Alacant or Alicante (, Valencian: ) is a city in Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante. It is in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper is about 332,067, as of 2014, ranking as the second-largest Valencian city. Including nearby municipalities, Alicante was populated by 458,843 residents. Population of the metropolitan area (including Elche and satellite towns) was 795,034 as of 2009. Based on population it is the eighth-largest metropolitan area of Spain.