Even if Yogyakarta, also known as Yogya, is a relatively young city (founded in 1755) it has a high status on Java. It is located in the middle of a region traditionally known as Mataram, the center of the first great dynasties of central Java. The now dormant Merapi volcano overlooks the city which is surrounded by one of the most fertile regions of Java. The population in the area is about 10 million, which means a density of more than 1.000 pr. square kilometer.