Editing Economy of Italy (section)

=== Transportation ===
{{Main|Transport in Italy}}
[[File:A8-A26 Besnate.jpg|thumb|left|The ''[[Autostrada dei Laghi]]'' ("Lakes Motorway"; now parts of the [[Autostrada A8 (Italy)|Autostrada A8]] and the [[Autostrada A9 (Italy)|Autostrada A9]]) near [[Besnate]], the first [[motorway]] built in the world.<ref name="independent"/><ref name="motorwebmuseum"/>]]

Regarding the national road network, in 2002 there were {{convert|668721|km|mi|abbr=on}} of serviceable [[roads in Italy]], including {{convert|6487|km|mi|abbr=on}} of motorways, state-owned but privately operated by [[Atlantia (company)|Atlantia]]. In 2005, about 34,667,000 [[Automobile|passenger cars]] (590 cars per 1,000 people) and 4,015,000 goods vehicles circulated on the national road network.<ref name="European Commission">{{cite web |url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-DA-07-001/EN/KS-DA-07-001-EN.PDF |title=Panorama of Transport |author=European Commission |access-date=3 May 2009|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407142402/http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-DA-07-001/EN/KS-DA-07-001-EN.PDF |archive-date=7 April 2009|author-link=European Commission}}</ref>

Italy was the first country in the world to build [[motorway]]s, the so-called ''[[Autostrade of Italy|autostrade]]'', reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only.<ref name=independent>{{Cite news|first=Thea|last=Lenarduzzi|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/the-worlds-first-motorway-piero-puricellis-masterpiece-is-the-focus-of-an-unlikely-pilgrimage-a6840816.html|title=The motorway that built Italy: Piero Puricelli's masterpiece|date=30 January 2016|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=12 May 2022|archive-date=26 May 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/the-worlds-first-motorway-piero-puricellis-masterpiece-is-the-focus-of-an-unlikely-pilgrimage-a6840816.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="motorwebmuseum">{{cite web|url=https://www.motorwebmuseum.it/en/places/varese/the-milano-laghi-by-piero-puricelli-the-first-motorway-in-the-world/|title=The "Milano-Laghi" by Piero Puricelli, the first motorway in the world|access-date=10 May 2022|archive-date=1 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901170319/https://www.motorwebmuseum.it/en/places/varese/the-milano-laghi-by-piero-puricelli-the-first-motorway-in-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> The ''[[Autostrada dei Laghi]]''  ("Lakes Motorway"), the first built in the world, connecting [[Milan]] to [[Lake Como]] and [[Lake Maggiore]], and now parts of the [[Autostrada A8 (Italy)|A8]] and [[Autostrada A9 (Italy)|A9]] motorways, was devised by [[Piero Puricelli]] and was inaugurated in 1924.<ref name="motorwebmuseum"/> He received the first authorization to build a public-utility fast road in 1921. By the end of the 1930s, over 400 kilometres of multi- and dual-single-lane motorways were constructed throughout Italy, linking cities and rural towns. Italy is one of the countries with the most vehicles per capita, with 690 per 1000 people in 2010.<ref name=Wards11>{{cite news |url=http://wardsauto.com/ar/world_vehicle_population_110815/ |title=World Vehicle Population Tops 1 Billion Units |author=John Sousanis |work=[[Ward's|Ward AutoWorld]] |date=15 August 2011 |access-date=27 August 2011|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827104934/http://wardsauto.com/ar/world_vehicle_population_110815/ |archive-date=27 August 2011}}</ref>
[[File:Frecciarossa 1000 No' 08.jpg|thumb|[[Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane|FS]]' [[Frecciarossa 1000]] high speed train at [[Milano Centrale railway station]], with a maximum speed of {{convert|400|km/h|0|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Frecciarossa 1000 in Figures |url=http://www.fsitaliane.it/fsi-en/GROUP/Safety-and-Technology/Frecciarossa1000:-the-train-of-the-future/Frecciarossa-1000-in-Figures |publisher=Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane |access-date=24 November 2014|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218192603/http://www.fsitaliane.it/fsi-en/GROUP/Safety-and-Technology/Frecciarossa1000%3A-the-train-of-the-future/Frecciarossa-1000-in-Figures |archive-date=18 December 2014}}</ref> is one of the fastest trains in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/frecciarossa-1000-very-high-speed-train/ |title=Frecciarossa 1000 Very High-Speed Train |website=Railway Technology |access-date=5 May 2016 |archive-date=9 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809032916/http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/frecciarossa-1000-very-high-speed-train |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/french-train-breaks-speed-record-1.650346 |title=French Train Breaks Speed Record |website=[[CBC News]] |access-date=5 June 2019 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805201116/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/french-train-breaks-speed-record-1.650346 |url-status=live}}</ref>]]

The [[rail transport in Italy|national railway network]] is also extensive, especially in the north, totalizing 16,862&nbsp;km of which 69% are electrified and on which 4,937 locomotives and railcars circulate. It is the [[List of countries by rail transport network size|12th largest in the world]], and is operated by state-owned [[Ferrovie dello Stato]], while the [[rail tracks]] and infrastructure are managed by [[Rete Ferroviaria Italiana]]. While a number of private railroads exist and provide mostly [[Commuter rail|commuter-type]] services, the national railway also provides sophisticated [[High-speed rail in Italy|high-speed rail]] service that joins the major cities. The [[Florence–Rome high-speed railway]] was the first high-speed line opened in Europe when more than half of it opened in 1977. In 1991 the [[Treno Alta Velocità|TAV]] was created for the planning and construction of [[high-speed rail]] lines along Italy's most important and saturated transport routes (Milan-Rome-Naples and Turin-Milan-Venice). High-speed trains include [[ElettroTreno|ETR]]-class trains, with the [[Frecciarossa 1000]] reaching 400&nbsp;km/h. Higher-speed trains are divided into three categories: [[Frecciarossa]] ({{langx|en|red arrow}}) trains operate at a maximum speed of 300&nbsp;km/h on dedicated high-speed tracks; [[Frecciargento]] ({{langx|en|silver arrow}}) trains operate at a maximum speed of 250&nbsp;km/h on both high-speed and mainline tracks; and [[Frecciabianca]] ({{langx|en|white arrow}}) trains operate on high-speed regional lines at a maximum speed of 200&nbsp;km/h. Italy has 11 rail border crossings over the Alpine mountains with its neighbouring countries.
[[File:One-belt-one-road.svg|thumb|21st Century [[Silk Road]] with its connections to Italy]]

Since October 2021, Italy's [[flag carrier]] airline is [[ITA Airways]], which took over the brand, the IATA ticketing code, and many assets belonging to the former flag carrier [[Alitalia]], after its bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Buckley |first1=Julia |title=Italy reveals its new national airline |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ita-airways-launch/index.html |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=CNN |date=18 October 2021 |language=en |archive-date=18 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018100255/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ita-airways-launch/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ITA Airways serves 44 destinations ({{as of|October 2021|lc=y}}) and also operates the former Alitalia regional subsidiary, [[Alitalia CityLiner]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Villamizar |first1=Helwing |title=Italian Flag Carrier ITA Airways Is Born |url=https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/ita-airways-is-born/ |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=Airways Magazine |date=15 October 2021 |archive-date=16 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016100028/https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/ita-airways-is-born/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The country also has [[regional airline]]s (such as [[Air Dolomiti]]), low-cost carriers, and Charter and leisure carriers (including [[Neos (airline)|Neos]], [[Blue Panorama Airlines]] and [[Poste Air Cargo]]). Major Italian cargo operators are Alitalia Cargo and [[Cargolux Italia]]. Italy is the fifth in Europe by number of passengers by air transport, with about 148 million passengers or about 10% of the European total in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trasporto aereo in Italia (PDF) |date=7 January 2013 |url=http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/78802 |publisher=ISTAT |access-date=5 August 2013 |archive-date=13 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113035254/http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/78802 |url-status=live }}</ref> There are approximately [[List of airports in Italy|130 airports in Italy]], of which 99 have paved runways (including the two [[Airline hub|hubs]] of [[Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport|Leonardo Da Vinci International]] in Rome and [[Malpensa International Airport|Malpensa International]] in Milan).

Italy has been the final destination of the [[Silk Road]] for many centuries. In particular, the construction of the [[Suez Canal]] intensified sea trade with [[East Africa]] and [[Asia]] from the 19th century. Since the end of the Cold War and increasing European integration, trade relations, which were often interrupted in the 20th century, have intensified again. In 2004 there were 43 major seaports including the [[Port of Genoa]], the country's largest and the [[List of busiest ports in Europe|third busiest by cargo tonnage]] in the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. Due to the increasing importance of the maritime Silk Road with its connections to Asia and East Africa, the Italian ports for [[Central Europe|Central]] and [[Eastern Europe]] have become important in recent years. In addition, the trade in goods is shifting from the European northern ports to the ports of the Mediterranean Sea due to the considerable time savings and environmental protection. In particular, the deep water port of [[Trieste]] in the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea is the target of Italian, Asian and European investments.<ref>Marcus Hernig: Die Renaissance der Seidenstraße (2018) pp 112.</ref><ref>Bernhard Simon: Can The New Silk Road Compete With The Maritime Silk Road? in The Maritime Executive, 1 January 2020.</ref><ref>Chazizam, M. (2018). The Chinese Maritime Silk Road Initiative: The Role of the Mediterranean. Mediterranean Quarterly, 29(2), 54–69.</ref><ref>Guido Santevecchi: Di Maio e la Via della Seta: «Faremo i conti nel 2020», siglato accordo su Trieste in Corriere della Sera: 5. November 2019.</ref><ref>Linda Vierecke, Elisabetta Galla "Triest und die neue Seidenstraße" In: Deutsche Welle, 8 December 2020.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/hhla-plt-italy-starting-on-schedule/|title=HHLA PLT Italy starting on schedule &#124; Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide|website=www.hellenicshippingnews.com|access-date=11 May 2022|archive-date=11 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111105059/https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/hhla-plt-italy-starting-on-schedule/|url-status=live}}</ref> The national inland waterway network comprises {{convert|1,477|km|mi|abbr=on}} of navigable rivers and channels. In 2007 Italy maintained a civilian air fleet of about 389,000 units and a merchant fleet of 581 ships.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/5618077/KS-DA-07-001-EN.PDF|title=Panorama of Transport|year=2007|author=Eurostat|author-link=Eurostat|publisher=[[European Commission]]|isbn=978-92-79-04618-6|access-date=3 May 2009|archive-date=12 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212174916/http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/5618077/KS-DA-07-001-EN.PDF|url-status=live}}</ref>