What is the importance of Rome's geographic setting?

Answer 1

At the local level, Rome's location favoured the growth of a big city. Rome was the product of the unificationof separate settlements on hills which became the Seven Hills of Rome. People liked living on hills because they were easier to defend from raids. The hills and the valleys between them offered ample space for urban growth. The volcanic rocks of the area gave good building material. Rome was on the only Ford on the river Tiber, which made early Rome the main north-south communication centre in the region. The Tiber also afforded navigation to the sea, which was only 14 miles away (16 nowadays). When Rome developed a thriving trade network around the Mediterranean, the Romans built a port on the coast (Ostia) by the mouth of the river. Large ships unloaded here. Goods were then transferred to smaller ships which sailed to Rome by sailing up the river. Being inland also meant that there would not be any naval attacks. Rome was also not far from the Apennines (a mountain chain which runs through the Italian peninsula). These mountains had plenty of water sources. This water was at one point taken to Rome by the aqueducts.

At a wider level, Italy lies in between the western and eastern basins of the Mediterranean. This gave Rome a good strategic position to turn both westwards and eastwards and establish control over the whole of the Mediterranean