- The Seine River along the Île Saint-Louis, Paris.
The capital of France, Paris is the country's most important center of business and culture. Known as the City of Light, it has inspired many great artists and thinkers. Paris is located in the north-central part of France and covers an area of 41 square miles (105 square kilometers). The Seine River flows through its center. Places of interestParis is known for its beauty and style. Probably the best-known Parisian landmark is the Eiffel Tower, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel for an international exposition in 1889. At about 1,000 feet (300 meters) high, it can be seen from all over the city. The Arc de Triomphe is another important landmark in Paris. It was built from 1806 to 1836 to honor the French military. The Arc stands at one end of the famous street called the Champs-Élysées. At the other end of the Champs-Élysées lies the Place de la Concorde, which is a large square where many people were beheaded during the French Revolution. On the site where Paris was first settled, the island in the Seine called the Île de la Cité, there are two important churches. One of these is the most famous church in Paris, the cathedral of Notre-Dame. Constructed over a period of two centuries, Notre-Dame was finally completed in the 14th century. Notre-Dame is famous for its stained-glass windows, stone gargoyles, and flying buttresses, which are huge stone supports. The other church on the Île de la Cité is the 13th-century Sainte-Chapelle. Built by the French king Louis IX to hold religious artifacts, Sainte-Chapelle also has beautiful stained-glass windows. Paris also has many bridges that were built during different times and in different styles. The oldest bridge is Pont Neuf, or New Bridge. It was completed in 1604. In spite of being a large urban area, Paris has many parks. Parisians and tourists alike visit the Tuileries Gardens, near the Place de la Concorde, to relax among the flowers and sculptures. People and culturePeople from all over France live in Paris. There are also many foreign immigrants there, the majority of whom are Muslim Arabs from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Most of the population is Roman Catholic. Paris also has a long-established Jewish community. Because of its many theaters, museums, concert halls, and art galleries, Paris has been regarded as a cultural center of the Western world for centuries. Many writers and scholars from all over the world have gone to Paris to experience its culture and beauty. A huge number of artists, including Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet, have lived and worked there as well. Paris' most famous art museum, the Louvre, is known throughout the world. It contains an enormous collection of art dating from ancient times through the mid-19th century AD. Works include Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa and the ancient Greek statue Venus de Milo. Paris is also home to many colleges, such as the world-famous Sorbonne. In addition, Paris is known as a leader in fashion design and cooking. EconomyAs the capital of France, Paris is a major financial and commercial center. Even if large French firms have their manufacturing plants in the provinces, many keep their headquarters in Paris. Paris is also home to many small industries such as jewelry making, accessory making, and fashion. After industry and business, the main activity is government management. Tourism an important part of the economy as well. HistoryMore than 2000 years ago, Paris first existed as a settlement on an island in the Seine River that is now called the Île de la Cité. A tribe known as the Parisii, a Celtic people, inhabited the site. In the 1st century BC, this settlement, known as Lutetia, was taken over by the Romans. Lutetia grew and eventually spread to the left bank of the Seine. From the early 4th century AD the city was known as Paris. By the end of the 5th century AD the Franks, a German-speaking people, had captured Paris and made it their capital. In 987 Hugh Capet, a Parisian count, was elected to the throne. Under the Capetian kings, Paris' population and business increased. Growth of the cityIn the late 12th and early 13th centuries, the city itself was greatly improved. Streets were paved and the city wall was made larger. However, Paris had a difficult time in the 14th century. It was struck by a deadly disease known as the black plague and many people died. Also, the Hundred Years War between France and England occurred from the 14th century into the mid-15th century. As a result of this war, Paris was briefly controlled by the English in the early 15th century. Paris grew from the late 16th century to the late 18th century, as France became a world power. However, as Paris grew in population and size, the poverty levels in the city grew more extreme. In time, dissatisfaction with the government led to the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. This revolution brought more bloodshed and violence to the streets of Paris, including the execution of King Louis XVI in 1793. After the revolution, an army officer named Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor Napoleon I. Napoleon I had many structures built in Paris during his rule, including the Arc de Triomphe. Birth of the modern cityBy the mid-19th century unemployment and overcrowding had become major problems for the city. The new leader of France, Napoleon III, appointed a city planner named Baron Haussmann to create a modern Paris. Haussmann began a number of projects to beautify the city. These included laying out wide, straight boulevards, creating new systems of water supply and drainage, and setting up parks. Things became bleaker for Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. During World War II Paris was occupied by the Germans. The years immediately following World War II were a time of artistic and scholarly activity but also of poverty and social problems. Conditions gradually improved, however. The city's economy got better, and old buildings and neighborhoods were cleaned up and rebuilt. In 1968, many students led protests in Paris against social and economic problems. The government tried to address those problems, and by the end of the century Paris was a flourishing modern city. Population (1999 census), 2,125,246. |