Dublin, or in Irish: Baile Átha Cliath, meaning Town of the Hurdled Ford, is both the largest city and the capital of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. Founded as a Viking settlement, the city has been Ireland's primary city for most of the island's history since medieval times. Today, it is an economic, administrative and cultural centre for the island of Ireland, has been recognised as an emerging global city by the Loughborough University group's 1999 inventory and has one of the fastest growing populations of any European capital city.