Rome, Italy News

About  Rome, Italy

Rome is one of Italy's three main economic centres, along with Milan and Turin. Its main economic activities are centred on the administrative and political sectors and the tourist industry.

Other significant industries include banking and financial services, fashion, printing, publishing and national radio and television.

As a result of the Government's decentralisation programme, public sector employment in Rome is likely to decrease in the coming years.

The city is therefore in the midst of a major investment programme aimed at maximising the possibilities from tourism and encouraging major national and multinational companies to set up operations in the city.

Rome benefits from a variety of excellent educational establishments that ensure employers in the Lazio region have access to a skilled and well educated workforce.

In fact, according to figures published by Eurostat, the region has the lowest incidence in the country of people who do not hold a post compulsory qualification.

In Mercer's Quality of Living Survey 2007, which assesses 215 cities around the world on criteria covering political, social, economic and environmental factors, Rome was ranked 14th out of the EU capitals and 61st in the world.

The city scored a total of 97.4 points, compared to 108.1 points for the first placed city of Zurich. Paris was placed 33rd on 102.7 points while London was positioned 39th in the world on 100.2 points.

Rome's principle airport, Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) Airport, is situated 26 kilometres to the southwest of the city centre and is one of the busiest airports in Europe, offering flights to and from numerous destinations all over the world.

The airport is connected to the city by a direct train, which runs at intervals of 30 minutes. The city is also served by Ciampino airport, which mostly caters for domestic flights, with some international flights also available.

The city itself has an extensive public transport system comprised of buses, trams, subway and suburban railways. However, the use of these is relatively limited as many commuters prefer private transport, which has led to significant problems with traffic congestion.

Other Major Cities:

• Roma
• Milano
• Napoli
• Torino
• Palermo
• Genova
• Bologna
• Firenze
• Bari
• Catania
• Venezia
• Verona
• Messina
• Padova
• Trieste