Ancient Rome was a civilization that began on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, the Roman Empire expanded to become one of the largest empires in the ancient world, with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants (roughly 20% of the world's population) and covering 6.5 million square kilometers (2.5 million sq mi) during its height between the first and second centuries AD.
Reference
External link
Roman Empire on Wikipedia
