Lhasa is the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is situated in the south central part of the region, on the north bank of the Kyichu River, in a mountain-fringed valley. At an elevation of 3,658 metres, the city, nicknamed Sunlight City, is the highest city in the world. This ancient sprawling city which was settled 1,300 years ago, covers 30,000 square kilometres and has a population of 400,000, of which 87% are Tibetans. The urban population is 180,000. The city has many Buddhist monuments and was the seat of the Dalai Lama, so that flocks of pilgrims have been making their pilgrimage to the city for centuries.