Introduction to Rome
Geography
The Italian
Peninsula
Physical features
‘History is Governed, if not determined by Geography’
►Consider
the following questions
when thinking about how an area
is run either politically,
economically or socially.
► Do
the mountains protect, divide or
obstruct?
► Do the mountains breed a type of
personality? Does the sea? Do they both
affect the character of a nation or
civilization?
► Would the Romans favour trade or
agriculture?
► Would
the Romans be good fighters or
Sailors?
► Could the land produce enough food?
► Where would they get more food if they
needed it?
► From what direction would invaders come?
► Would unity be easier than Greece?
► Which
first?
side of the Peninsula would develop
Physical Features
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The Italian Peninsula is 3 times bigger than Greece.
Italy is shaped like a boot, juts approximately 960km out into the
Mediterranean Sea and is 160km wide.
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There are 3200 km of coastline
Good harbours are hard to find.
There are better harbours on the West Coast of Italy and therefore it
was more westward oriented.
►
Strategically,Italy is located in the center of the Mediterranean. The
Romans could reach the Middle East, Greece, Spain and North Africa
easily by sea.
►
The main mountain chain( Apennines) runs down the eastern
length like a backbone.
►
The Alps( North), helped to protect Rome from invasion,
although mountain passes allowed people to cross into
Europe.
► Unlike
the Greeks( high peaks) the rugged
Italian landscape did not prevent the
Romans from unifying under a single ruler
and creating a large empire.
Fertile Land
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There were three main areas of fertile land.
1) The great northern plain, enriched by the fertile deposits
from the Po River.
The Apennine ridge ( extended by the west to the east
before turning south) cut off the plains from the rest of
Italy.
Until Julius Caesar, the area was considered to be part of
Gaul.
Fertile Land
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2) Plain of Latium
3) Plain of Campania
Both were on the West Coast
Both were small areas. The soil was enriched by phosphate
from volcanoes ( were active until 1000BCE).
As Rome’s population increased these 3 plains could not
support the growing demand for grain.
Like the Greeks, the Romans had to find colonies to
supplement their food supply.
Rivers
The mountainous character of the peninsula robbed it of
many great rivers.
► There were 3 great rivers in the Roman Empire in Italy:
► 1) The Po River
► 2) The Arno River
► 3) The Tiber River
► Rome was built on the banks of the Tiber river, 24km from
the coast.
► Rome controlled trade on the river and throughout the
Mediterranean.
► Romans built on the port of Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber
to accommodate ships too large to travel up the river.
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Climate
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Mediterranean climate has rainy winters and hot , dry summers.
Po River had a continental climate with moderate winter snow, summer
rain and a wet spring and fall.
Questions
► 1.
What geographic features put Rome in a
good position to:
 Establish control over the Italian peninsula?
 Establish a large empire in the Mediterranean
region?
2. What obstacles do you think the physical
environment posed for the development of a
large empire?
3. Compare and contrast the geographic features
with those of Greece.
1. What geographic features put
Rome in a good position to:
 Establish control over the Italian peninsula?
► Rome
is located next to water (Mediterranean and Tiber). This
made it easier for Romans to travel to other areas and take
over.
► Rome is on the west side (better harbours). There was lots
trade on the west side. Rome was also at the mouth of the
Tiber. It had a growing economy, which meant a growing
population and more power.
 Establish a large empire in the Mediterranean region?
► Located
in the middle of the Mediterranean and it was easy to
go to other countries.
2. What obstacles do you think the
physical environment posed for the
development of a large empire?
► Alps
– barrier to traveling northwards
► Appenines – split the country in two
3. Compare and contrast the
geographic features with those of
Greece.
Italian Peninsula
Mountains
Coastal
Lack of fertile land
3 times bigger
Centre of the
Mediterranean
Greece
Mountains
Coastal
Lack of fertile land
East