'''Moscow''' ( , US chiefly  ; ) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 12.4 million residents within the city limits, over 17 million residents in the urban area, and over 20 million residents in the metropolitan area. The city covers an area of , while the urban area covers , and the metropolitan area covers over . Moscow is among the world's largest cities, being the most populous city entirely in Europe, the largest urban area in Europe, the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and  the largest city by land area on the European continent.