| Location |
| Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia |
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| Area |
| total: 301,230 sq km
land: 294,020 sq km
water: 7,210 sq km |
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| Land boundaries |
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total: 1,932.2 km
border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km
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| Climate |
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
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| Natural resources |
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coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
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| Geography - note |
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strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
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| Government type |
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republic
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| Currency - Currency code |
Euro (EUR)
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| Internet country code: |
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.it
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| Internet users: |
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18.5 million (2003)
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