Dublin is the capital of and largest city in Ireland. The city has an urban area population of 1,173,179. The population of the Dublin Region, as of 2016, was 1,347,359 people, and the population of the Greater Dublin area was 1,904,806.
Dublin is the country’s chief port, centre of financial and commercial power, and seat of culture. Its historic buildings include Dublin Castle, dating to the 13th century, and imposing St Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 1191. City parks include landscaped St Stephen’s Green and huge Phoenix Park, containing Dublin Zoo. The National Museum of Ireland explores Irish heritage and culture.
The Dublin region is the economic centre of Ireland, and was at the forefront of the country's economic expansion during the Celtic Tiger period. A number of Dublin's traditional industries, such as food processing, textile manufacturing, brewing, and distilling have gradually declined, but economic improvements in the 1990s attracted a number of global pharmaceutical, information and communications technology companies, engineering, and financial services firms to the city and Greater Dublin Area.
Dublin is one of the primary centres of education in Ireland, and is home to three universities.
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