English: Rome and its surroundings are pictured in this image from the Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite, captured on 17 January 2016.

The Tiber River snakes down from the north, and is surrounded by agricultural fields in the upper right before entering the city. It then makes its way west, entering into the Mediterranean Sea at the town of Ostia. Near its terminus, we can see the runways of the Fiumicino Airport. Long, sandy beaches are visible along the coastline, with the port of Civitavecchia visible in the upper left. This is a major point of ferry connection to many Mediterranean islands, such as Sardinia and Sicily. The lakes visible are Bracciano near the top of the image, with the smaller Martignano nearby. Near the lower right, we see lakes Albano and Nemi in the so-called ‘Castelli Romani’ – a group of small cities in the Alban Hills. Frascati is also in this area, home city of ESA’s ESRIN establishment. Tomorrow – 25 March – marks the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. This international agreement is considered one of the most important treaties in today’s European Union, as it proposed the reduction of custom duties and the establishment of a customs union, as well as a single market for goods, labour and services. It was also responsible for the establishment of the European Commission, as well as other economic European organisations. The Treaty was signed on the Capitoline Hill in Rome’s historic centre.

This image is featured on the Earth from Space video programme.