Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, Sales and Marketing: The Essential Cultural Guide—From Presentations and Promotions to Communicating and Closing

LANGUAGE

Italy has been the name of this region for more than 3,000 years. It became a politically unified kingdom in 1861 and has only been a constitutional republic since 1946. Its ethnic diversity stems from the geographic influence of its surroundings. For example, France and Germany border the northern region of Italy and have had an effect on the languages and traditions there. In the east there can be a Slavic orientation from across the Adriatic Sea. And Arabic influences can still be found in parts of southern Italy.

Italy was a group of city-states for far longer than it has been a unified country. Although the media and the school systems are slowly diminishing the importance of ancient dialects, there are still major differences among ...