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Description Israel by rbd.me
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Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.
WebCam
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Location
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Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
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Area - comparative
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slightly larger than Arizona
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Natural resources Israel
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coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
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Population Israel
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58,090,681 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions Israel
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Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
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Languages
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Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
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Education Israel expenditures
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4.5% of GDP (2005)
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Government Israel type
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republic
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Independence
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17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
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Israel Economy - overview
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$1.76 trillion (2009 est.)
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Investment Israel
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115.2% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Industries Israel
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289.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Airports Israel
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132 (2009)
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