Agriculture and Economics in Italy and Rome

Italy is a parliamentary republic located in southern Europe and a founding member of the European Union’s precursor with the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Currently, Italy has a total territory of 301.340 square kilometers, which is somewhat larger than Arizona. Likewise, Italy is the tenth largest country in Europe and has a seasonal Mediterranean climate. Geographically, Italy is dominated by rugged mountains, alongside plains and coastal lowlands, as well as 7.600 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline, which include the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.

Today, Italy has a total population of approximately 62.2 million citizens, which makes it the fourth most populous EU country after Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. About 70% of Italians live in an urban setting, notably the capital city of Rome with 3.7 million inhabitants. Meanwhile, the median age in Italy is 46 years old. In economic terms, Italy has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$2.3 trillion (in terms of purchasing power parity, PPP), which is divided into 2% agriculture, 24% manufacturing, and 74% services. Furthermore, the national economy has experienced positive economic growth in recent years. Similarly, it is estimated that the agricultural industry employs 4% of the national labor force, while manufacturing employs 28% and services employ another 68%. Lastly, in Italy, the agriculture industry utilizes 47% of the national territory, while another 31% is forested.

Agriculture and Economics in Italy and Rome

Meanwhile, within Italy, the Holy See or the Vatican City became a sovereign and modern nation state in 1929 with the signing of the three Lateran Treaties. Officially ruled as a monarchy or theocracy, led by the Pope, the Vatican has a Cardinal as Secretary of State and a Cardinal President as head of government. Currently, the Vatican has a total territory of almost 0.5 square kilometers, which is somewhat smaller than the National Mall in Washington DC. Likewise, as an urban city-state in Italy, the Vatican has a mild climate with rainy winters and dry summers. Given that the Vatican is an administrative center for the Catholic Church, it has a very small permanent population of approximately 1.000, which does not experience natural demographic growth.

In economic terms, the Vatican utilizes the Euro as its official currency and its main economic activities include the production of coins & medals, the printing of postage stamps, the creation of mosaics and staff uniforms, and financial activities. In terms of trade, during 2015, the Vatican imported some US$61.1 million worth of goods and exported about US$14.5 million, resulting in a trade deficit of US$46.6 million. Furthermore, the Vatican’s main export, representing 21% or US$3.1 million of the country’s total in 2015, were unused stamps. Likewise, the country’s main import that same year, representing 37% or US$22.8 million of all international purchases, were energy and fossil fuels. Lastly, The Vatican’s main trading partners are mainly EU members, notably Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as the United States and China.

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