| The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002. |
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| Italy |
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| Republic in southern Europe, jutting into the Mediterranean Sea as a boot-shaped peninsula, surrounded on the east, south, and west by arms of the Mediterranean, and bordered to the northwest by France, to the north by Switzerland and Austria, and to the northeast by Yugoslavia. The country includes the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia, as well as many smaller islands, such as Capri. Its capital and largest city is Rome. | 1 |
| ‡ Italy was the core of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire from the fourth century B.C. to the fifth century A.D. | 2 |
| ‡ Beginning in the fourteenth century, the Italian Renaissance brought Europe out of the Middle Ages with its outstanding contributions to the arts. To this day, Italy continues to be associated with great artistic achievement and is home to countless masterpieces. | 3 |
| ‡ Under the fascist leadership of Benito Mussolini (see fascism), Italy began colonization in Africa and entered a military alliance with Germany and Japan. These countries were known as the Axis powers in World War II. | 4 |
| ‡ Italy has been a member of NATO since 1949. | 5 |
| ‡ Italian cooking, featuring pasta, has become a staple of the American diet. | 6 |
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| | | The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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