Differences between Italy and Ireland

Differences between Italy and Ireland

Italy -- the Italian Republic -- is a boot-shaped peninsula extending from the southern edge of Europe into the Mediterranean Sea. It is slightly larger than Arizona, includes the two large islands Sicily and Sardinia, as well as enclosing entirely within its borders the independent nations San Marino and the Vatican City.

The city-states which preceeded modern Italy made a rich and lasting contribution to Western civilization in many different areas. The concept of a unified Italy as it exists today is a relatively recent one. The state of Italy was first organized as a constitutional monarchy under King Victor Emmanuel II in 1861, with Rome joining in 1870. In 1922, the Fascist party led by Mussolini began to take an ever-increasing amount of control over the country, eventually leading to disastrous defeat in the second World War. The modern Italian Republic was formed in 1948. Italy was a founding member of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, and is a member of the Group of Eight.

Details:

Prime Minister: Matteo Renzi (Democratic party)

Capital City:Rome

Borders: Austria, Switzerland, France, Holy See, San Marino, Slovenia.

Islands: Sicily, Sardinia, Elba, Giglio.

Climate: predominately Mediterranean

Population: 58,1 million approx

Languages: Italian, Slovene, French, German

Religion: approx 87% Roman Catholic, also Protestant, Jewish, Muslim

Currency: Euro

Volcanos: Etna, Vesuvio, Vulcano, Stromboli

Ireland

Country overview

Since joining the European Union in 1973, Ireland (Éire) has transformed itself from a largely agricultural society into a modern, technologically advanced Celtic Tiger economy.

Agricultural lowlands make up most of the interior, which is broken in places by low hills and includes considerable areas of bogs and lakes. There are coastal mountains to the west, rising to over 1 000m in places. Nearly a third of the population lives in Dublin.

The Dáil, or lower house of Parliament, is composed of 166 members while the Seanad, or upper house, has 60 members. Parliamentary elections are held every five years. The President, elected for a seven-year period, mainly performs ceremonial duties.

Although the history of Ireland has seen troubles and turbulence, its people have always been associated with a love of music and storytelling. Often referred to as the land of saints and scholars, the country is the birthplace of many famous English-language writers, such as Yeats, Joyce, Beckett, Wilde and Shaw. Ireland is home to internationally known rock bands and singers such as U2, The Corrs and Sinéad O’Connor.

Simple meat dishes and boiled vegetables such as the potato, carrot, turnip and parsnip form the principal ingredients of traditional Irish cooking.

Prime Minister: Michael D Higgins

Borders: Northen Ireland to the north, Atlantic Ocean, Irish sea, Celtic sea

Capital City: Dublin

Climate: Wet and rainy in winter, mild in spring and summer.

Population: 4.6 million (UN, 2012)

Languages: Irish, English

Major Religion: Christianity

Currency: Euro

Дата добавления: 2015-10-21