Rotterdam (/ˈrɒtərdæm/ or /ˌrɒtərˈdæm/; Dutch: [ˌrɔtərˈdɑm]) is a city in South Holland, the Netherlands, located geographically within the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt river delta at the North Sea. Its history goes back to 1270 when a dam was constructed in the Rotte river and people settled around it for safety. In 1340 Rotterdam was granted city rights by the Count of Holland and slowly grew into a major logistic and economic centre. Nowadays it is home to the Europe's largest port and has a population of 624,799 (2014, city proper), ranking second in the Netherlands. The Greater Rotterdam area is home to approximately 1.3 million people and the Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Area area makes for the 168th most populous urban area in the world.