Mérida was founded as the Roman colony of Augusta Emerita in 25 BCE. The place name Mérida derives from the Latin Emerita (meaning a veteran who has been honorably discharged). The city was an important regional urban center on the shores of the Guadiana and Albarregas rivers for much of its existence and is endowed with abundant Roman, Visigothic and Moorish monuments testifying to its long and rich history. Mérida’s extensive archaeological site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The city has a population of sixty thousand. Today, Mérida is not only home to sixty thousand residents but also serves as the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura in the province of Badajoz.