Panama City (Spanish: Ciudad de Panamá; pronounced: [sjuˈða(ð) ðe panaˈma]) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has an urban population of 430,299, and its population totals 880,691 when rural areas are included. The city is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of Panama. The city is the political and administrative center of the country, as well as a hub for international banking and commerce. It is considered a gamma+ world city, one of three Central American cities listed in this category.