest of the world via air, as well as by land and sea, with cars, trains, buses and boats large and small making their way to the Peninsula.
Moving within Italy is easy: flights between both principal and smaller cities run daily, if not more frequently. Rail networks extend over 15,000 km (9, 321 mi) and evenly cover the entire country, as do the autostrade, freeways and state highways, allowing drivers and passengers to reach every angle of the “Boot†with speed and ease. Frequent and rapid ferry lines travel between the islands and all the principal coastal and port cities.
European Union citizens can enter and travel within Italy with their identity card on hand, while those from outside the EU must carry a passport. Obtaining entrance documents for tourists is simple, and embassies and consulates can offer assistance for almost any relevant need.
The climate varies considerably from the north to the south of Italy.
In the north of the country – the area between the Alps and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines – the climate is harsh, with very cold winters and very hot, particularly humid summers. In central Italy the climate is milder, with a smaller difference in temperature between summer and winter and a shorter and less intense cold season than in the north; summers are longer, but the sultriness of the northern cities is mitigated by the sea. In southern Italy and the islands winters are never particularly harsh, and spring and autumn temperatures are similar to those reached in the summer in other areas of Italy.
Italy is divided into 15 regions (Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Venice, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria and Emilia-Romagna) and 5 autonomous regions (Valle d’Aosta, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia). Sami areas are divided into provinces.
Regardless, there are hiking trails through it, in any province of Italy has a lot to look inquisitive tourist. It could be rocks of Sardinia, and the ancient Greek ruins of Sicily, Calabria and gorgeous scenery and beautiful beaches of Liguria and Campania, and the mountains Valle d’Aosta and Trentino-Alto Adige, and much, much more.
If you are ready to discover all the richness of the culture, nature and history of Italy – forward, away from the beaten path. But do not forget to bring the -Italian phrase, as in the Italian hinterland you will have to communicate only in Italian.