Chișinău (/ˌkɪʃᵻˈnaʊ/; Romanian pronunciation: [kiʃiˈnəw], Russian: Кишинёв, tr. Kišiniov), also known formerly as Kishinev, is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc. According to the preliminary results of the 2014 census, the city of Chișinău is home to 492,894 residents. The estimated number of resident population in the Municipality of Chișinău (which includes other nearby communities), as of 1 January 2015, is 736,100. Chișinău is the most economically prosperous locality in Moldova and its largest transportation hub.