Learn German: Mein Geburtsort ist in Italien. - My place of birth is in Italy.

In German, the last word in a compound noun always determines its gender. Since der Ort (the place) is masculine, the whole word der Geburtsort is masculine. That is why we use mein instead of meine here.

What is the s doing in the middle of Geburtsort?

This is a linking letter used to glue two words together smoothly. Here it connects die Geburt (birth) and der Ort (place). There is no single strict rule for when to use a linking s, so it is best to memorize the compound word as a whole.

Why do we use in for Italy instead of zu or an?

When talking about a static location (where something is located) inside a country or city, German uses the preposition in. Because this sentence describes a fact about where the birthplace is, rather than movement towards it, in is the correct choice.

Why is there no article before Italien, like in dem Italien?

Most countries in German, including Italien, are neuter and do not use an article when you say you are in or going to them. You only use articles for the few exceptions that are feminine (like die Schweiz), masculine (like der Iran), or plural (like die USA).