Consider:
Italy had definitively rid itself of his century-old enemy: instead of the Austro-Hungarian Empire there were now a number of smaller states
Shouldn't it be the following?
Italy had definitively rid herself of her century-old enemy: instead of the Austro-Hungarian Empire there were now a number of smaller states
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ulashima
The usage of the female third person pronoun "she" for countries is a common practice, as with ships. But it's not mandatory....at least I do not think so. Because I've seen examples of both.
Yes, it’s a way to express affection towards inanimate objects like the example that’s been given of ships. It’s not that common but I imagine the practice goes back to the time when the English nobility spoke French (Italie being feminin). Please refer to the following link:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Frenchcountryname_genders.svg