International Coffeehouse: Italy

Capital: Rome

Official Language: Italian

National Anthem: "Fratteli d'Italia"

Form of government: Parliamentary democracy.

Flag: Italy's flag, adopted in 1870, has three vertical stripes, green, white, and red (left to right). Italians first used the flag in 1796 in support of Napoleon Bonaparte and France during a war against Austria. Napoleon designed the flag to look like that of France, but substituted green, his favorite color, for the blue of the French flag.

Coat of arms: Italy's coat of arms was established after the formation of the Italian republic in 1946. The star represents unity, the wreath of laurel and oak stands for republicanism, and the cogwheel represents industry. The country's name in Italian is on the ribbon.

Chief products: Agriculture—apples, beef and dairy cattle, grapes, hogs, olives, tomatoes, wheat. Manufacturing—chemicals, clothing and shoes, foods and beverages, machinery, motor vehicles, textiles. Mining—cement, clay, copper, feldspar, pumice, natural gas.

International trade: Major exports—chemicals, clothing and textiles, food, machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum products. Major imports—chemicals, clothing and textiles, crude oil, electronics, motor vehicles. Major trading partners—France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, United States.