Odessa or Odesa (Ukrainian: Оде́са [oˈdɛsɐ] (listen)) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative centre of the Odessa Raion and Odessa Oblast, as well a multiethnic cultural centre. Odessa is sometimes called the "Pearl by the Sea",^[3] the "Southern Capital",^[4] "Odessa-mama" and "The Humour Capital", as well as "Southern Palmyra".^[5] The population in 2021 was 1,015,826 (2021 est.)