ITALY.It´a-le.
A kingdom in the South of Europe. Consists of a peninsula, the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Elba, and about 66 smaller ones. Area, 114,410 square miles. Population, 28,459,628. Mean annual temperature: at Milan, 55°; at Rome, 59°; at Naples, 61°. Climate most unhealthy in Europe; due to miasma generated in lagoons and marshes. Has many famous and picturesque lakes.
Government is a constitutional monarchy. Executive power vested in King and responsible ministers: legislative rests conjointly with the King and a Parliament, composed of a Senate, appointed for life; and a Chamber of 508 Deputies, elected by the people for five years. Suffrage universal; freedom of the press unrestricted. Famous rivers are the Po, Arno and Tiber.
Italy abounds in historic and populous cities. Rome, the capital, has pop. of 273,268; Naples, the largest, 463,172; Milan, 295,543; Palermo, 205,712; Genoa, 138,081; Florence, 134,992; Venice, 129,445; 31 cities of over 30,000 inhabitants.
Agriculture chief industry, though in a primitive condition; 87 per cent. of total area productive; 12 per cent. under forest, 36 per cent. cultivated; 28,000,000 acres in crops. Acreage of wheat, 12,000,000; annual yield, 140,000,000 bushels. Vineyards occupy about 5,000,000 acres; olive groves, 2,200,000. About 1,225,000 acres are devoted to chestnut culture. Italy ranks next to France in wine production; average yield per annum, 605,000,000 gallons; average annual value of all agricultural products for last 5 years, $640,000,000.
Number of cattle in 1881, 4,783,232; sheep, 8,596,108; goats, 2,016,307. In 1883, exported 127,003 cattle; sheep, 273,939; swine, 38,668. Wool product insufficient for home consumption; import, in 1883, 20,987,500 lbs.
Mining is an important interest in Italy. Value of iron and steel mined annually, $4,250,000. Sulphur is the chief mineral product; value, in 1882, $9,328,505. Quarries employ 20,000 men. In 1883, total weight of cocoon harvest, 92,886,200 lbs.; value, $26,491,665.