Italy Facts for Kids

If you ever go to Europe, don't forget to visit Italy. It is certainly one of the most beautiful countries of Europe. In this write up, you will find some amazing Italy facts. For Kids, it will be fascinating to know about the rich cultural heritage of this city, apart from some of the most interesting facts.

All About Italy: Facts For Kids
Surrounded by five seas namely, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Mediterranean, Ionian and Adriatic, Italy is slightly larger than US state of Arizona. It is a fascinating country to visit.

History of Italy

A very rich history of Italy will leave you in magical spell as it is the birth place of several cultural and social and artistic things.

• Italy is the birthplace of Renaissance - the movement that swept Europe continent in 15th/16th century and revolutionized the way people thought.
• Officially, Italy is known as Italian Republic.
• It is situated in Southern Europe, on the Italian Peninsula, on the two largest islands of Mediterranean sea, viz., Sicily and Sardinia.
• Rome is the capital city of Italy.
• Italy has a republic government.
• It's surrounded by six countries viz., France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Vatican City and San Marino.
• German, Slovene and Albanian-Italians are some of the ethnic groups that inhabit Italy.
• Italy faced severe turmoil during Ancient Roman rule.
• In the first World War, Italy joined the triple alliance but was defeated. The dictator, Benito Mussolini took over Italy's control and gave some stability to the country but failed miserably in second world war.
• Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, Italy in AD 79 have been believed to be destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius, a stratovolcano, located in bay of Naples.

Interesting and Fun Facts About Italy

Here are some interesting Italy facts for children, as they will get to know the rich culture that Italy has given to the world.

• The boundaries of Italy give it a shape like that of a boot!
• Italian is considered to be one of the most romantic languages.
• Italian pizza originated in Naples and is known to have spread all across the globe from Italy. A study suggest there are nearly 350 different types of Italian pastas
• Football is the national game of the country. The Italian football national team has lifted the football world cup four times! Soccer in Italy is like a religion!
• Venice, Italy, is one of the most famous places in Italy. It is the smallest country in the world, area wise.
• The Roman Catholic Church (resident of pope in Vatican city) and the Sistine Chapel of greatest of the great Michelangelo, form some of the most remarkable architectures ever build by mankind.
• Leaning tower of Pisa - hailed to be one of the wonders of world, is in Italy!
• One of the interesting facts on Italy is that it houses some of the world's most famous fashion brands, like Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Benetton.
• Vehicle brands like Duccati and Piaggio are also based in Italy. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Fiat, some of the best cars in the world are produced in Italy.
• Italy's musical influence has been greatly admired by western world. Composers like Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccin contributed immensely in popularizing Italian Romantic opera all across the globe.
• Roman Coliseum - the gigantic structure that stands testimony to the genius of Roman architecture, are still hailed to be best for their amazing design. A giant statue of Colossus once stood near the Roman Coliseum.
• Italian Mafia, although infamous for crimes and criminals, is not the only dimension of Mafia culture in Italy. In fact Mafia is a generic term referring to people who come together to work for a common purpose. In Italy, Mafia has formidable role in economy. Nearly, 10% of Italy's GDP is of Italian Mafia! Amazing that how strong organized crime groups can become.
• Italy's currency is Euro after it replaced Lira.
• Some of the famous Italians include Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. There have been many more architects, painters, entertainers and similar people who've rocked the world with their amazing talents.

The average Italian might booze up around 26 gallons of wine per year. Another one of them, for instance is that around 20% of Italian population is above 65 years of age! Hope you enjoyed reading about this amazing country!