▁of ▁un register ed ▁Roman ians ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁estimate , ▁but ▁the ▁B alk an ▁Investig ative ▁Report ing ▁Network ▁suggested ▁that ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁that ▁there ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁or ▁more . ▁Over all , ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁the ▁foreign ▁born ▁population ▁of ▁Italy ▁was ▁from : ▁Europe ▁( 5 4 % ), ▁Africa ▁( 2 2 % ), ▁Asia ▁( 1 6 % ), ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁( 8 %) ▁and ▁O ce ania ▁( 0 . 0 6 %). ▁The ▁distribution ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁is ▁largely ▁une ven ▁in ▁Italy : ▁ 8 4 . 9 % ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁and ▁central ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁( the ▁most ▁econom ically ▁developed ▁areas ), ▁while ▁only ▁ 1 5 . 1 % ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁pen ins ula . ▁ ▁Within ▁the ▁Italian ▁population , ▁there ▁is ▁enough ▁cultural , ▁lingu istic , ▁gen etic ▁and ▁historical ▁divers ity ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁const itute ▁several ▁distinct ▁groups ▁throughout ▁the ▁pen ins ula . ▁In ▁this ▁regard , ▁pe op les ▁like ▁the ▁Fri ul ians , ▁the ▁Lad ins , ▁the ▁S ard ini ans ▁and ▁South ▁Ty role ans , ▁who ▁also ▁const itute ▁recognized ▁lingu istic ▁minor ities , ▁or ▁even ▁the ▁Sic ili ans , ▁are ▁cases ▁in ▁point ▁att est ing ▁to ▁such ▁internal ▁divers ity . ▁ ▁Historical ▁data ▁