Italy: Demographics

Settlement Patterns

        First Humans in Italy

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        The first evidence of humans in Italy was approximetly 100, 000 years ago.  But these humans were not homo sapiens sapiens such as modern human beings.  The people occupying Italy at the time were a less advanced form of humans called home erectus.  These humans were thought to have live fairly close to were Rome was first established.  Flint axes were found at a site caled Torrimpietra that is to the west of Rome (kidipede).
        The first evidence of modern humans or homo sapiens sapiens displays that the first of these humns would have entered the area around 10, 000 BC.  Evidence such as multiple different types of tools and cave drawings display this particular fact (kidipede).

        Roman Empire

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        The first significant settlement of people on the Italian Penninsula came from the Greeks.  The first time the the Greeks touched foot on modern Italian soil was up to 5000 years ago in 3000 BC.  But the first settlements were set up from 800 BC-700 BC and only on the southernmost mart of the penninsula.  Other nations settled in the northern most parts such as the Etruscans and early Romans (US department of state).
        The entire Italian penninsula was first unified by the roman republic in 300 BC as was much of the rest of the mediterranean.  This included the surrounding islands such as sicily and sardinia.  The roman republic ruled most of the mediterranean so when it collapsed in 576 AD the countries and states it ruled over lost all political order.  Because of the loss of order, Italy was ruled by many different kingdoms and states that ruled them for only a brief period (US department of state). 

        Renaissance

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        After the collapse of the Roman empire Italy suffered a great deal.  With no political structure in most of the mediterranean Italy was constantly being invaded and put under temporary rule.  Because of this Italy had a very weak economy and low commercial prosperity when things calmed down after the collapse (US department of state). .
        In 1100 AD the commercial prosperity in Italy started to increase.  This was due to the northern Italian cities and due to the renaissance.  Though this was temporary and Italy as a whole started to decline in the 1500 AD the renaissance gave Italians the idea of an independant nation (US department of state).
        This idea worked slowly and by the 19th century the nationalist party in Italy had greatly increased its movements.  Then in the 1860s the nationalist party unified the entire Italian penninsula with the exception of Rome which was notunifed with the rest of the country until 1870.  In 1861 a king of the country was elected and this was a man from the house of Savoy  named Victor Emmanuell II.  Coininciding with the addition of Rome to the rest of Italy in 1870 was the creation of the Constututional monarchy (US department of state).

        Modern Italy

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        There have been few changes to the settlement patterns of physical changes to the lans in Italy in the last hundred years but there have been the few minor occurences.
        The first change was after WWI.  Before WWI started Italy was aliied to Germany but when the war started Italy switched sides to the Allied force.  After the war Italy was awarded a small piece of land that had been part of Austria (US department of state).
        Another physical change was after WWII.  In the second world war, Italy fought with germany and france against the US, the Soviet Union and the UK.  After this war, in the peace treat in 1947, the border between Italy and France was adjusted slightly to give Italy more land (US department of state).
        The third such instance was when some free land controlled by the US and UK forces was split betwwen the country of Yugoslavia and Italy.