Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium with a population of about 510,600. The Antwerp metropolitan area is currently the second largest in Belgium. The city is located on the river Scheldt, which is linked to the North Sea by the Westerschelde estuary. The Port of Antwerp is one of the biggest ports in the world, ranking third in Europe. During World War I, the Belgian Army were defeat at Liège and retreated to Antwerp. The Siege of Antwerp lasted for 11 days, but the city was taken after heavy fighting by the German Army, and the Belgians were forced to retreat westwards. Antwerp remained under German occupation until the Armistice in 1818. It was again occupied by Germany in May 1940 and liberated by the British in September 1944. In 2013 it hosted the international gay OutGames and Human Rights Conference.