The Italian Peninsula was controlled, before Rome became a power, by several disconnected tribes. Among them were the Latins, the Etruscans, the Ligures, the Greeks in Sicily, the Samnites, the Sabines, and the Umbrians. The Alps surrounded the Italian Peninsula and for a long time protected it from being invaded by the areas above these mountains. When Rome did create a hegemony over all these different areas, and tribes the Alps were a difficult border to cross. Rome expanded across these areas, however, and this led to the conquest of most of Europe. Italia was the wealthiest of any of the Provinces, mostly because of the location of the capital in the peninsula. Historically, the Senate of Rome has also been the Senate of Italia, and the Governor had also been the Consul of the Senate,