are world renowned and it's the most popular entry point for international visitors to

Ireland. As a city, it is disproportionately large for the size of the country with a population

of 1.8 million in the Greater Dublin Region; nearly half of the Republic's population lives

in this metropolitan area. The centre is, however, relatively small and can be navigated

by foot, with most of the population living in sprawling suburbs. The English name for

the city is derived from the Irish name Dubhlinn, meaning "black pool".

Founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the

island's principal city following the Norman invasion. The city expanded rapidly from the

17th century; it was briefly the second largest city in the British Empire and the fifth largest

in Europe. Dublin entered a period of stagnation following the Act of Union of 1800, but it

remained the economic centre for most of the island. Following the partition of Ireland

in 1922, the new parliament was located in Leinster House. Dublin became the capital

of the Irish Free State and later the Republic of Ireland.

Like the cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, Dublin is administered separately

from its respective County with its own City Council. The city is listed by the Globalization

and World Cities Research Network as a global city, with a ranking of "Alpha-", placing

Dublin among the top 30 cities in the world. It is a historical and contemporary cultural

centre for the country, as well as a modern centre of education, the arts, administration, economy, and industry.