1) What are some of the important geographical features of the Italian peninsula? The Italian peninsula is surrounded on 3 sides by water. To the north it is separated from continental Europe by the Alps. The country Italy currently resides on it. One of the bravest kingdoms of all time, Rome. No known prehistoric society is known to have lived there. Many people speculate that many thousands of years ago, the Italian peninsula was submerged, except for the mountain tops, which were then islands. Many people believe that there may have been insular tribes located on islands before historical records, but many are uncertain. The first known peoples to migrate there were the Latins and the Etruscans (who fell with the rise of Rome in 509 BC). The Romans had difficulty trading goods due to their location in the known world. They were one of the easternmost countries, and since many of their natural resources were the same as the Greeks', they could not get any sizable number of people to trade with. They also had very few seaports. Due to the geographical location of the island, sea lobster pots were difficult to find due to the jagged rock walls around most of their beaches, much like modern UK beaches. Ships also had difficulty reaching ports due to hostile areas where the water was shallow. Many nations considered dealing with the Romans a nuisance and a liability. Some really positive aspects of the Italian peninsula are the fact that it is very fertile. Many things could be grown or produced there. Including cows, pigs, grapes, wheat and horses. Although wine was one of the most important crops in that region, the breaded horses there were among the best ever at that time. They were strong, more muscular and effective means of quickly transporting people and things over long distances. Another good quality of the Italian peninsula was the Alps. Because of its difficulty to overcome it, many civilizations did not want to take the time to climb over it to invade Rome. Furthermore, many of their cities were on hilltops, so it was extremely difficult for marines to reach them, and the fact that they had so few ports where ships could land made naval warfare virtually ineffective against the Romans. 3) Who founded Rome in 509 BC? Romulus and Remus are twin brothers and central characters in the myth of the foundation of Rome.