Italy's mass/size, population size and density (compared to the U.S.)

As many people learn in elementary school, Italy is shaped like a long boot and stretches from Switzerland to North Africa giving the country a wide range of climates, terrain, and people. Although Italy is one of the most recognizable countries to identify on a map (located on a peninsula in southern Europe), it ironically is only the size of Georgia and Florida combined when compared it to the United States. Looking at that comparison, it is not surprising that the United States’ population is ranked 3rd in the world at a little over 300 million. Italy’s population on the other hand, takes it place at the 23rd largest countries in the world with a population of around 59 million. Although Italy’s population is not nearly as large as the United States, Italy is extremely densely populated with the title of the 54th most densely populated countries while the United States is a mere 180th on the list. The Vatican City alone, located within Italy, is ranked as the third most densely populated countries in the world. Although Italy and the United States are vastly different in many ways, both of the countries offer diverse terrain including infinite coastlines, plentiful mountain ranges, and large plains and lowlands. They also present several different climates made to suit your vacation needs whether it is a weekend at the beach or a trip to a ski resort.

Hyperlinks:
http://geography.about.com/library/maps/blvatican.htm - 22k - "Vatican City"


Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy
2. http://flagcounter.com/factbook/it
3. www.mapsofworld.com/italy/italy-population.html