The regency covers an area of 897.43 km2 (346.50 sq mi) and had a population of 1,055,579 at the 2010 Census[3] and 1,203,956 at the 2020 Census.[4] It was originally the centre of the Demak Sultanate, once a dominant power in the region. Due to its strong relation with the spread of Islam in Java and the Wali Sanga, it is sometimes referred to with the nickname Kota Wali.