Italy
Italia, republic in southern Europe, bounded on
the north by
Switzerland
and
Austria; on the
east by Slovenia and the Adriatic Sea; on the
south by the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean
Sea; on the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, and the
Mediterranean Sea; and on
the northwest by
France. It comprises, in
addition to the Italian mainland, the
Mediterranean islands of Elba, Sardinia, and
Sicily, and many lesser islands. Enclaves within
mainland Italy are the independent countries of
San Marino and Vatican City; the latter is a
papal state mostly enclosed by Rome, the capital
and largest city of Italy.
