Rome (Italian: Roma, Latin: Roma) is the capital city of Italy and of the Lazio region[2], as well as the country's largest and most populous city, with more than 2.7 million residents.[3] The metropolitan area has a population of about 4 million. It is located in the central-western portion of the Italian peninsula, where the river Aniene joins[4] the Tiber. Rome is known as, Caput Mundi (Capital of the world), la Città Eterna (The Eternal City), Limen Apostolorum (Threshold of the Apostles), la città dei sette colli (The city of the seven hills) or simply l'Urbe (The City),[5] has been for centuries the center of Western civilization, and is the seat of the Catholic Church.