Italy did not exist as a state until the country's unification in 1861. Due to this comparatively late unification, and the historical autonomy of the regions that comprise the Italian Peninsula, many traditions and customs that are now recognized as distinctly Italian can be identified by their regions of origin. Despite the political and social isolation of these regions, Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe remain immense.

Italy's global and international impact in politics, history, art, culture, philosophy, literature, archaeology, science, opera, cuisine, architecture, fashion, education, religion, cinema, entertainment and music remain vast up to this day. The Vatican City, in Rome, (where the pope resides), is the only nation in the world to still speak Latin, the world's smallest country, and the only country within a city. Elements which are famous of the Italian culture are its opera and music, its iconic gastronomy and food, which is commonly regarded amongst the most popular in the world (with famous dishes such as pasta, pizza, lasagna, focaccia, espresso and Italian gelato), its cinema (with classic films such as 8½, Bicycle Thieves, Cinema Paradiso, La Dolce Vita, Life is Beautiful, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly etc.), its collections of priceless works of art (found mainly in cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples and Milan, to name a few) and its fashion (Milan is regarded as the true fashion capital of the world).

Italy, over the centuries, has given birth to a great number of polymaths, geniuses and notable people, such as Julius Caesar, Petrarch, Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Galileo Galilei, Rossini, Vivaldi, Alessandro Volta, Verdi, Puccini, Guglielmo Marconi, Maria Montessori, Enrico Fermi, Federico Fellini, Guccio Gucci, Gianni Versace, Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli, to name a few. Italy is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (44) to date. From the precepts of the Roman Catholic Church, the spirit of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, are events which greatly shaped Italy's architecture, culture and art.

The type of government is a republic. Italy also has the world's 8th highest quality of life index, 2nd best healthcare system and 19th highest life expectancy. Italy's public education is free and compulsory from 6-14 years of age, and has a five-year primary stage and an eight-year secondary stage, divided into first-grade secondary school (middle school) and second-grade secondary school (or high school).

Italy has a high public education standard, beating that of the UK and Germany. Italy has both public and private education systems. Primary school lasts five years.

Until middle school, the educational curriculum is uniform for all: although one can attend a private or state-funded school, the subjects studied are the same, except in special schools for the blind, the hearing-impaired, and so forth.

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