Italy, that one
伊 centers on a specific reference: pointing to 'that one' person or thing. Its use for Italy is a phonetic loan, not a meaning extension.
伊 combines 亻 (person) with 尹, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to a person or a demonstrative pronoun. The modern use for Italy is a phonetic borrowing.
A person 亻 beside 尹, which looks like a hand holding a staff. Imagine someone pointing with a staff at 'that one' person in a crowd.
For イ, picture an Italian person pointing at a map of Italy and saying 'Ee-taly!' The 'Ee' sound cues イ while the person points at 'that one' country.
Iraq
Italy
elegance; dandyism; sophistication; having style
Ise (former province located in the major part of present-day Mie Prefecture and parts of Aichi and Gifu prefectures)
Izu (former province located on the Izu Peninsula in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture, and the Izu Islands)
scarbreast tuskfin (Choerodon azurio)
Isetan (department store)
Iga (former province located in the west of present-day Mie Prefecture)
Iyo (former province located in present-day Ehime Prefecture)
Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)
Ise Grand Shrine
Kii (former province located in present-day Wakayama and southern Mie prefectures)
chicken grunt (Parapristipoma trilineatum); threeline grunt
Kinokuniya
Itochu Corporation
Ise pilgrimage; pilgrimage to the Ise Grand Shrine
spiny lobster (esp. Japanese spiny lobster, Panulirus japonicus)
Tales of Ise (Heian period collection of poems)
Izanagi; male deity who fathered Japan and the sun, moon, and storm gods
the best men are from Kyoto; the best women from Ise