FACTS ABOUT ITALY

Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the European Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.

Capital: Rome. Population: About 2,650,000 Languages: The official language is Italian, but French and German are also spoken in some regions. Predominant Religion: Roman President: Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1999) Prime Minister: Silvio Berlusconi (2001) Area: 116,305 sq mi (301,230 sq km) Must See Sights: Vatican, Roman Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, Basilica di San Pietro and St Peter’s Square, Sistine Chapel, Spanish Steps, Jewish Ghetto and Synagogue, Temple of Portunus, Temple of Hercules Victor, Arch of Janus, Ponte Rotto, Ponte Fabricio, River Tiber, Isola Tiberina, Capuchin Cemetery, Via Veneto, Trevi Fountain

The Italian tricolor was first established during the Napoleonic Wars by French republics in northern Italy, who styled it after the French tricolor. In 1848 the design was adopted by the house of Savoy, which went on to lead the Italian unification. The present flag was adopted in 1946, when Italy became a republic and the royal arms were removed. I don't know of any authoritative and indisputable explanation regarding the meaning of the colors of the Italian flag . The most credible theory suggests that the colors came from the colors of the uniforms of the Civic militia of Milan, which were predominantly green with some white. Some red parts were added in 1796 when the Militia becomes the National Guard. In October of that year, the Lombard Legion was constituted, which adopted a uniform with the same color combination.