a country located in southern Europe, in the Mediterranean basin. It includes the Apennine Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia and other small islands. Area – 302,073 km2. Population – 58,968,501 people (2024). Administratively divided into 20 regions (regione). The capital is the city of Rome. Italy ranks 1st among European countries in terms of GDP size and level of development, and 37th in the world. It borders France to the northwest (border length – 488 km), Switzerland (740 km) and Austria (430 km) to the north, and Slovenia (232 km) to the northeast.