The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the group of metropolitan areas over five counties in the southern part of California. It includes Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County. It has been one of the fastest growing regions in the United States for decades. The growth started in Los Angeles County, then Orange County, and now in the Inland Empire. As of 2005, the population of the Los Angeles metropolitan area was more than 12.9 million people. In 2009 the larger five-county region had a population of over 17.6 million. It the second-largest statistical area in the country. Only the New York metropolitan area is larger. 