proper noun

• A country in southern Europe; population 59,800,000 (estimated 2015); capital, Rome; official language, Italian. Italian name Italia.

Successor to Rome, Italy achieved unification in the 19th century. It entered World War I on the Allied side in 1915. In 1922, the country was taken over by Fascist dictator Mussolini; participation in support of Germany during World War II resulted in defeat and Mussolini's downfall. Italy was a founding member of the EEC