Florida is located in the southeastern region of the United States. The state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It is nicknamed the "Sunshine State" due to its warm climate. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the state population was 18,328,340 in 2008, the fourth most populous state in the U.S. Tallahassee is the state capital, Jacksonville is the largest city, and the Miami metropolitan area is the largest metro area.