HistoryofItaly 　　TheItalianpeninsulashowsevidenceofhabitationbyanatomicallymodernhumansbeginningabout43,000yearsago.ItisreachedbytheNeolithicasearlyas6000BC(CardiumPotteryinCoppaNevigata).TheItalianBronzeAgebeginsaround1500BC,likelycorrespondingtothearrivalofIndo-EuropeanspeakerswhosedescendantswouldbecometheItalicpeoplesoftheIronAge;alongsidetheearlyItaliccultures,however,theEtruscancivilizationincentralItalyandGreekcoloniesinthesouthflourishedduring8thto5thcenturiesBC. 　　AmongtheItalicpeoples,theLatins,originallysituatedintheLatiumregion,andtheirLatinlanguagewouldcometodominatethepeninsulawiththeRomanconquestofItalyinthe3rdcenturyBC.TheRomanRepublicandlatertheRomanEmpiredominatedItalyformanycenturies,andfurthermoreestablishedthecultureandcivilizationofWesternEuropeingeneral,includingtheadoptionandsubsequentspreadofChristianityasstatereligionattheendofthe4thcentury. 　　ThedeclineandcollapseoftheWesternEmpirebytheendofthe5thcenturyistakentomarktheendofLateAntiquity.ALombardKingdomofItalywasestablished,althoughpartsofthepeninsularemainedunderByzantineruleandinfluenceuntilthe11thcentury.TheLombardkingdomwasincorporatedintoFranciaandultimatelytheHolyRomanEmpire,althoughtheriseofcity-states,andespeciallythepowerfulmaritimerepublicsinthemedievalperiodledtopoliticalfragmentation.Ultimately,afterthedisastrousItalianWars,thepeninsulawasdividedamongthegreatpowersofEarlyModernEurope,SpainandAustria,andlaterfelltotheFrenchEmpireunderNapoleonI,thePapalStatesbeingreducedtothecontroloftheHolySeeoverRome. 　　Withtheriseofnationalismandtheideaofthenationstateinthe19thcentury,thepeninsulawasunifiedinthelate19thcentury.ThenewKingdomofItaly,establishedin1861,quicklymodernizedandbuiltalargecolonialempire,colonizingpartsofAfrica,andcountriesalongtheMediterranean.However,manyregionsoftheyoungnation(notably,theSouth)remainedruralandpoor,originatingtheItaliandiaspora.PartofthevictoriousalliedpowersofWorldWarI,Italydefeateditshistoricalenemy,theAustrianEmpire.Soonafterwards,however,theliberalstatecollapsedtosocialunrest:theFascists,ledbyBenitoMussolini,tookoverandsetupanauthoritariandictatorship.ItalyjoinedtheAxispowersinWorldWarII,fallingintoabloodyCivilWarin1943,withtheFascistfactionfinallydefeatedinthespringof1945. 　　In1946,asaresultofaConstitutionalReferendum,themonarchywasabolished.[1]Thenewrepublicwasproclaimedon2June1946.Inthe1950sand1960s,Italysawaperiodofrapidmodernizationandsustainedeconomicgrowth,theso-calledItalianeconomicmiracle.Thecountry,comingbacktointernationalpoliticsamongWesterndemocraticpowers,joinedtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity(whichhaslaterconstitutedtheEuropeanUnion),theUnitedNations,NATO,theG7andtheOrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment.ItalyiscurrentlyrankedasamajorEuropeanpower.