What are the Regions of Italy?

Italy is divided into 20 regions, each with an elected president and council. They are responsible for healthcare, regional transport and economic development. Five regions have a special statute that gives them more autonomy, often because of their island location or language minorities: Sicily, Sardinia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Aosta Valley and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Italy's 1948 constitution created the regions, many of which follow historical states or territories that existed before Italian unification in 1861. The special-statute regions were set up between 1946 and 1963, but the 15 ordinary regions only gained elected councils in 1970. Molise, the newest region, was separated from Abruzzo in 1963.