Whoever may have a thought on Italy, two concepts undeniably come to mind: culture and ‘calcio’. Together with art, gastronomy and fashion, Italy has an undeniable football flavour, and it is unmistakably one of the countries which have helped raising the history of the sport. And the same works for Beach Soccer, a sport in which the transalpine country has proved a huge personality and maturity, something they have seen rewarded with the upcoming 2011 edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
The Italian Republic is a European state inhabited by 60.4 million inhabitants. It was founded in 1861, so this year 2011 the transalpine people are celebrating its 150 years. Rome is its worldwide known capital, as well as one of the most important touristic destinations. The 43.7 million international tourists the country hosts per year turn Italy into the fourth highest tourism earner and the fifth most visited country in the world.
With its recognizable boot shape, the country's total area is 301,230 km², of which 294,020 km² is land and 7,210 km² is water. Including the islands, Italy has a coastline of 7,400 km on the Adriatic, Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. The Republic is subdivided into 20 regions (regioni, singular regione), five of which have a special autonomous status that enables them to enact legislation on some of their local matters. The country is further divided into 110 provinces (province) and 8,100 municipalities (comuni).
Italy is famous for its history, its culture and its highly appreciated life style (cuisine, fashion and design). And despite the political and social distinction of these regions, Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe and the world remain immense. The country is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (45) to date, and has rich collections of world art, culture and literature from many different periods. All in all, more than 100.000 monuments of any kind (museums, palaces, buildings, statues, churches, art galleries, villas, fountains, historic houses and archaeological remains)can be enjoyed within its territory.
But this special touch has not only stayed within its borders, since its tradition has had a broad cultural influence worldwide as well, especially because numerous Italians emigrated to other countries during the Italian Diaspora, carrying this style with them. The Made in Italy in art, architecture, music, literature, apparel and science is a common denominator of high quality.
