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            ITALY
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Italy is a republic in
southern Europe, which
comprises a large peninsula
and the two main islands of
Sicily and Sardinia. The Alps
form a natural boundary to the
north. The Apennine Mountains
form the backbone of
peninsular Italy. Between the
Alps and the Apennines lies
the Po Valley, a great fertile
lowland. Sicily and Sardinia
are largely mountainous. Italy
has four active volcanoes,
including Etna and Vesuvius.
It enjoys warm dry summers and
mild winters. The north is the
main industrial centre, and
agriculture there is well
mechanized. In the south,
farms are small and
traditional. Industries
include motor vehicles,
textiles, clothing, leather
goods, glass, ceramics, and
tourism.

Area (Sq. Km): 301,223

Population: 57,380,000

Capital: Rome

Language:
Italian

Religion:
Roman Catholic

Government Type:
Republic

Currency: Lira

Embassy:
14 Three Kings Yard
Davies Street
London
W1Y 2EH
0171-629-8200

Italy offers the attractions
of holiday resorts, sun and
beaches and the immense wealth
of its art treasures and
splendidly interesting cities.
A few years ago it looked very
much like Italy would rival
Spain as a mass beach holiday
destination. Areas such as the
Venetian and Neapolitan
rivieras were attractively
packaged and the resorts of
Rimini, Cattalica, Sorrento
and Riccione looked firm
challengers to the Costas of
Spain. Economic circumstances
have changed all this and
Italy has priced itself out of
the mass tourist market
disappearing from many of our
main holiday brochures - the
dedicated Italiophile would
probably say this was for the
best!

The main tourist centres of
Italy are:

The Cities as City breaks and
Rome, Florence, Pisa, Sorrento
and Venice are all strong
contenders. Italian city
holidays are not cheap but
offer a wealth of cultural
interest which is unrivalled
by the rest of the world.

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The Venetian and Adriatic
Rivieras who's main resorts
are Rimini, Cattolica,
Riccione and Lido di Jesolo.
Long beautiful beaches are the
main attraction here plus its
proximity to many of the main
cultural centres of Italy.
Flights go into Venice.

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The Italian Riviera on the
French/Italian border and an
extension of the French
Riviera with many of its
obvious attractions, the main
resorts here are Alassio and
Diana Marina.

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The Neapolitan Riviera in the
south of Italy, below
Naples, set amongst one of the
finest views in the world. The
main centre is Sorrento with
nearby resorts such as
Positano and Amalfi a big
attraction also. Good place
from which to see the volcano
Vesuvius, Pompeii and the
gorgeous island of Capri.

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The Italian Lakes especially
around Lake Como, Lake Garda
etc. offer Alpine scenery with
an Italian flavour. There is a
strong Italian ski scene in
winter.

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Despite pricing problems Italy
still remains a good bet for
the more discerning traveller.

Electricity: 220 volts

National airline:
Alitalia

Daily flight to Italy from
most major UK airports.
Charter flights operate from
Gatwick and Manchester to
Milan, Rome, Florence, Pisa.
Naples by Italy Sky Bus.

UK Tour Operators:
Travelscene Cities
CIT
Magic of Italy
Thomson Cities
BA Citybreaks
Italian Escapades

Italian islands:
Sicily - limited holiday
programme (Airport Palermo)

Sardinia - limited holiday
programme (Airport Cagliari)

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Foreign Office Advice:

Normal care and precautions
should be taken.

For more information ring:

 Foreign Office Travel Unit

       0171-270-4129