Italy

Europe · history · Mediterranean

Shaped like a boot. Italy is a peninsula that stretches into the Mediterranean Sea, and on a map it really looks like a tall boot kicking a ball (the island of Sicily).

Capital is Rome. Rome is Italy's capital and largest city, famous for ancient ruins like the Colosseum. Other big cities include Milan, Naples, and Venice.

Mountains up north. The mighty Alps form Italy's northern border, where it touches France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia.

Nearly 800 islands. Italy has almost 800 islands, with Sicily and Sardinia being the two largest.

Countries inside it. Two tiny independent countries sit right inside Italy: Vatican City and San Marino.