Paris is the capital and largest city of France, as well as the capital of the Île-de-France région, whose territory encompasses Paris and its suburbs.
Straddling the river Seine in the country's north, it is the world's most visited city. It is one of the major financial and business centres of the world, with the largest business district of Europe (La Défense), and the second-largest stock exchange in Europe (Euronext).
It is often listed as one of the four major global cities along with New York, London and Tokyo.
The Île-de-France région produces over a quarter of France's wealth, with a GDP of nearly €450 billion (US$506.7 billion) in 2003.
As one of the main cultural and political centres in Europe since the High Middle Ages, Paris contains many vestiges from its past including numerous art galleries, museums and theatres.
Nicknamed "the City of Light" (la Ville
Lumière) since the 19th century, Paris also has a reputation as a "romantic"
city. The most recognisable symbol of Paris is the 324 metre (1,063 ft) brown metal Eiffel Tower located on the banks of the Seine.
Paris is also internationally renowned for its defining neoclassical architecture and its influence in fashion and the arts.
The city of Paris within its administrative limits has an estimated mid-2004 population of 2,144,700, but over the last century the city has grown well beyond its administrative boundaries: the urban area (the contiguous built-up area) has a population estimated at 9.9 million in 2005, and the population of Paris metropolitan area (including satellite cities) is estimated at 11.6 million people in 2006.
Today Paris is one of the world's major transport destinations because of its financial, cultural, political, and tourism activities. Paris hosts the headquarters of many international trade and social organisations, including the OECD, ICC, and UNESCO, in addition to the head offices of nearly half of all French companies and offices of many major international firms.
Transport
Paris is served by two principal airports: Orly Airport, which is south of Paris, and the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in nearby Roissy-en-France, one of the busiest in Europe. A third and much smaller airport, at the town of Beauvais, 70 km (45 mi) to the north of the city, is used by charter and low-cost airlines. Le Bourget airport nowadays only hosts business jets, air trade shows and the aerospace museum.
Paris is a central hub of the national rail network of high-speed (TGV) and normal (Corail) trains, which interconnects with a high-speed regional network, the RER. Six major railway stations, Gare du Nord, Gare Montparnasse, Gare de l'Est, Gare de Lyon, Gare d'Austerlitz, and Gare Saint-Lazare connect this train network to the world famous and highly efficient underground metro system, the Métro network, with 380 stations (more than the London Underground) connected by 221.6km of rails.
There are two tangential tramway lines in the suburbs: Line T1 runs from Saint-Denis to Noisy-le-Sec, line T2 runs from La Défense to Issy. A third line along the southern inner orbital road is currently under construction.
The public transportation networks of the Paris region are coordinated by the Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France (STIF), formerly Syndicat des transports parisiens (STP). Members of the syndicate include the RATP, which operates the Parisian and some suburban busses, the Métro, and sections of the RER; the SNCF, which operates the rest of the RER and the suburban train lines; and other operators.
The city is also the hub of France's motorway network, and is surrounded by an orbital road, the Périphérique, which roughly follows the path of 19th-century fortifications around Paris. On/off ramps of the Périphérique are called 'Portes', as they correspond to the former city gates in these fortifications. Most of these 'Portes' have parking areas and a metro station, where non-residents can leave cars. Traffic in Paris is notoriously heavy, slow and tiresome.
Three of the most famous Parisian landmarks are the twelfth century cathedral Notre Dame de Paris on the Île de la Cité, the nineteenth century Eiffel Tower, and the Napoleonic Arc de Triomphe.
The Eiffel Tower was a "temporary" construction by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Universal Exposition but the tower was never dismantled and is now an enduring symbol of Paris.
It is visible from many parts of the city as are the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper and the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on the Montmartre hill while the window-shaped Grande Arche in La Défense marks the west.
The Arc de Triomphe monument at the centre of the Place de l'Étoile was constructed to commemorate the victories of France and honour those who died in battle. The Les Invalides museum is the burial place for many great French soldiers, including Napoleon, and the Panthéon church is where many of France's illustrious men and women are buried.
The former Conciergerie prison held some prominent ancien régime members before their deaths during the French Revolution. Another symbol of the Revolution are the two Statues of Liberty located on the Île des Cygnes on the Seine and in the Luxembourg Garden.
The Pompidou Centre's famous external skeleton of service pipesA larger version of the statues was sent as a gift from France to the United States in 1886 and now stands in New York City harbour.
The Palais Garnier built in the later Second Empire period, houses the Paris Opera, while the former palace of the Louvre now houses one of the most famous museums in the world. The Sorbonne is the most famous part of the University of Paris and is based in the centre of the Latin Quarter.
Apart from Notre Dame de Paris, there are several other ecclesiastical masterpieces including the Gothic thirteenth century Sainte-Chapelle palace chapel and the Église de la Madeleine.
The Statue of Liberty on the Seine facing west toward the original Liberty in New York Museums
List of museums in Paris
The Louvre is one of the largest and most famous museums, housing many works of art, including the Mona Lisa (La Joconde) and the Venus de Milo statue.
Works by Pablo Picasso and Rodin are found in Musée Picasso and Musée Rodin respectively, while the artistic community of Montparnasse is chronicled at the Musée du Montparnasse.
Starkly apparent with its service-pipe exterior, the Centre Georges Pompidou, also known as Beaubourg, houses the Musée National d'Art Moderne.
Lastly, art and artifacts from the Middle Ages and Impressionist eras are kept in Musée Cluny and Musée d'Orsay respectively, the former with the prized tapestry cycle The Lady and the Unicorn.
Montmartre seen from the Pompidou Centre Districts and historical centres :
Paris districts Place de la Bastille - former eastern stronghold and gate of Paris.
Champs-Élysées - seventeenth century garden-promenade turned avenue connecting the Concorde and Arc de Triomphe.
Place de la Concorde - at the foot of the Champs-Élysées, built as the "Place Louis XV", site of the infamous guillotine. The Egyptian obelisk it holds today can be considered Paris's "oldest monument".
La Défense - one of the largest business districts in the world and a major destination for business tourism.
Les Halles - shopping precinct around an important metro connection station.
Quartier Latin - twelfth century scholastic centre formerly stretching between the Left Bank's Place Maubert and the Sorbonne campus.
Le Marais - trendy Right Bank district with large gay and Jewish populations Montmartre - historic area on the Butte, home to the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur and the studios and cafés of many great artists.
Montparnasse - historic Left Bank area famous for artists studios, music-halls, and café life.
L'Opéra - shopping area with department stores such as Printemps and Galeries Lafayette
Paris Travel Guide
