Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, a nation in the Iberian Peninsula, which is part of the spanish state. It is located in the comarca of Barcelonès, along the Mediterranean coast (41°23'N 2°11'E) between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs. To its north, the city borders the Besòs river and the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs; to the south it borders L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Esplugues de Llobregat; to the east is the Mediterranean; and to the west are Montcada i Reixach and Sant Cugat del Vallès. The historic city center is fairly flat, while the modern city fans out towards the surrounding hills, bordered by steep streets that are vaguely reminiscent of those found in San Francisco.