Venice has a population of over 270,000 people who live on numerous small islands in the Venetian Lagoon in northeast Italy. About 62,000 people live in the historic city center on the islands, while around 176,000 live on the mainland behind the lagoon in places like Mestre and Marghera. Venice is known as the "City of Bridges" and stretches along the mouths of the Po and Piave rivers across around 100 islands connected by canals navigated by gondolas.