VenetianisthecapitaloftheregionofVenetoandtheprovinceofthesamenameinItaly.Itspopulationis271,663(censusestimateJanuary1,2004).Thecityisincluded,withPadua(Padova),inthePadua-VeniceMetropolitanArea,population1,600,000.Ithasanickname,"QueenoftheAdriatic". 　　ThecitystretchesacrossnumeroussmallislandsinthemarshyVenetianLagoonalongtheAdriaticSeainnortheastItaly.ThesaltwaterlagoonstretchesalongtheshorelinebetweenthemouthsofthePo(south)andthePiave(north)Rivers.Thepopulationestimateof272,000inhabitantsincludesthepopulationofthewholeComuneofVenezia;thehistoriccityofVenice(Centrostorico)inhabitantsarearound62,000,whileapproximately176,000peopleliveinTerraferma(literalfirmland,itmeanstheextra-lagoonareas)and31,000liveinotherislandsofthelagoon. 　　TheVenetianRepublicwasamajorseapowerandastagingareafortheCrusades,aswellasaveryimportantcentreofcommerce(especiallythespicetrade)andartintheRenaissance.