Ethnic-Linguistic Profile
There is no doubt that the troubled times of the Risorgimento, followed by the two World Wars, added to a national history that stretches back for centuries, have helped to reinforce the nationalism of the Italian people, nurtured by a history and culture rooted in Roman civilization. In addition, as a factor of uniformity and cohesion, there is the religion of the country (Roman Catholic) and, especially, the Italian language, belonging to the neo-latin group of languages, like those of several other European countries (France, Spain, Portugal and Rumania).

The country's historical vicissitudes have left their mark on Italian in the presence of other languages, several of these autochthonous, ie. which developed contemporarily with Italian, others absorbed from neighbouring European language areas. The present Constitution protects the linguistic minorities, some of which have been granted particular conditions of privilege, as in the autonomous regions, where French (Valle d'Aosta), Slovene (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), German and Ladin (Alto Adige) are official languages and taught in schools.

The absolute majority of the populations speaks Italian, one of the dialects, or other related tongues, such as Sardo (c. 1,350,000 native speakers), Friulano (c. 700,000) and Ladin (c. 40,000).

Franco-provençal or Arpitano dialects are spoken in Valle d'Aosta, and in certain Piedmont valleys (upper Valle di Susa, Val Chisone, Val Germanasca, Val Varaita, Val Corsiglia etc.) and in upper Val Argentina (IM) Provençal or Occitanian dialects are spoken. In Valle d'Aosta and in some of the above valleys, French is the official and spoken language together with Italian. Provençal linguistic enclaves exist at Guardia Piemontese (CS), Faeto and Celle di San Vito (FG).

There are Catalan-speaking groups (c. 15,000) at Alghero (SS). Most of the German-speaking minorities are found in Alto Adige (Tyrolese dialects: at 1981 census-279,576, belonging to the Bavarian-Austrian group), ie, in the Province of Bolzano, where German is the official language with Italian. German dialects are used in various other isolated instances (c. 15,000 speakers), such as in the Monte Rosa area (Gressoney) and upper Val sesia, Val Formazza and Valle Anzasca (Aleman dialect), Luserna, upper Perginese (TN), Giazza (VR), Sette Comuni (Baiuvari dialects), Sappada (BL), Sauris, Timau, upper Val Canale at Tarvisio (Carinthian dialects). The Slav minorities are now restricted to Slovenes (53,193) in Val di Resia (UD), the upper Torre and Natisone valleys, Val Canale, the east part of Gorizia province and most of the province of Trieste. Several isolated groups of Serbo-Croat are found in Molise (Acquaviva Collecroce, Montemitro, San Felice del Molise). Greek dialects are spoken in some parts of Salento and Aspromonte. Tha Albanian-speaking colonies are more numerous and are concentrated mainly in Sicily (Piana degli Albanesi) and Calabria, but also found in Molise, Abruzzo, Campania, Puglia and Basilicata.

Though continual internal migration has led to a general process of amalgamation of the population and considerable blurring of somatic characteristics, from a purely physical aspect, there are still fairly striking local differences. It is still possible to distinguish between the dark type, inhabitant mainly of the islands and South, whose stature is lower than the national average (which rose from 167.48 cm. to 172.80 cm. in 1931-1961), and the fair type, found prevalently in the northern Alpine-Po Valley regions, whose height is over the national average. One of the population's ethnic characteristics is its religion.

The Catholic faith, widely diffused, enjoys particular privileges, partly by virtue of a historical tradition which has seen the Church of Rome as a constant in government and in the organization of public life, and the territory itself.

After the renewal of the Concordat (18.2.1984), Italy proceeded to stipulate specific agreements with the other religious communities present in the country, particularly with the Jewish community (1987), replacing the former decrees dating to 1930-31, governing its organization. The present Jewish population in Italy is a little under 40,000. The Protestant churches are much more numerous (over 200,000 members). The oldest is the Waldensian Evangelical Church, whose origins date to the Middle Ages (the Waldensians adhered to the Reformation in 1532), and which is particularly diffused in several Piedmont valleys (Val Pellice, Val Varaita, etc.) and the principal Italian cities. Islam too is spreading, linked to the presence of numerous citizens from the neighbouring African and Middle East countries. A traditional presence is that of the Orthodox Churches.