Braga [] is a
city and a
municipality in the northwestern
Portuguese district of
Braga, in the historical and cultural
Minho Province. The city has 137,000 inhabitants, and the municipality, which includes 37
civil parishes has a resident population of 181,494 inhabitants (in 2011), representing the seventh largest municipality in Portugal (by population). Its area is 183.40 km². Its agglomerated urban area extends from the
Cávado River to the Este River. The city was the
European Youth Capital in 2012. It is host to the
archdiocese, the oldest in Portugal. Under the
Roman Empire, known as
Bracara Augusta, the settlement was centre of the province of
Gallaecia. Braga is a major hub for inland Northern Portugal.