.png)
The Mysteries of Italy
“Italy offers one the most priceless of one’s possessions - One’s own soul” — BARBARA GRIZZUTI HARRISON
Italy is one of my favorite countries. I have lived in Siena and Milan for a while before and the culture there is always so fascinating.
Here I would like to share with you some of the wonderful things about Italy. Hope you enjoy this virtual tour with me!
Role
Information Designer
Visual design, Data Analysis
Course
Information Design Studio at Northeastern University
Tools
Tableau, Illustrator, Figma
Where is Italy?
Italy is located in southern Europe, the center of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy, this distinctive high-heeled shoe shaped land, borders the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionian Sea to the south. Northern Italy is expanding and reaching out to France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia, and their cultures have influenced these regions. And, the southern part of Italy is near Greece, Albania, and northern Africa, that have likewise left their indelible contributions.
6 Major Cities in Italy
Each Italian city has its own fascinating cultural history and style. I have chosen six major cities in Italy to give you a brief introduction:
-
Northern Italy:Turin, Milan, Venice
-
Central Italy: Florence, Rome
-
Southern Italy: Naples
Geography of Italy
.png)
How the Italian territory evolved?
This short film documents the changes in territorial and political relations in Italy from 1900 to 2020.
Status of Italy's Population and GDP
From 2019 to 2020, COVID-19 had a devastating impact on Italy's economy and population. Italy's population growth fall sharply in 2019, partly due to Covid, and its GDP also fall by 8.9% throughout 2020. In 2021, the economic situation in Italy gradually bounce back.
Italy's Population
Italy's GDP
Trade of Italy
Apart from the US and Russia, Italy mainly trades with neighboring countries.
Exports in 2020
The top exports of Italy are Packaged Medicaments ($26.7B), Cars ($14.8B), Motor vehicles; parts and accessories (8701 to 8705) ($12.5B), Refined Petroleum ($8.26B), and Vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins and cultures ($7.75B), exporting mostly to Germany ($62.1B), France($49.5B), United States ($47.9B), Switzerland ($25.1B), and United Kingdom ($25B).
Imports in 2020
The top imports of Italy are Crude Petroleum ($25.5B), Cars ($22.5B), Packaged Medicaments ($18.7B), Petroleum Gas ($10.6B), and Gold ($9.17B), importing mostly from Germany ($67.3B), France ($36B), China ($35.9B), Netherlands ($23.3B), and Spain ($22.8B).
The the most beloved of all Italian food - Pasta!
In 2020, Italy exported $3.55B in Pasta, making it the 1st largest exporter of Pasta in the world.
The main destination of Pasta exports from Italy are: United States ($550M), Germany ($535M), United Kingdom ($458M), France ($456M), and Spain ($133M). While Italy imported $90.8M in Pasta, becoming the 30th largest importer of Pasta in the world. Italy imports Pasta primarily from: France ($21.9M), Greece ($12.8M), Belgium ($10.6M), Germany ($8M), and China ($6.06M).
Traditional Pasta Dishes in Italy
Pasta shapes and sauces vary so much by region, you’ll find yourself trying to figure out what that little something extra is that Florence adds in their sauce that you didn’t taste in Venice just two hours away.
There are so many different traditional Italian pasta dishes throughout the country that are worth a try!
If you’re looking for the best and most famous pasta dishes in Italy, this guide has you covered!
One of my favorite pasta - Trofie with pesto in Genova
The dish is a combination of two elements: trofie, the Ligurian hand-rolled pasta made with flour and water, and pesto, a famous green sauce consisting of seven elements: basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, salt, and two types of cheese.
This traditional authentic Genoese pesto contains Genoese Cathedral, extra virgin Ligurian olive oil, high-quality garlic and Parma Reggiano that can only be tasted in this region.
.png)
Do You Know?
-
23.5- Italians eat about 23.5 kg pasta per capita in a year, coming in the first place of this special ranking before Tunisia (17 kg), Venezuela (15 kg), and Greece (12.2 kg)
-
5-Italian eats some kind of pasta 3 to 5 times a week
-
120-Italians typically eat between 80 grams and 120 grams of pasta per meal