万种风情意大利
意大利气候温暖，四季鲜明，夏季干燥，冬季多雨。因此尽管在盛夏之际、气温再高，但在阴凉处和室内却很凉快。夜间甚至会感到有些凉。夏天的意大利非常炎热，南部还会特别干燥。冬季北部地区异常寒冷，特别是阿尔卑斯山脉附近，南部的冬天一如西西里岛等地气候比较温和。最好是在非旅游旺季去意大利，即4月到6月和9月到10月。这些时间天气不错，物价比较低，游客也较少。旅游旺季7、8月份，天气非常热，物价也水涨船高，到处都涌满了前来度假的游客，海边和山边的住宿一般都预订满了。要注意的是很多海边的旅店和参观在冬季都不开放。
春天最适合欣赏美术、历史及文化。那不勒斯湾、索伦托半岛及西西里岛一带，正是鲜花盛开的最佳季节。北部伦巴第州(区)的水田中禾苗在风中摇曳，中部地区麦田间罂粟在争奇斗艳。总之在这个时期各地都不断有各种热闹的庆祝活动。
夏天灿烂的阳光普照下的意大利是最美丽的。丰富的海滨沙滩吸引了欧洲各国的游客。洗海水浴的最佳时间是6月下旬到9月上旬。7～8月期间则能欣赏到在维也纳和罗马等地举行的野外歌剧和音乐会。另外，阿尔卑斯的滑雪场还可以进行夏日滑雪。傍晚的日落时间大约在晚上9点左右，所以在市里观光尽可以悠闲而行。
秋天是欣赏美术、探访历史遗迹的好时节，也可尽情欣赏中部爽朗的秋天，另外，还可以参加各地举行的葡萄酒节及庆丰收会。
冬天是冬季运动的大好时节。可在阿尔卑斯山和亚平宁山脉的滑雪练习场享受滑雪的快乐。利帕里沿岸地区和西西里岛这个季节仍比较温暖，所以最适合旅游观光。从12月份开始，各地纷纷开始上演歌剧。
罗马是世界上最古老的城市之一，这里有众多世界级的古迹、文物和遗址，例如斗兽场、废墟、万神殿、圣彼德大教堂、许愿泉、西班牙广场的三位一体教堂、梵蒂冈博物馆，威尼斯广场的意大利统一纪念堂和街头巷尾数不清的喷泉、石雕都让人流连忘返。
水城威尼斯到处是作家、音乐家、画家留下的形象——石桥、轻舟、教堂、悦耳的乐声……进入威尼斯就置身于红色宫殿和流水中央了。威尼斯整座城市都建在水中，水道即为大街小巷，人们出门靠舟行，充满了诗情画意和浪漫风情，吸引了世界各地无数游客。
The Italian Republic or Italy (Italian： Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in Southern Europe. It comprises a bootshaped peninsulapeninsula n.半岛 and two large islands in the Mediterranean Seamediterranean sea n.地中海， Sicily and SardiniaSardinia n.(拉)撒丁岛(意大利在地中海的一个岛)，撒丁区(意大利一自治区)， and shares its northern alpinealpine adj.高山的， 阿尔卑斯山的 boundary with France， Switzerland， Austria and Slovenia. It is a founding member of what is now the European Union， and a member state of the United Nations， NATO and the G8 nations. San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves countries within Italian territoryterritory n.领土， 版图， 地域， while Campione d，Italia is an Italian exclaveexclave n.位于外国土地的领土 in Switzerland.
Geography
Italy consists predominantly of a large peninsula with a distinctive boot shape that extends into the Mediterranean Sea， where together with its two main islands Sicily and Sardinia it creates distinct bodies of water， such as the Adriatic Sea to the northeast， the Ionian Sea to the southeast， the Tyrrhenian Sea to the southwest and finally the Ligurian Sea to the northwest.
The Apennine mountains form the backbonebackbone n.脊椎， 中枢， 骨干， 支柱， 意志力， 勇气， 毅力， 决心 of this peninsula， leading northwest to where they join the Alps， the mountain range that then forms an arcarc n.弧， 弓形， 拱 enclosing Italy from the north. Here is also found a large alluvial plain， the PoVenetian plain， drained by the Po River and its many tributaries flowing down from the Alps， Apennines and Dolomites. Other wellknown rivers include the Tiber， Adige and Arno.
Its highest point is Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) at 4，810 m， but Italy is more typically associated with two famous volcanoes： the currently dormantdormant adj.睡眠状态的， 静止的， 隐匿的 Vesuvius near Naples and the very active Etna on Sicily.
Economy
Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the United Kingdom. This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial north， dominated by privateprivate adj.私人的， 私有的， 私营的， 秘密的 n.士兵 companies， and a less developed south. In comparison to its western European neighbours， it has a high number of small to medium sized enterprisesenterprise n.企业， 事业， 计划， 事业心， 进取心， 干事业.