Bordeaux Métropole is the métropole, an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Bordeaux. It is located in the center of the Gironde department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, in South West France. It represents about half of the department's population. It was created in January 2015, replacing the previous Communauté urbaine de Bordeaux. It brings together 28 municipalities, and covers an area of 578.3 km2 (223.3 sq mi). Its population was 801,041 in 2018, of which 257,068 resided in Bordeaux proper.