Italy is a peninsula in the northern Mediterranean. The land has a total area of 301,340 km² and a total coastline of 7,600 km. This area is approximately 75% of the area of California. There are about 210 other islands in the country. There are direct national borders with the 6 neighbouring countries Austria, France, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland and Holy See (Vatican City). The distance between New York City and the Capital Rome is about 6,900 km.With an Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.883 Italy counts as one of the high developed economies by UN-definition. The IMF also shares this classification.

The climate in ItalyA moderate climatic zone determines the weather in Italy. As usual in the northern hemisphere, the days in the summer months are not only warmer but also longer. Depending on the season, the average daytime temperatures range between 9 and 28 degrees. In some parts of the country the temperature raises up to 33 °C. In the colder months and depending in the region, the temperature lowers down to 3°C in a month's average. Average daytime and nighttime temperaturesDetailed climate data for Italy and 17 geographic spots of the countryVolcanosEarthquakesTsunamis