Italy

C

Natural Resources

Italy is poor in natural resources, much of the land being unsuitable for agriculture due to mountainous terrain or unfavourable climate. Italy, moreover, is seriously deficient in such basic natural resources as coal. The most important mineral resources are natural gas, petroleum, lignite, sulphur, and pyrites. Other mineral deposits include lead, manganese, zinc, iron ore, mercury, and bauxite. Many of these deposits are on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. They had been heavily depleted by the early 1990s, however. Italy is rich in various types of building stone, notably marble. The coastal waters of Italy teem with fish, of which sardine, tuna, and anchovy have the greatest commercial importance. Freshwater fish include eel and trout.

D

Plants and Animals

The flora of the central and southern lowlands of Italy is typically Mediterranean. Among the characteristic vegetation of these regions are such trees as the olive, orange, lemon, palm, and citron. Other common types, especially in the extreme south, are fig, date, pomegranate, and almond trees, and sugar cane and cotton. The vegetation of the Apennines closely resembles that of central Europe. Dense growths of chestnut, cypress, and oak trees occupy the lower slopes, while at higher elevations there are extensive stands of pine and fir.

Italy has fewer varieties of animals than are generally found in comparable areas of Europe. Small numbers of marmot, chamois, and ibex live in the Alps. The bear, numerous in ancient times, is now virtually extinct, but the wolf and wild boar still flourish in mountainous regions. Another fairly common quadruped is the fox. Among the predatory species of bird are the vulture, buzzard, falcon, and kite, confined for the most part to the mountains. There are also quail, woodcock, partridge, and various migratory species. Reptiles include several species of lizards and snakes and three species of the poisonous viper family. Scorpions are also found.

E

Environmental Concerns

Industrial and urban pollution is a major concern in Italy. Sulphur dioxide emissions that have been linked with health problems and damage to buildings have fallen since 1970, but progress in cleaning the air has been slower than in other European countries. The situation is expected to improve as European Union (EU) directives and the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Sulphur Protocols are implemented. Nitrogen oxide emissions are still on the rise, however, linked with continued growth of the transport sector. Electric cars are becoming a popular solution to air-quality problems in urban areas. Up to 10 per cent of Italy's forests have been damaged by air pollution. Levels of water pollution from farm chemicals and human waste are high in some rivers and in the Adriatic Sea. Extreme levels in 1988 and 1989 caused widespread eutrophication of the marine environment in this region, and the government declared an emergency.

Italy generates only about a quarter of the energy it consumes, relying mostly on imported fossil fuels. The nuclear energy programme was abandoned because of public opposition following the 1986 Chernobyl Accident in Ukraine. A number of energy options are now being used, including the use of methane to fire thermal plants, co-generation or Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, and fuel cells.

Nature conservation has been practised in Italy since Roman times. There are currently five national parks, each independently administered. In addition, there are many other types of smaller protected areas. The lack of a national system of protected areas with centralized administration has impeded efforts to create new reserves and to protect existing ones legally. Overall, protected sites cover approximately 7 per cent (1997) of the country, although the degree and type of protection varies. Italy, like many other European nations, has an ultimate goal of protecting 10 per cent of its land. Eighteen reserves have been declared, and three of these have become designated as biosphere reserves under the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Program.

A nationwide forest inventory was completed in 1988. The government provides incentives for forest preservation and tree planting. About 22 per cent (1995) of the country is forested, of which 42 per cent is managed for tree harvest and only one quarter is mature forest. A significant proportion of the forests is under private management. Forest biomass has increased in recent years due to a decline in human encroachment on mountain habitats. Since the early 1980s Italy has had fairly comprehensive laws and guidelines protecting the sea and coastlines, although enforcement and implementation have been irregular. The country has ratified numerous international environmental agreements, including the World Heritage Convention and those concerning air pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, biodiversity, climate change, endangered species, environmental modification, hazardous wastes, law of the sea, marine dumping, nuclear test ban, ozone layer, ship pollution, tropical timber, wetlands, and whaling. Regionally, Italy is party to the European Wild Birds Directive and the Council of Europe (CE), under which 37 biogenetic reserves have been designated. Ten specially protected marine areas exist under the Mediterranean Action Plan. Several cross-border parks have been established with France and Switzerland.

III

Population

The Italian population consists almost entirely of native-born people, many of whom identify themselves closely with a particular region of Italy. The country can be generally divided into the more urban north (the area from the northern border and the port of Ancona to the southern part of Rome) and the mostly rural south (everything below this line, which is called the “Ancona Wall” by Italians). The more prosperous north contains most of Italy’s larger cities and about two thirds of the country’s population; the primarily agricultural south has a smaller population base and a more limited economy.

A

Population Characteristics

The population of Italy is 58,147,733 (2007 estimate); the overall population density is approximately 198 people per sq km (512 per sq mi). In recent decades the population has generally migrated from rural to urban areas; the population was about 68 per cent urban in 2005.