Belfast (from Irish: Béal Feirste, meaning "mouth of the sandbars"^[16]) is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom^[17] and second biggest on the island of Ireland (after Dublin). It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly.^[18] The city of Belfast has a population of 267,500^[7] and lies at the heart of the Belfast urban area, which has a population of 483,418. The Larger Urban Zone, as defined by the European Union, has a total population 641,638. Belfast was granted city status in 1888.