Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and center of the Dublin area, the largest of its kind in the country. It  covers an area of 114 square kilometers, with a population of about 1.2 million. It is the political, economic, cultural, tourism and transportation center in Ireland. As the Capital of Culture, the city enjoys many universities, academies of sciences, art galleries, and oldest libraries in Europe. Reputed as “Silicon Valley of Europe", Dublin has attracted numerous sci-tech companies around the world.