Genoa (, Ligurian: "Zena") is a city and capital of the Liguria region in Italy. The population of Genoa in 2006 was 620,316. It is the most important seaport in Italy. Before Italy was united into one country in the 1800s, Genoa was a republic that also included the island of Corsica. Genoa was famous for its merchants, or traders, who traded everywhere from England to Istanbul. Famous Genoese people include, Andrea Doria, Niccolò Paganini, and Christopher Columbus.