Latium

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Latium

(lā`shēəm), Ital. Lazio, region (1990 pop. 5,170,672), 6,642 sq mi (17,203 sq km), central Italy, extending from the Apennines westward to the Tyrrhenian Sea. RomeRome,
Ital. Roma, city (1991 pop. 2,775,250), capital of Italy and see of the pope, whose residence, Vatican City, is a sovereign state within the city of Rome. Rome is also the capital of Latium, a region of central Italy, and of Rome prov.
..... Click the link for more information. is the capital of the region, which is divided into Frosinone, Latina, Rieti, Rome, and Viterbo provs. (named for their capitals). The region is mostly hilly and mountainous, with a narrow coastal plain, much of which has been reclaimed in the 20th cent. (see Campagna di RomaCampagna di Roma
, low-lying region surrounding the city of Rome, c.800 sq mi (2,070 sq km), Campania, central Italy. A favorite residential area in Roman times, it was later largely abandoned for centuries because of the prevalence of malaria and the lack of sufficient water
..... Click the link for more information. ; Pontine MarshesPontine Marshes
, Ital. Pontina, low-lying region, c.300 sq mi (780 sq km), in S Latium, central Italy, between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apennine foothills; it is crossed by drainage canals. The Appian Way, a Roman-built road, passes through the region.
..... Click the link for more information. ). Agriculture forms the backbone of the regional economy; products include cereals, vegetables, grapes, olives, and fodder. Sheep and cattle are raised. Rome is Latium's main commercial, service, and industrial center. Industry in the region has been spurred (mid-20th cent.) by the construction of hydroelectric facilities on the Aniene and Liri rivers and a nuclear power plant at Latina. Manufactures include chemicals, cement, textiles, construction materials, and processed food. There is a large tourist industry, and fishing is pursued along the coast, especially at Civitavecchia, the region's chief port. In ancient times, Latium comprised a limited area E and S of the Tiber River that extended to the Alban Hills; only after it became part of Italy in 1870 did it approximately reach its present limits. In early Roman times Latium was inhabited by the Latins, the Etruscans (N of the Tiber River), and several Italic tribes. In the 3d cent. B.C., Rome subdued all of Latium. The fertile coastal plain became marshy, malaria-infested, and impoverished during the late Roman Empire and early Republic. After the fall of Rome, Latium was invaded in turn by the Visigoths, the Vandals, and the Lombards. From the 8th cent. the duchy of Rome, including most of modern Latium, belonged to the popes. Their authority was not always recognized in the towns, which were ruled at times as free communes or by local feudal lords. Except for the area S of Terracina, which belonged to the kingdom of Naples, Latium remained a part of the Papal States until 1870. In World War II, S Latium was the scene of bloody battles during the Allied drive on Rome (see CassinoCassino
, town (1991 pop. 32,787), in Latium, central Italy, in the Apennines, on the Rapido River. It is a commercial and agricultural center, and the site of a Fiat auto assembly plant. The peace between Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX was signed there in 1230.
..... Click the link for more information. ; AnzioAnzio
, Lat. Antium, town (1991 pop. 33,497), in Latium, central Italy, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a seaside resort with a fishing industry. A Volscian town, it was captured by Rome in 341 B.C. and became a favorite resort of the Romans.
..... Click the link for more information. ). There are two universities in Rome, which is also the site of the Vatican.

Latium

an ancient territory in W central Italy, in modern Lazio, on the Tyrrhenian Sea: inhabited by the Latin people from the 10th century bc until dominated by Rome (4th century bc)

Latium

La·ti·um

Latium

La•ti•um

Latium

Latium

Latium

Latium

Synonyms for Latium

noun an ancient region of west central Italy (southeast of Rome) on the Tyrrhenian Sea

Synonyms

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