* Italy: This is where the language originated, and it's the most populous country where Italian is spoken as a first language.
* San Marino: This microstate located within Italy also has Italian as its official language.
* Vatican City: While not technically a country, the Vatican City, located within Rome, uses Italian as its official language.
Other countries where Italian is spoken:
* Switzerland: Italian is one of the four official languages of Switzerland, spoken in the southern canton of Ticino.
* Slovenia: A small community in the northeast of Slovenia speaks Italian as their first language.
* Croatia: There's a small Italian-speaking population on the Istrian peninsula in Croatia.
* Monaco: While French is the official language, Italian is widely spoken due to its proximity to Italy.
It's important to remember that these are just the countries where Italian is *officially recognized* or *predominantly spoken*. There are also significant Italian-speaking communities in other countries, particularly in the Americas, due to historical migration.