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Paris

Capital and largest city of France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Paris (English: /ˈpærɪs/; French pronunciation: [paʁi] ) is the capital and most populous city of France, with an official estimated population of 2,102,650 residents as of 1 January 2023[2] in an area of more than 105 km2 (41 sq mi),[5] making it the fourth-most populated city in the European Union as well as the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2022.[6] Since the 17th century, Paris has been one of the world's major centres of finance, diplomacy, commerce, culture, fashion, gastronomy and many areas. For its leading role in the arts and sciences, as well as its early and extensive system of street lighting, in the 19th century, it became known as "the City of Light".[7]

Quick facts: Paris, Country, Region, Department, Intercomm...
Paris
Motto(s): 
Fluctuat nec mergitur
"Tossed by the waves but never sunk"
Location of Paris
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Paris is located in France
Paris
Paris
Paris is located in Île-de-France (region)
Paris
Paris
Coordinates: 48°51′24″N 2°21′8″E
CountryFrance
RegionÎle-de-France
DepartmentParis
IntercommunalityMétropole du Grand Paris
Subdivisions20 arrondissements
Government
  Mayor (20202026) Anne Hidalgo[1] (PS)
Area
1
105.4 km2 (40.7 sq mi)
  Urban
 (2020)
2,853.5 km2 (1,101.7 sq mi)
  Metro
 (2020)
18,940.7 km2 (7,313.0 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[2]
2,102,650
  Density20,000/km2 (52,000/sq mi)
  Urban
 (2019[3])
10,858,852
  Urban density3,800/km2 (9,900/sq mi)
  Metro
 (Jan. 2017[4])
13,024,518
  Metro density690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Parisian(s) (en) Parisien(s) (masc.), Parisienne(s) (fem.) (fr), Parigot(s) (masc.), "Parigote(s)" (fem.) (fr, colloquial)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
75056 /75001-75020, 75116
Elevation28–131 m (92–430 ft)
(avg. 78 m or 256 ft)
Websitewww.paris.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
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The City of Paris is the centre of the Île-de-France region, or Paris Region, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 inhabitants on January 1, 2023, or about 19% of the population of France,[2] making the region France's primate city. The Paris Region had a GDP of €765 billion in 2021, the highest in the European Union.[8] According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, in 2022, Paris was the city with the ninth-highest cost of living in the world.[9]

Paris is a major railway, highway, and air-transport hub served by two international airports: Charles de Gaulle Airport (the second-busiest airport in Europe) and Orly Airport.[10][11] Opened in 1900, the city's subway system, the Paris Métro, serves 5.23 million passengers daily;[12] it is the second-busiest metro system in Europe after the Moscow Metro. Gare du Nord is the 24th-busiest railway station in the world and the busiest outside Japan, with 262 million passengers in 2015.[13] Paris is especially known for its museums and architectural landmarks: the Louvre received 7.8 million visitors in 2022, keeping its position as the most-visited art museum in the world.[14] The Musée d'Orsay, Musée Marmottan Monet and Musée de l'Orangerie are noted for their collections of French Impressionist art. The Pompidou Centre Musée National d'Art Moderne has the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe and Musée Rodin and Musée Picasso. The historical district along the Seine in the city centre has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.[15]

Paris hosts several United Nations organizations including UNESCO, and other international organizations such as the OECD, the OECD Development Centre, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, the International Energy Agency, the International Federation for Human Rights, along with European bodies such as the European Space Agency, the European Banking Authority or the European Securities and Markets Authority. The football club Paris Saint-Germain and the rugby union club Stade Français are based in Paris. The 80,000-seat Stade de France, built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, is located just north of Paris in the neighbouring commune of Saint-Denis. Paris hosts the annual French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament on the red clay of Roland Garros. The city hosted the Olympic Games in 1900 and 1924, and will host the 2024 Summer Olympics. The 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups, the 2007 Rugby World Cup, as well as the 1960, 1984 and 2016 UEFA European Championships were also held in the city. Every July, the Tour de France bicycle race finishes on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris.