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Rome

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Rome is the capital city of Italy.

It sits in the central-western part of the Italian Peninsula. The city is located along the shores of the Tiber Valley. Many people call it the "City of Seven Hills" because of its land. It is also known as the "Eternal City." One very special thing is that a tiny country sits inside it. This is Vatican City, which is the smallest country in the world.

Flag of Europe
Flag of Europe

It is the headquarters for the Catholic Church.

How the city grew is a very long story. It began as small villages on different hills. These villages slowly joined together to make one big town. This happened because people could grow more food to trade. They traded with Greek colonies in southern Italy. Over many years, the city became a huge center of power. It was once the capital of a kingdom and a republic. Later, it became the heart of a massive empire.

Flag of Rome
Flag of Rome

Ancient stories tell us how Rome began. A famous myth says twins named Romulus and Remus started it. Legend says a she-wolf raised them. Romulus eventually became the first king. This story is set around 753 BC. However, people have lived in this area for much longer. We find stone tools and pottery from 10,000 years ago. Some experts say the city grew gradually from many small settlements. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe.

Rome has many important numbers and facts today. The city has about 2.7 million people living within its limits. If you count the whole metropolitan area, there are 4.2 million people. This makes it the most populous metropolitan city in Italy. In 2019, about 8.6 million tourists visited the city.

Flag of Europe
Flag of Europe

This made it the most popular place for tourists in Italy. The historic center is even listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Today, Rome is a center for many different things. It is a place for art, fashion, and design. Many famous artists and architects lived there to create masterpieces. The city is also home to big companies and banks. It even hosts special offices for the United Nations. These offices work on things like food and farming. You can even find movie studios there that win many awards. Rome stays busy and important to the whole world.

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