Sofia listen (Bulgarian: София), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Bulgaria, with a population of 1,154,010 (making it the 14th largest city in the European Union), and some 1,220,307 in the metropolitan area, the Capital Municipality. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of the mountain massif Vitosha, and is the administrative, cultural, economic, and educational centre of the country. One of the oldest capital cities in Europe, the history of Sofia dates back to the 8th century BC, when Thracians established a settlement there. Sofia has had several names in the different periods of its existence, and remnants of the city's millenary history can still be seen today alongside modern landmarks.