2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
Race results -- Men 's
Table:
Rank

Athlete

Nationality

Time

Notes

Zersenay Tadese

Eritrea

59:35

CR

Bernard Kipyego

Kenya

59:59

Dathan Ritzenhein

United States

1:00:00

PB

4

Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich

Kenya

1:00:08

5

Samuel Tsegay

Eritrea

1:00:17

PB

6

Wilson Kwambai Chebet

Kenya

1:00:59

7

Kiplimo Kimutai

Kenya

1:01:31

SB

8

Stephen Mokoka

South Africa

1:01:36

9
Juan Carlos Romero
Mexico
1:01:48
PB

10
Sammy Kitwara
Kenya
1:01:59

11
Tilahun Regassa
Ethiopia
1:02:08
SB

12
Dereje Tesfaye
Ethiopia
1:02:09

13
Rachid Kisri
Morocco
1:02:11
PB

14
Abebe Negewo
Ethiopia
1:02:25
PB

15
Fabiano Joseph
Tanzania
1:02:25
SB

16
Marco Joseph
Tanzania
1:02:41
PB

17
Marilson dos Santos
Brazil
1:02:41
SB

18
Daniele Meucci
Italy
1:02:43
PB

19
Abrha Adhanom
Eritrea
1:02:47
PB

20
Andrew Carlson
United States
1:02:50

Using the given table together with the supporting evidence below.

Provide an answer to this question: Which high school did the runner that finished with a time of 1:00:00 at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships attend ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

Zersenay Tadese [ nb ] ( Tigrinya : ዘርእሰናይ ታደሰ ; born 8 February 1982 ) is an Eritrean long-distance track and road running athlete . He held the men 's half marathon world record from 2010 to 2018 . His bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics made him the first ever Eritrean Olympic medallist , and his 20-km title at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships also made him the country 's first athlete to win at a world championship event . He does not use a sprint finish to win races ; his strategy relies on a combination of efficient running and fast pace setting . Zersenay ( Tadese is his father 's name ) has found most of his success in the half marathon , with four consecutive victories in the World Half Marathon Championships from 2006 to 2009 ( with a 2006 20km edition ) , a silver medal in 2010 and a fifth title in 2012 . His 5 titles are a record . He set a world record at the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2010 . He has also excelled in cross country running , winning a gold , a silver , and two bronze medals in the long distance race over five IAAF World Cross Country Championships . He is a four-time Olympian ( 2004 , 2008 , 2012 and 2016 ) . In 2009 , Zersenay became only the second man ( after Paul Tergat ) to win three World Championship medals over three different surfaces in the same year , winning World Cross Country bronze , 10,000 metres World Championship silver on the track , and gold in road running at the World Half Marathon Championships . He is a popular public figure in his home country ; 2500 guests attended his wedding to Merhawit Solomon , which was broadcast live on Eritrean television . His brother , Kidane Tadese , is also a professional distance runner .
Eritrea ( /ˌɛrɪˈtreɪə , ˌɛrɪˈtriːə/ ( listen ) officially the State of Eritrea ) , is a country in the Horn of Africa in East Africa , with its capital at Asmara . It is bordered by Sudan in the west , Ethiopia in the south , and Djibouti in the southeast . The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea . The nation has a total area of approximately 117,600 km2 ( 45,406 sq mi ) , and includes the Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands . Eritrea is a multi-ethnic country , with nine recognized ethnic groups in its population of around 3 million . Eritrea has nine national languages which are Tigrinya language , Tigre , Afar , Beja , Bilen , Kunama , Nara , Saho . Tigrinya , Arabic , and English serve as the three working languages . Most residents speak languages from the Afroasiatic family , either of the Ethiopian Semitic languages or Cushitic branches . Among these communities , the Tigrinyas make up about 55% of the population , with the Tigre people constituting around 30% of inhabitants . In addition , there are a number of Nilo-Saharan-speaking Nilotic ethnic minorities . Most people in the territory adhere to Islam or Christianity . The Kingdom of Aksum , covering much of modern-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia , was established during the first or second centuries AD .
The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships is an biannual ( from 1992 - 2010 annual ) half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations . It was contested from 1992 to 2005 , and replaced by the IAAF World Road Running Championships , a 20 kilometres race which had its inaugural event held in 2006 in Debrecen , Hungary . After a second edition of the Road Running Championships , which was over the half marathon distance , it reverted to the original name of the World Half Marathon Championships . The competition replaced the female-only IAAF World Women 's Road Race Championships , which was held annually from 1983 to 1991 .
Bernard Kiprop Kipyego ( born 16 July 1986 in Keiyo District ) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon . His personal best for the event is 2:06:22 hours . He has reached the podium at the Amsterdam Marathon , Chicago Marathon , Boston Marathon , Paris Marathon and Tokyo Marathon . He was the bronze medallist at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and took the silver medal at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships .
Kenya ( /ˈkɛnjə/ ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Kenya ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Kenya ) , is a country in Africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors . At 580,367 square kilometres ( 224,081 sq mi ) , Kenya is the world 's 48th largest country by total area . With a population of more than 47.6 million people , Kenya is the 29th most populous country . Kenya 's capital and largest city is Nairobi , while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa . Kisumu City is the third largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria . Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret . Kenya is bordered by South Sudan to the northwest , Ethiopia to the north , Somalia to the east , Uganda to the west , Tanzania to the south , and the Indian Ocean to the southeast . According to archaeological dating of associated artifacts and skeletal material , the Cushites first settled in the lowlands of Kenya between 3,200 and 1,300 BC , a phase referred to as the Lowland Savanna Pastoral Neolithic . Nilotic-speaking pastoralists ( ancestral to Kenya 's Nilotic speakers ) started migrating from present-day southern Sudan into Kenya around 500 BC . European colonisation of Kenya began in the 19th century during the European exploration of the interior . Modern-day Kenya emerged from a protectorate established by the British Empire in 1895 and the subsequent Kenya Colony , which began in 1920 . Numerous disputes between the UK and the colony led to the Mau Mau revolution , which began in 1952 , and the subsequent declaration of independence in 1963 .
Dathan Ritzenhein ( born December 30 , 1982 ) is an American long-distance runner . He held the American record in the 5,000 metres ( 12:56.27 ) from 2009-2010 , when it was broken by Bernard Lagat . He is a three-time national cross country champion with wins at the USA Cross Country Championships in 2005 , 2008 and 2010 . Formerly a Nike athlete for the majority of his professional career , Dathan joined the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project team in 2017 and has been sponsored by Brooks since then . Ritzenhein was a standout runner at Rockford High School in Michigan and the University of Colorado at Boulder . He was part of the stellar high school class of 2001 that also produced American mile record holder Alan Webb and American half-marathon record holder Ryan Hall .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich ( born 15 March 1982 ) is a Kenyan athlete who specialises in long-distance running , competing in events ranging from 10 km to the marathon . He was the bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics . He is the former world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:03:23 , which he set at the 2013 Berlin Marathon . He has run under 2 hours 4 minutes for the marathon on four separate occasions . Kipsang is a two-time winner of the Frankfurt Marathon ( 2010 and 2011 ) and has also won the London Marathon ( 2012 and 2014 ) , New York Marathon ( 2014 ) , and Tokyo Marathon ( 2017 ) . He holds the twelfth best time over the half marathon distance ( 58:59 minutes ) .
Samuel Tsegay Tesfamriam ( born 24 October 1988 ) is an Eritrean long-distance runner running for the Swedish track club Hälle IF , who specializes in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres . He was born in Eritrea . As a junior , he competed in the junior races at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships , finishing seventeenth in 2005 , eighth in 2006 and eighth in 2007 . He finished fourth in the 10,000 metres at the 2006 World Junior Championships . At the 2009 World Cross Country Championships he finished sixteenth in the senior race . The Eritrean team took bronze medals in the team competition . He finished fifth at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships , and competed in the 5000 metres at the 2009 World Championships . A fifth place at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships gained him a team silver medal alongside Zersenay Tadese . He took third at the Cross Valle de Llodio in November behind compatriot Teklemariam Medhin . He ran at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships but was ultimately disqualified as he and Ethiopia 's Abera Kuma began fighting on the final stretch . Reflecting the history of antipathy between the nations , Tsegay accused the Ethiopian of deliberately elbowing him and standing on his heels from behind , thus he reacted by grabbing Abera 's leg and threw a punch before dashing to the finish . The IAAF disqualified both athletes for their conduct .
Wilson Kwambai Chebet ( born 12 July 1985 in Marakwet District ) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions . He has a marathon best of 2:05:27 hours . He began competing internationally in 2005 and established himself with a number of circuit wins in his first three years of competition , including the Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale and America 's Finest City Half Marathon . He managed podium finishes at the Granollers Half Marathon , Rotterdam Half Marathon and Delhi Half Marathon in 2008 . He represented Kenya at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and helped win the team gold medal . Chebet began pacemaking in marathon races in 2009 and made his competitive debut over the distance in 2010 . His clocking of two hours , 6:12 minutes to finish as runner-up at the Amsterdam Marathon was the second fastest debut run of all-time . In 2011 , won both the Amsterdam and Rotterdam Marathons . He repeated as Amsterdam champion in 2012 . His half marathon best of 59:15 minutes ranks among the top 15 fastest ever and he is in the top ten fastest ever over 20 km .
Kiplimo Kimutai ( born December 10 , 1981 ) is a male long-distance runner from Kenya .
Stephen Mokoka ( born 31 January 1985 ) is a South African long-distance runner who competes in races ranging from 3000 metres to the marathon distance . He is a four-time medalist at the Universiade and has represented South Africa internationally in road , cross country , and track events . He represented South Africa in the marathon at the 2012 London Olympics .
South Africa , officially the Republic of South Africa ( RSA ) , is the southernmost country in Africa . It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres ( 1,739 mi ) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans ; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia , Botswana , and Zimbabwe ; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini ( Swaziland ) ; and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho . South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 24th-largest country in the world by land area and , with over 58 million people , is also the world 's 24th-most populous nation . It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere . About 80 percent of South Africans are of Bantu ancestry , divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages , nine of which have official status . The remaining population consists of Africa 's largest communities of European , Asian ( Indian ) , and multiracial ( Coloured ) ancestry . South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures , languages , and religions . Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution 's recognition of 11 official languages , which is the fourth-highest number in the world . Two of these languages are of European origin : Afrikaans developed from Dutch and serves as the first language of most coloured and white South Africans ; English reflects the legacy of British colonialism , and is commonly used in public and commercial life , though it is fourth-ranked as a spoken first language . The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état , and regular elections have been held for almost a century . However , the vast majority of black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994 . During the 20th century , the black majority sought to claim more rights from the dominant white minority , with this struggle playing a large role in the country 's recent history and politics .
Juan Carlos Romero Bernal ( born 15 December 1977 in Zacatecas , Zacatecas , México ) is a Mexican long-distance runner who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics .
Mexico ( Spanish : México [ ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) ; Nahuatl languages : Mēxihco ) , officially the United Mexican States ( UMS ; Spanish : Estados Unidos Mexicanos , EUM [ esˈtaðos uˈniðoz mexiˈkanos ] ( listen ) , lit . Mexican United States ) , is a country in the southern portion of North America . It is bordered to the north by the United States ; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean ; to the southeast by Guatemala , Belize , and the Caribbean Sea ; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico . Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers ( 770,000 sq mi ) , the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world . With an estimated population of over 129 million people , Mexico is the tenth most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world , while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil . Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states plus Mexico City ( CDMX ) , which is the capital city and its most populous city . Other metropolises in the country include Guadalajara , Monterrey , Puebla , Toluca , Tijuana , and León . Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8000 BC and is identified as one of six cradles of civilization and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacan , Zapotec , Maya , and Aztec before first contact with Europeans . In 1521 , the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its politically powerful base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan ( part of Mexico City ) , which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain . The Roman Catholic Church played a powerful role in governing the country as millions were converted to the faith , although King Charles III expelled the Jesuits in the 1770s . The territory became a nation state following its recognition in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence . The post-independence period was tumultuous , characterized by economic inequality and many contrasting political changes .
Sammy Kirop Kitwara ( born 26 November 1986 in Sagat , Marakwet District ) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running events . He is coached by Moses Kiptanui . As of January 2020 he is the 12th fastest half marathon runner in history .
Tilahun Regassa Dabe ( born 18 January 1990 ) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who mainly competes in road running competitions . He has a half marathon best of 59:19 minutes and has won the Zayed International Half Marathon and Lille Half Marathon . He made his marathon debut at the 2012 Chicago Marathon and ran the third fastest ever debut of 2:05:27 hours . He has won a number of major road races in the United States including the Boilermaker Road Race , Bolder Boulder , Crescent City Classic , Monument Avenue 10K , the Cooper River Bridge Run , and the Falmouth Road Race . He represented Ethiopia at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and won the team bronze medal .
Ethiopia ( /ˌiːθiˈoʊpiə/ ; Amharic : ኢትዮጵያ , ʾĪtyōṗṗyā , listen ( help·info ) , Tigrinya : ኢትዮጵያ , Oromo : Itiyoophiyaa , Somali : Itoobiya , Afar : Itiyoophiyaa ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia , is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa . It shares borders with Eritrea to the north , Djibouti to the northeast , Somalia , and the de facto state of Somaliland to the east , Kenya to the south , South Sudan to the west and Sudan to the northwest . With over 109 million inhabitants , Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent with a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres ( 420,000 sq mi ) . Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa , which lies a few miles west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the Nubian and Somali tectonic plates . Some of the oldest skeletal evidence for anatomically modern humans has been found in Ethiopia . It is widely considered as the region from which modern humans first set out for the Middle East and places beyond . According to linguists , the first Afroasiatic-speaking populations settled in the Horn region during the ensuing Neolithic era . Tracing its roots to the 2nd millennium BCE , Ethiopia 's governmental system was a monarchy for most of its history . Oral literature tells that the monarchy was founded by the Solomonic dynasty of the Queen of Sheba , under its first king , Menelik I . In the first centuries , the Kingdom of Aksum maintained a unified civilization in the region , followed by the Ethiopian Empire circa 1137 . During the late 19th-century Scramble for Africa , Ethiopia and Liberia were two nations that preserved their sovereignty from long-term colonisation by a European colonial power and many newly-independent nations on the continent subsequently adopted its flag colours . However , the country was later occupied by Italy in 1936 and became Italian Ethiopia ( part of Italian East Africa ) until it was liberated during World War II .
Rachid Kisri is a Moroccan long-distance runner . At the 2012 Summer Olympics , he competed in the Men 's marathon , finishing in 18th place .
Morocco ( /məˈrɒkoʊ/ ( listen ) ; Arabic : المغرب , romanized : al-maġhrib , lit . 'place the sun sets ; the west ' ; Standard Moroccan Tamazight : ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ , romanized : lmeɣrib ; French : Maroc ) , officially the Kingdom of Morocco ( Arabic : المملكة المغربية , romanized : al-mamlakah al-maghribiyah , lit . 'The Western Kingdom ' ; Standard Moroccan Tamazight : ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ , romanized : tageldit n lmaɣrib ; French : Royaume du Maroc ) , is a country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa . It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west , with land border with Algeria to the east and Western Sahara to the south ( status disputed ) . Morocco also claims the exclaves of Ceuta , Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera , all of them under Spanish jurisdiction , as well as several small Spanish-controlled islands of its coast . The capital is Rabat and the largest city is Casablanca . Morocco spans an area of 710,850 km2 ( 274,460 sq mi ) and has a population of over 36 million . Since the foundation of the first Moroccan state by Idris I in 788 AD , the country has been ruled by a series of independent dynasties , reaching its zenith under Almoravid and Almohad rule , when it spanned parts of Iberia and northwestern Africa . The Marinid and Saadi dynasties resisted foreign domination into the 17th century , allowing Morocco to remain the only northwest African country to avoid Ottoman occupation . The Alaouite dynasty , which rules to this day , seized power in 1631 . The country 's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean attracted the interest of Europe , and in 1912 , Morocco was divided into French and Spanish protectorates , with an international zone in Tangier . It regained its independence in 1956 , and has since remained comparatively stable and prosperous by regional standards , with the fifth largest economy in Africa .
Fabiano Joseph Naasi ( born December 24 , 1985 , in Babati , Manyara ) is a Tanzanian long-distance runner .
Tanzania ( /ˌtænzəˈniːə/ , [ note 2 ] Swahili : [ tanzaˈni.a ] ) , officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania ) , is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region . It borders Uganda to the north ; Kenya to the northeast ; Comoro Islands and the Indian Ocean to the east ; Mozambique and Malawi to the south ; Zambia to the southwest ; and Rwanda , Burundi , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west . Mount Kilimanjaro , Africa 's highest mountain , is in northeastern Tanzania . Many important hominid fossils have been found in Tanzania , such as 6-million-year-old Pliocene hominid fossils . The genus Australopithecus ranged all over Africa 4 to 2 million years ago ; and the oldest remains of the genus Homo are found near Lake Olduvai . Following the rise of Homo erectus 1.8 million years ago , humanity spread all over the Old World , and later in the New World and Australia under the species Homo sapiens . Homo sapiens also overtook Africa and absorbed the older archaic species and subspecies of humanity . One of the oldest known ethnic groups still existing , the Hadzabe , appears to have originated in Tanzania , and their oral history recalls ancestors who were tall and were the first to use fire , medicine , and lived in caves , much like Homo erectus or Homo heidelbergensis who lived in the same region before them . Later in the Stone and Bronze Age , prehistoric migrations into Tanzania included Southern Cushitic speakers who moved south from present-day Ethiopia ; Eastern Cushitic people who moved into Tanzania from north of Lake Turkana about 2,000 and 4,000 years ago ; and the Southern Nilotes , including the Datoog , who originated from the present-day South Sudan-Ethiopia border region between 2,900 and 2,400 years ago . : page 18 These movements took place at about the same time as the settlement of the Mashariki Bantu from West Africa in the Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika areas . They subsequently migrated across the rest of Tanzania between 2,300 and 1,700 years ago . German rule began in mainland Tanzania during the late 19th century when Germany formed German East Africa .
Marílson Gomes dos Santos ( born 6 August 1977 ) is a Brazilian long-distance runner . He won the 2006 and 2008 New York City Marathon , becoming the first South American to win the race . He was selected as the best male performer at the 2009 Brazilian national championships after breaking the meet records in both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres races . He is the current South American record holder in both these events with times of 13:19.43 and 27:28.12 , respectively . He has won medals at the South American Cross Country Championships , starting with a silver in the junior race in 1996 , then taking the bronze in the men 's long race in 2000 , before winning his first championship title in 2008 . He ran at the 2010 London Marathon and came close to a personal best time , finishing in 2:08:46 for sixth place behind Abel Kirui . He signed up for the New York Marathon that year and used the Troféu Brasil de Atletismo ( the Brazilian athletics championships ) as his preparation , winning the 10,000 m title . He secured his third career win at the Saint Silvester Race in São Paulo at the end of the year - a record number for the competition in the international era . At the 2011 London Marathon , he set a personal best of 2:06:34 hours and placed fourth in the fast race behind a Kenyan trio of Emmanuel Mutai , Martin Lel and Patrick Makau . Dos Santos competed in the marathon at the 2008 , 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Olympics with the best result of fifth place in 2012 . He is married to Juliana Paula dos Santos , a fellow runner who won gold medals at the 2007 and 2015 Pan American Games . They have a son Miguel .
Brazil ( Portuguese : Brasil ; Portuguese pronunciation : [ bɾaˈziw ] ) , [ nt 1 ] officially the Federative Republic of Brazil ( Portuguese : República Federativa do Brasil , listen ( help·info ) ) , is the largest country in both South America and Latin America . At 8.5 million square kilometers ( 3.2 million square miles ) and with over 211 million people , Brazil is the world 's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous . Its capital is Brasília , and its most populous city is São Paulo . The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states , the Federal District , and the 5,570 municipalities . It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas ; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations , due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east , Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers ( 4,655 mi ) . It borders all other countries in South America except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47.3% of the continent 's land area . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection . Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral , who claimed the area for the Portuguese Empire . Brazil remained a Portuguese colony until 1808 , when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . In 1815 , the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil and the Algarves .
Daniele Meucci ( born 7 October 1985 ) is an Italian athlete who specialises in long-distance running , including track running , cross country and road running who won twenty medals at international level ( seventeen at senior level and three at youth level ) . He represented Italy at the 2012 Summer Olympics , running in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres . Meucci is a three-time medallist in the latter event at the European Athletics Championships , having won bronze in 2010 and 2016 and silver in 2012 . He was also a bronze medallist at the European Cross Country Championships in 2012 . He has competed at five World Championships in Athletics ( 2009 and 2011 in the 5000 m , 2011 , 2013 and 2017 in the 10000 m and 2015 in the marathon ) .
Italy ( Italian : Italia [ iˈtaːlja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Italian Republic ( Italian : Repubblica Italiana [ reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna ] ) , is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands . Italy is located in south-central Europe , and it is also considered a part of Western Europe . The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 ( 116,350 sq mi ) and shares land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino . Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland ( Campione ) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea ( Lampedusa ) . With around 60 million inhabitants , Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union . The capital and largest city is Rome ; other major cities are Milan , Naples , Turin , Palermo , Genoa , Bologna , Florence and Venice . Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean , Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures . In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy , the most predominant being the Indo-European Italic peoples who gave the peninsula its name , beginning from the classical era , Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy , Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy , while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively . An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC , which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People . The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula , eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe , North Africa and Asia . By the first century BC , the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural , political and religious centre , inaugurating the Pax Romana , a period of more than 200 years during which Italy 's law , technology , economy , art , and literature developed . Italy remained the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the empire , whose legacy can also be observed in the global distribution of culture , governments , Christianity and the Latin script .