Paris

[[Image:Tour eiffel at sunrise from the trocadero.jpg|thumb|The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world.]] Paris is the capital city of France, as well as the capital of the �le-de-France (r�gion) ''r�gion'', whose territory encompasses Paris and its suburbs. The city of Paris proper is also a ''d�partement'', called Paris ''d�partement'' (French language: ''d�partement de Paris''). Paris, together with its suburbs and satellite cities, forms the Greater Paris metropolitan area, with a population estimated at 11.5 million as of January 2004. Paris is the most populous urban area in the European Union and is the second largest metropolitan area in Europe (after Moscow, and along with London), and is ranked approximately as the 20th most populous metropolitan area in the world. Greater Paris metropolitan area, with a total Gross domestic product higher than Australia, is the largest financial and business center of Europe (alongside London), harboring more than 30% of France's white-collar population, as well as more than 40% of the headquarters of French companies, with the largest business district of Europe (La D�fense), and the second largest stock exchange in Europe (Euronext). Known worldwide as the City of Light (''la Ville Lumi�re''), Paris has been a major tourist destination for centuries. The city is renowned for the beauty of its architecture, its urban perspectives and avenues, as well as the wealth of its museums. Built on an arc of the River Seine, it is divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to the south. Formerly the capital of a colonial empire stretching over five continents, Paris is still regarded as the heart of the French-speaking world and has retained a strong international position, hosting the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization among others. This, combined with its financial, business, political, and tourism activities, have turned Paris into one of the major transportation hubs in the world. New York City, London, Tokyo, and Paris are often listed as the four major world city. __TOC__ == Name of Paris and its inhabitants == Paris is International Phonetic Alphabet in English language, and Media:Paris1.ogg in French language. The original Latin name of Paris was ''Lutetia'' (), or ''Lutetia Parisiorum'', known in French as ''Lut�ce'' (). ''Lutetia'' was later dropped in favor of only Paris, based on the name of the Gaulish language ''Parisi'' tribe, whose name perhaps comes from the Celtic Gallic word ''parios'', meaning "caldron", but this is not certain. Traditionally Paris was known as ''Paname'' () in French slang, but this vulgar appellation is gradually losing currency. (.) The inhabitants of Paris are known as Parisians in English language, as ''Parisiens'' (Media:Parisien2.ogg) in French language. The pejorative term ''Parigot'' (Media:Parigot.ogg) is sometimes used in French slang. Locally, inhabitants of the Paris suburbs are known as ''banlieusards'' (Media:Banlieusard0.ogg). Inhabitants of the whole Paris metropolitan area are known as ''Franciliens'' (Media:Francilien.ogg), i.e. from �le-de-France (r�gion). == Geography == ===Coordinates=== Paris is located at (48.866667, 2.333056). ===Area=== The city (commune in France) of Paris has an area of 105.398 km² (40.69 sq. miles, or 26,044 acres). Excluding the outlying parks of Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, the actual area of the city is only 86.928 km² (33.56 sq. miles, or 21,480 acres). This is not a very large area, and in fact the commune of Paris is only the 113th largest commune of France (out of 36,782 communes). For comparison, Greater London has an area of 1,572 km² (607 sq. mi), and New York City has an area of 786 km² (303 sq. miles). This peculiar fact is due to the conservatism of administrative limits in France. Unlike other western metropolises such as London, New York, or Berlin whose limits were extended in the 20th century to include suburbs previously independent, in the case of Paris no such enlargement happened. In fact, the last time Paris was enlarged was in 1860 when Napoleon III and the prefect Haussmann annexed the then suburban communes surrounding Paris, such as Montmartre or Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy, extending the area of the city from 34.50 km² (13.3 sq. miles) to 78 km² (30.1 sq. miles), and creating the Arrondissements of Paris of Paris. Since 1860, the limits of Paris have only marginally changed, reaching the 86.9km² figure indicated above. In 1929, the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes were officially incorporated into the city of Paris. Thus, the Brooklyn, Greenwich, or Charlottenburg of Paris are still lying outside of the city of Paris proper, and the city of Paris can be more rightly compared to the Political subdivisions of New York State#Borough of Manhattan (59.5 km²/23 sq. miles) or to Inner London (319 km²/123 sq. miles). Even the largest business and financial district of Paris, known as La D�fense, lies outside of the city limits. The Agglomeration of Paris (''unit� urbaine de Paris''), however, is much more extended than the administrative city of Paris. It had an area of 2,723 km² (1,051.4 sq. miles) in 1999, about 26 times larger than the city of Paris. As for the metropolitan area of Paris (''aire urbaine de Paris''), its area in 1999 was 14,518 km² (5,605.5 sq. miles), about 138 times larger than the city of Paris. The city of Paris proper, excluding the outlying Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, has an almost regular oval shape, with a circumference of 35.5 km.(22 miles). This oval extends 9.5 km.(6 miles) from north to south, and 11 km.(7 miles) from east to west. ===Density=== At the 1999 French census the population density in the city of Paris was 20,164 inh. per km² (52,225 inh. per sq. mile). Excluding the outlying parks of ''Bois de Boulogne'' and ''Bois de Vincennes'', the density in the city was actually 24,448 inh. per km² (63,321 inh. per sq. mile). As a matter of comparison, the density in Manhattan at the 2000 US census was 25,846 inh. per km² (66,940 inh. per sq. mile), and the density in Inner London at the 2001 UK census was 8,663 inh. per km² (22,438 inh. per sq. mile). The population density in the city of Paris is very high compared to most western cities, which are rarely as crowded as Paris (except for Manhattan). The density in Paris is comparable to the densities met with in Asian cities. In many western cities, people have left the city center in the 20th century to relocate to the distant suburbs, leaving the city center as a business district dead at night. Although the city of Paris has also experienced a decline in population since the 1920s, it has nonetheless seen fewer inhabitants relocating to the suburbs than has occurred in other western cities. Seine_winds_its_way_through_the_center_of_the_image._The_gray_and_purple_pixels_are_the_urban_areas._The_patchwork_of_green,_brown,_tan_and_yellow_surrounding_the_city_is_Farm.">image:paris.landsat.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|300px|Paris from space. The Seine winds its way through the center of the image. The gray and purple pixels are the urban areas. The patchwork of green, brown, tan and yellow surrounding the city is Farm. More precisely, people relocating to the suburbs were for the most part replaced by new people attracted to an urban lifestyle, and buildings were not converted into offices as systematically as has happened elsewhere, such as in London where the inhabitants have left the city center since the Second World War, and the density of Inner London is now much lower than that of Paris. This is most striking in the medieval heart of both metropolises: the City of London and the four first arrondissements of Paris were the medieval heart of each metropolis, with densities reaching 75,000 to 100,000 inh. per km² before the Industrial Revolution. Today, the City of London is almost empty, with a population density of only 2,478 inh. per km² (6,417 inh. per sq. mile) in 2001, whereas the four first arrondissements of Paris still have a density of 18,139 inh. per km² (46,979 inh. per sq. mile) in 1999, seven times more dense than in the City of London. Today, the most crowded arrondissement in the city of Paris is the XIe arrondissement, with a density reaching 40,672 inh. per km² (105,339 inh. per sq. mile) in 1999. Some neighborhoods in the east of this arrondissement are known to have densities of almost 100,000 inh. per km² (260,000 inh. per sq. mile). ===Altitude=== The altitude of Paris varies, with several prominent hills : * Montmartre - 130 metres (425 feet) above sea level * Belleville, Paris - 115 metres (375 feet) above sea level * Menilmontant * Buttes-Chaumont * Passy * Chaillot * Montagne Ste-Genevieve * Butte-aux-Cailles * Montparnasse (the hill there was leveled in the 18th century) The highest elevation in the urban area of Paris is in the Forest of Montmorency, Val-d'Oise (Val-d'Oise ''d�partement''), 19.5 km. (12 miles) north-northwest of the center of Paris as the crow flies, at 195 meters (640 ft) above sea-level. ===Temperatures=== The coldest temperature ever recorded in Paris since meteorological records started in 1873 was on December 10, 1879 when the temperature went down to –23.9� C (–11.0� F). The hottest temperature was recorded on July 28, 1947 when the temperature reached 40.4� C (104.7� F). During the deadly heat wave of 2003, the temperature "only" reached 38.1� C (100.6� F) during the day, but the lowest temperature at night on August 11 and August 12, 2003 was 25.5� C (77.9� F), which is the hottest minimum temperature at night ever registered in Paris, causing the death of many elderly people whose body temperature could not cool down. == History == ''Main article: History of Paris'' === Brief history === The name of the city comes from the name of a Gallic tribe (''parisis'') inhabiting the region at the time of the Roman conquest. The historical heart of Paris is the �le de la Cit�, a small island largely occupied by the huge Paris Hall of Justice and the Cathedral of ''Notre Dame de Paris''. It is connected with the smaller ''�le Saint-Louis'' (another island) occupied by elegant houses built in the 17th century and 18th century centuries. Paris was occupied by a Gaul tribe until the Roman empire arrived in 52 BC. The invaders referred to the previous occupants as the Parisii, but called their new city ''Lutetia'', meaning "marshy place". About fifty years later the city had spread to the left bank of the Seine, now known as the ''Latin Quarter'', and had been renamed "Paris". Roman rule had ceased by 508, when Clovis I made the city the capital of the Merovingian dynasty of the Franks. In 511 he commissioned the building of the cathedral of St.Etienne on the �le de la Cit�. Viking invasions during the 800s forced the Parisians to build a fortress on the �le de la Cit�. On March 28, 845 Paris was sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collected a huge ransom in exchange for leaving. The weakness of the late Carolingian King of France led to the gradual rise in power of the Comte de Paris; Odo, Count of Paris was elected king of France by feudal lords while Charles III of France was also claiming the throne. Finally, in 987 Hugh Capet, count of Paris, was elected king of France by the great feudal lords after the last Carolingian king died. [[image:arcdet.paris.750pix.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-�lys�es]] During the 11th century the city spread to the Right Bank. In the 12th century and 13th century centuries, which included the reign of Philip II of France (1180-1223), the city grew strongly. Main thoroughfares were paved, the first Louvre was built as a fortress, and several churches, including the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, were constructed or begun. Several schools on the Left Bank were grouped together into the Sorbonne, which counts Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas among its early scholars. In the Middle Ages Paris prospered as a trading and intellectual nucleus, interrupted temporarily when the Black Death struck in the 14th century, and again in the 15th century when urban revolts drove the royal court to abandon the city for almost 100 years. Under the reign of King Louis XIV of France, the ''Sun King'', from 1643 to 1715, the royal residence was moved from Paris to nearby Versailles. The French Revolution began with the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Many of the conflicts in the next few years were between Paris and the outlying rural areas. In 1870 the Franco-Prussian War ended in a siege of Paris and the Paris Commune, which surrendered in 1871 after a winter of famine and bloodshed. The Eiffel Tower, the best-known landmark in Paris, was built in 1889 in a period of prosperity known as ''Belle epoque'' (''The Beautiful period''). In 1900 Paris hosted the 1900 Summer Olympics. In late August 1944 after the battle of Normandy, liberation of Paris when the German general Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered after skirmishes to the French 2nd Armoured Division commanded by Philippe de Hauteclocque backed by the Allies. ==Demographics== :''See main article: Demographics of Paris'' ===Population growth=== At the 1999 census, the population of the city of Paris (excluding suburbs) was 2,125,246. The population of the metropolitan area of Paris was 11,174,743. Historically, the population of the city of Paris peaked in 1921, when it reached 2.9 million. However, there has been since then a movement toward living in suburbs, as well as the gentrification of many areas of inner Paris, and the use of available space for offices rather than dwellings, although this phenomenon was not as massive as happened in London or in American cities. These tendencies are controversial, and the current city administration is trying to reverse them. As a matter of fact, as of February 2004 estimates, the population of the city reached 2,142,800 inhabitants, increasing for the first time since 1954. As for the metropolitan area, it reached approximately 11.5 million inhabitants in 2004, growing twice faster in the 2000s than in the 1990s. The metropolitan area of Paris has been in continuous expansion since the end of the French Wars of Religion at the end of the 16th century (with only brief setbacks during the French Revolution and World War II). As can be seen from the figures, only 18.5% of the inhabitants of the metropolitan area of Paris live inside the city of Paris, while 81.5% live in the suburbs. Visitors to Paris, who mostly stay inside the city, are usually not aware that 81.5% of "Parisians" actually live outside of the city itself, in its very extended suburbs. A majority of Parisians also work outside of the city proper. This peculiar fact is due to the conservativeness of French administrative limits (see Geography section above). For comparisons, in the metropolitan area of London, approximately 60% of people live inside Greater London proper (2001 census), while in the metropolitan area of New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, 37.8% of people live inside New York City (2000 census). Even in the metropolitan area of Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, 22.6% of people live inside the city of Los Angeles proper. Paris can be more rightly compared to the San Francisco Bay Area, where only 11% of inhabitants live inside the city of San Francisco proper. However, unlike in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is no city inside the metropolitan area of Paris that rivals Paris, the largest city (commune in France) after Paris being Boulogne-Billancourt, with only 108,300 inhabitants in 2004. As a result of this peculiar situation, there are those in France who warn against a so-called "''mus�ification''" of the city of Paris. Already, all airports are located outside of the city, the largest financial and business district (La D�fense) is outside of the city, the main food wholesale market (Rungis) providing food for the whole metropolitan area is outside of the city, major renowned schools (''�cole Polytechnique'', �cole des Hautes �tudes Commerciales, etc.) are outside of the city, world famous research laboratories (in Saclay or �vry) are outside of the city, the largest sport stadium (''Stade de France'') is outside of the city, and even some ministries (Ministry of Transportation) are now located outside of the city of Paris proper, not to mention the National Archives of France, which are due to relocate to the northern suburbs before the end of the decade. It is feared that the city of Paris is turning into an embalmed museum, with tourists and ''Am�lie'''s nostalgists as its only denizens, while the real economic activity and 21st century development take place elsewhere in the metropolitan area. With some of the most stringent protection laws in the world, it is virtually impossible to build new buildings inside the city. Recent proposals by Paris' new mayor, Bertrand Delano�, who is proposing to gather the most renowned architects in the world to build skyscrapers on the outskirts of the city center (but inside the city proper), have been met with strong opposition on all sides. The mayor wished to scrap the cap on building height dating back to Haussmann in the 19th century, and thus build tall in order to compensate for the lack of space on the ground, such as was done in Manhattan. The project was also meant to give a new image and fame to Paris in the 21st century, rivaling world cities like Shanghai, or even London where city planners have started building aesthetically acclaimed skyscrapers inside the City of London. The probable failure of the mayor's project is already interpreted as yet another sign of the "''mus�ificication''" of the city of Paris. ===Historical population=== For complete tables, see: Demographics of Paris#Historical population ===Immigration=== The metropolitan area of Paris is one of the most multi-cultural in Europe. At the 1999 census, 19.4% of the total population of the metropolitan area were born outside of metropolitan France. As a comparison: at the 2001 UK census, 19.5% of the total population of the metropolitan area of London was born outside of the (metropolitan) United Kingdom, while at the 2000 US census 27.8% of the total population of the metropolitan area of New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island was born outside of the United States (50 states), and 31.8% of the total population of the metropolitan area of Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County was born outside of the United States (50 states). Still at the 1999 French census, 4.2% of the total population of the metropolitan area Paris were recent migrants (i.e. people who were not living in France in 1990). The most recent immigrants to Paris come essentially from mainland China and from Africa. == Administration == The city of Paris is itself a ''d�partement'' of France (Paris, 75), part of the �le-de-France (r�gion) ''List of regions in France''. Paris is divided into twenty numerically arranged districts, the ''Arrondissements of Pariss''. These districts are numbered in a spiral pattern with the ''1er arrondissement, Paris'' at the center of the city. The city of Paris also comprises two forests: the ''Bois de Boulogne'' on the west and the ''Bois de Vincennes'' on the east. Prior to 1968, ''d�partement 75'' was the Seine (d�partement) ''d�partement'', which contained the city of Paris and its immediate suburbs. The splitting up of the Seine ''d�partement'' resulted in the creation of four new ''d�partements'': Paris proper (75), and three ''d�partements'' (Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne) forming a ring around Paris, often called ''la petite couronne'' (i.e. the "small ring", as opposed to the "large ring" of the more distant suburbs of Paris). As an exception to the normal rules for French cities, some powers normally vested in the mayor of the city are instead vested in a representative of the national government, the Prefecture of Police which also controls the Paris Fire Brigade. As an example, Paris has no municipal police force, though it has some traffic wardens. This is a legacy of the situation that up to 1977, Paris had no mayor and was essentially run by the prefectoral administration. Citizens of Paris elect in each ''arrondissement'' some municipal council members. Each ''arrondissement'' has its own council, which elects the mayor of the ''arrondissement''. Some members of the ''arrondissement'' councils form the Council of Paris, which elects the mayor of Paris, and has the double functions of a municipal council and the general council of the ''d�partement''. Bertrand Delano� has been the Mayor of Paris since March 18, 2001. Mr Delano� is openly homosexual. Former mayors Jacques Chirac and Jean Tiberi were cited in corruption scandals in the Paris region. Unlike other French cities, Paris does not have an intercomunality to govern the whole metropolitan area (ie Paris and its suburbs) and is not expected to have one any time soon. == 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. A third and much smaller airport, at the town of Beauvais, 70km (45 miles) 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 densely covered by a metro system, the Paris Metro, as well as by a large number of bus lines. This interconnects with a high-speed regional network, the RER, and also the train network: commuter lines, national train lines, and the TGV (or derivatives like Thalys or Eurostar for specific destinations). There are two tangential tramway lines in the suburbs: Line T1 runs from Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis to Noisy-le-Sec, line T2 runs from La D�fense to Issy-les-Moulineaux. A third line along the southern inner orbital road is currently under construction. Administratively speaking, the public transportation networks of the Paris region are coordinated by the ''Syndicat des transports d'�le-de-France'' (STIF), formerly ''Syndicat des transports parisiens'' (STP). [http://www.stif-idf.fr/ official site] Members of the syndicate include the RATP, which operates the Parisian and some suburban busses, the M�tro, 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 the hub of France's motorway network, and is surrounded by an orbital road, the P�riph�rique, which roughly follows the path of final, 19th-century fortifications around Paris. On/off ramps of the P�riph�rique 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 are advised to leave cars. Traffic in Paris is notoriously heavy, slow and tiresome. ==Paris tourist attractions== The river Seine is well known for its tree-lined ''quays'' (walks along the river banks), open-air bookstalls and historic bridges that connect the Right and Left banks. Paris is also famous for its tree-lined boulevards such as the Champs-�lys�es, and for its many architectural gems. [[Image:paris.wiki.800pix.eiffelview.jpg|400px|thumb|View from the Montparnasse Tower (Tour Montparnasse) toward the Eiffel Tower. On the right Napoleon's tomb lies under the golden dome at Les Invalides. The towers of the office and entertainment centre La D�fense line the horizon.]] Places in Paris one may like to visit: === Monuments and buildings === * Eiffel Tower * Arc de Triomphe - monument at the center of the Place de l'Etoile, commemorating the victories of France and honoring those who died in battle. * Les Invalides - museum and burial place of many great French soldiers, including Napoleon. * Conciergerie - medieval building; former prison where some prominent members of the ''ancien r�gime'' stayed before their death during the French Revolution * Paris Opera - home of the Paris Opera, considered by Hitler to be the most beautiful building in the world. * Notre Dame de Paris on the Ile de la Cite * The ''Samaritaine'' Building - department store built at the start of the 20th century * Sorbonne - the University of Paris, founded in medieval times * Statue of Liberty - a smaller version of the New York City harbor statue which France gave to the United States in 1886, located on the �le des Cygnes on the Seine. * The Panth�on - beautiful church and tomb of a number of selected great men and women * Sainte-Chapelle - 13th century Gothic palace chapel. * �glise de la Madeleine * Place des Vosges - square in the Marais district laid out by Henry IV of France * Roue De Paris - temporary ferris wheel, installed 1999 to 2003 * Flame of Liberty public co-opted temporary memorial for Diana, Princess of Wales === Museums === [[image:SacreCoeur.jpg|250px|thumb|The Sacre Coeur, a Roman Catholic basilica.]] Les_Invalides_creeping_at_the_horizon,_barely_past_the_towering_shadow.">image:Eiffel_Tower_-_Domes_des_Invalides.jpg|300px|thumb|A Parisian view from the second level of the Eiffel Tower, with Les Invalides creeping at the horizon, barely past the towering shadow. * Louvre - a huge museum housing many works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' (''La Joconde'') and the ''Venus de Milo'' statue. * Mus�e d'Orsay - an art museum housed in a converted 19th century railway station, which contains mainly Impressionist works. * Centre Georges Pompidou, also known as ''Beaubourg'' - houses the Mus�e National d'Art Moderne and a cultural center with a large public library. Famous for its external skeleton of service pipes. * Mus�e Rodin - a large collection of works by France's most famous sculptor * Mus�e du Montparnasse in the former residence of artist Marie Vassilieff at 21 Avenue du Maine, details the history of Montparnasse. * Mus�e Cluny, also known as the Mus�e National du Moyen-Age, houses a large collection of art and artifacts from the Middle Ages, including the tapestry cycle ''The Lady and the Unicorn''. * Mus�e Picasso, exhibits nearly 3000 pieces of art by Pablo Picasso as well as art from his own personal collection including works by C�zanne and Matisse. === Streets and other areas within Paris === * Montmartre - historic area on the Butte, home to the Basilica of the Sacr� Coeur and also famous for the studios and caf�s of many great artists. * Champs-�lys�es - a famous street, a broad boulevard often clogged with tourists. * Rue de Rivoli - boutiques for tourists * Place de la Concorde - at the foot of the Champs-�lys�es, formerly ''Place de la Revolution'', site of the infamous guillotine and the obelisk. * Place de la Bastille - where the Bastille prison stood until the Revolution. * Montparnasse - historic area on the Left Bank, famous for the studios, music-halls, and caf�s of artists. [[image:paris.seine.liberty.500pix.jpg|thumb|200px|The Statue of Liberty copy on the river Seine in Paris, France. Given to the city in 1885, it faces west, toward the original Liberty in New York City.]] * P�re Lachaise - a popular tourist site, it contains the graves of many famous French men and women and those from other countries who came to live in France. * Cimeti�re de Montmartre * Cimeti�re du Montparnasse * Cimeti�re de Passy * Catacombs of Paris * Les Halles - shopping precinct, includes an important metro connection station. * Le Marais - trendy district on the Right Bank with large gay and Jewish populations * List of parks and gardens in Paris * Canal Saint-Martin ===Boutiques, department stores and hotels=== * Food stores ** Fauchon ** Berthillon ice cream * Department stores ** Galeries Lafayette ** Printemps * List of famous hotels: **H�tel de Crillon, Place de la Concorde **H�tel George V, Avenue Georges V **H�tel Ritz Paris, Place Vend�me ===Night life=== * Le Lido - cabaret on the Champs-�lys�es famous for its exotic shows and where, as an American GI on leave with some army friends, Elvis Presley gave an impromptu concert. * Moulin Rouge, Le Crazy Horse Saloon, the Paris Olympia, Folies Berg�res, Bobino - famous nightclubs. * The Buddha Bar, Barfly, Hotel Costes, Georges - trendy upscale restaurant / bars to see and be seen. * The Rex Club, Le Tryptique, Le Batofar- good places for electro music (techno, electro-rock, D&B). ===Sports clubs=== Paris's main sports clubs are Paris Saint-Germain, Football (soccer) club, Paris Basket Racing, Basketball team and Stade Fran�ais, Rugby union club. == In the suburbs and the greater Paris region (�le-de-France) == * Business districts ** La D�fense - major office, cinema and shopping complex, west of Paris * Amusement parks ** Disneyland Resort Paris - in the suburb of Marne-la-Vall�e, east of Paris ** Parc Ast�rix, north of Paris * Monuments ** Grande Arche de la D�fense ** Palace of Versailles - the former royal palace of Louis XIV and later kings, in the town of Versailles to the southeast of Paris. The largest tourist attraction in the world. ** Vaux-le-Vicomte, near Melun, a smaller palace on which Versailles was modeled. ** Saint Denis Basilica - ancient Gothic Cathedral and burial site for many French monarchs, located north of the city. == Events == [[Image:Paris_Landsat.jpg|thumb|220px|Another simulated-colour satellite image of Paris taken on the Landsat 7. This image zooms closer into the heart of the city.]] * 52 BC - Lutetia, later to become Paris, is built by the Gallo-Romans * 1113 - Pierre Ab�lard opens his school * 1163 - Building of Notre Dame begins * 1257 - The Sorbonne University is founded * 1682 - Louis XIV moves the French court from the Tuileries to Versailles * July, 1789 - Storming of the Bastille **Royal family forced from Versailles back to Paris * 1814 - Paris occupied by the armies of the Sixth Coalition after the fall of Napoleon * 1815 - Paris is again occupied, this time by the Seventh Coalition, after the end of the Hundred Days * 1840 - Napoleon's remains are buried at Les Invalides * 1853 - Baron Haussmann rebuilds the center of Paris * 1855 - Exposition Universelle (1855) * 1856 - Congress of Paris is held * 1867 - Exposition Universelle (1867) * January 28th, 1871 - Paris Commune falls * 1878 - Exposition Universelle (1878) * 1889 - Exposition Universelle (1889) - Eiffel Tower * 1900 - Exposition Universelle (1900) **Paris M�tro is opened * 1925 - Exposition Internationale des Arts D�coratifs et Industriels Modernes (1925) * 1931 - French Colonial Exposition (1931) * June 13, 1940 - Nazis enter Paris * August 24, 1944 - Allies liberate the city * 1968 - 1968 student riots in Paris, combined with a series of strikes by workers across the country, threaten to bring down the Charles de Gualle government * 1999 - Opening of the Biblioth�que Nationale de France Paris hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1900 and 1924. The Football World Cup 1998 was hosted by France; several matches were held in Paris proper at Parc des Princes, and several others, including the final, were held at Stade de France in the suburb of Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis. == External links == * [http://www.paris.fr/ Official Paris website] * [http://www.paris.fr/en/ English version of official site]) *Photos of Paris in rollers: http://neverland.net/rollingparis *[http://www.wikitravel.org/en/article/Paris Wikitravel: Paris] *[http://www.forbeginners.info/paris/ Paris for Beginners] * [http://www.earth-photography.com/Countries/France/Paris_photos.html Pictures of Paris] * [http://terragalleria.com/europe/france/paris Photos of Paris - Terra Galleria] *[http://www.asinah.org/weather/LFPG.html Paris Weather Forecast] *[http://www.offrench.net/photos/gallery-5.php Paris photos] *[http://france-for-visitors.com/paris/index.html Paris for visitors] - in English *[http://www.enjoyfrance.com/directory/Paris.html Paris Directory] *[http://www.planoweb.net/net/03/index.php Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau] Paris Capitals in Europe Host cities of the Summer Olympic Games Cities in France Ordre de la Lib�ration als:Paris (Stadt) ga:P�ras kn:ಪ್ಯಾರಿಸ್ ka:პარიზი la:Lutetia lv:Parīze li:Paries na:Paris nds:Paris simple:Paris ta:பாரிஸ் th:ปารีส vi:Paris

Paris

''An event mentioned in this article is an Template:August 25 selected anniversaries.'' ----- will someone fix the population data, apparently Berlin has a larger population yet Paris is still ranked first. == Government on Island == ''An interesting geographical feature of Paris is that it is one of only two cities in the entire world to have its governmental offices on an island, the second being Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the United States.'' I've seen this before, but I lend it little credence. Which of Paris's government buildings are on an island? City Hall isn't; it's on the Right Bank. The Parliament buildings are on the Left Bank. - user:Montrealais (whose city's government buildings are also on an island of Montreal) :It looks like Stockholm also has government buildings on an island. —User:Bkell 22:50, 27 Mar 2004 (UTC) :The only government buildings on the �le de la Cit� are the police prefecture and the Paris Hall of Justice User:David.Monniaux 23:16, 2 Apr 2004 (UTC) I'm fairly sure that le Raincy is not one of the main attractions around Paris! User:David.Monniaux 23:16, 2 Apr 2004 (UTC) I removed the statement about traffic in Paris being notoriously dangerous. I live in Paris and very seldom see traffic accidents. Simply, in most areas there are too many traffic lights and other impediments for people to really go speeding. User:David.Monniaux 16:03, 19 Apr 2004 (UTC) ---- I've added History of Paris - see what you make of it... -- User:ChrisO 23:07, 12 Jun 2004 (UTC) == Statue of Liberty == My knowledge here is a little sketchy at best, but my understanding was the Statue of Liberty that was gifted to the United States by the French was an enlarged copy of the original in Paris. I'm not saying this article is wrong as I don't know. But can anyone provide citations to prove the reality? --User:Colin Angus Mackay 00:44, 18 Jul 2004 (UTC) :The Statue of Liberty in the harbor of New York is an original design commissioned from Bartholdi. I'm unsure whether the replica in Paris was built before or after the one shipped to the United States. In any case, the Statue of Liberty was not copied from an earlier statue in Paris. User:David.Monniaux 06:16, 18 Jul 2004 (UTC) :The statue in Paris was one of several later copies made of the original. According to "The Statue of Liberty Revisited" edited by Wilton S. Dillon, 1994, page 155: ::''On July 4, 1889 the American community in Paris offered the French people a gift of a bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty; it still stands now, on an island in the Seine River, downstream from the Eiffel Tower.'' :User:Derek Ross | User talk:Derek Ross ==Name== "The name Paris could be originated from the phrase "par-isis" (ancient french for "near Isis") because in ancient times the town was consacrated to the homonyme Egyptian God" I suspect this is nonsense. The name derives from the Gallic tribe of the parisis. User:David.Monniaux 08:04, 20 Jul 2004 (UTC) == True or false?? == True or false: someone can explain what advantage of having this article at Paris as opposed to Paris, France. User:66.245.125.9 21:52, 2 Aug 2004 (UTC) :For the same reason that London is at "London" and not "London, England": when people talk about "Paris", in general, they mean the capital of France and not some other town called Paris or some mythological character. I note that all other towns call Paris are far far smaller and have far less "brand recognition". User:David.Monniaux 12:55, 3 Aug 2004 (UTC) == Skyscraper picture == Yes, the picture is not as detailed and neat as I would like it. However, this is the case of most pictures I have seen on Wikipedia. Nice pictures are made by professionals, and they are copyrighted, therefore it is not surprising that the pictures found on Wikipedia are not very great in general. Of course, if you have a better picture of the Parisian skyline of La D�fense, then replace the picture. BUT, in the meantime, I think we should leave this picture at any rate, because it is important that people can have a look at the real face of Paris in the 21st century, instead of the cliches to which we are always treated (Notre Dame, Montmartre, Eiffel Tower, etc.). For the majority of Parisians in 2004, living in Paris is not fancy tourism in quaint historical districts. The reality is big commutes, fast pace life, and an environment of concrete, asphalt, steel, and glass so typical of major metropolises; and I think this picture, although not perfect, gives a sense of that. User:Hardouin 22:12, 20 Aug 2004 (UTC) :Totally agreed. We should not present an ''Am�lie''-like clich� of Paris complete with accordion players. User:David.Monniaux 07:09, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC) :I added a picture of the high-rise neighbourhoods of the 13th arrondissement. User:David.Monniaux 07:29, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC) The Skyscraper pic would be good in the suburb section, it seems. User:WhisperToMe 05:39, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC) :And that's (in the suburb section) exactly where I put it :) :I'd like to express my opinion regarding the alledged difference in quality between professional and amateur photos. I don't think this has to be of any difference at all as long as there is enough talent and a reasonable technology in use. I mean, any talented person can potentially make good photos with todays digital consumer equipment, the difference isn't at all that big, unless you are looking for something very specific that would do well commercially. :Let's not be cynical or biased negatively toward "home-grown" photography because it really is like all other forms of art and creative expression: something that a person has or has not. The professional probably has it, but that's not a reason to assume that there aren't (I think much more) non-professional artists out there. :Besides, isn't one of the fundaments of Wikipedia the belief (and fact) that large communities of altruistically motivated and talented individuals can indeed produce very high quality work in a very efficient way, given the right technology? :--User:Neep 15:34, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC) == Eiffel tower == ==Crazy spam filter== While editing the article, a so-called "spam filter" blocked the following links, for no obvious reasons: * http://www. insecula. com/salle/EP0570.html#menu/ More than 40.000 pictures about Paris *Architecture of Paris: http:// france. archiseek. com/paris/index.html *More than 700 photos of Paris and other areas of France: http:// www. planetware. com/photos/PHF.HTM An administrator needs to do something about this!! User:Hardouin 13:36, 20 Dec 2004 (UTC) ==Request: Open air markets?== I'm doing a bit of research on Paris for a fictional purpose. For the incident I'll be portraying, could someone familiar with the city tell me if there's an open air or street market that I could set a scene in? Also, if it isn't an additional burden, the location of the hospital that would be nearest there? The former is more important than the latter, and if you assist me, I wish to extend in advance my profound thanks. --User:Mr Bound 02:55, Jan 7, 2005 (UTC) :In the 12th century, and centuries thereafter, you'd have wanted "Les Halles". If you mean after 1971, you might want Rungis. Look [http://www.foodreference.com/html/artrungis.html here]. - User:Nunh-huh 03:03, 7 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::Rungis is certainly not an open-air market, it's a wholesale market located in a dreary suburb. I'm unaware whether the Halles served individual customers or was solely wholesale. ::A typical touristic street market is that on Rue Mouffetard (google for the name, it's a street descending from the Montagne Sainte Genevieve). The nearest hospitals, if I'm not mistaken, are the Val-de-Gr�ce, and the Piti�-Salpetriere. I'm unaware of where emergencies go. Another fact: very often, if needed, the fire service will send paramedics/doctors on emergencies. User:David.Monniaux 12:55, 7 Jan 2005 (UTC) :::It sounds like the Rue Mouffetard is just what I'm looking for. Just a quick question about those hospitals: I'm not certain how they operate in relation to hospitals in other countries, so if I had an apparent minor injury or needed to be checked out to determine if I had injured myself, could I do it at one of those facilities? Or is there other information I need to know? I appreciate your information thus far, you're helping me a great deal. Thanks! --User:Mr Bound 03:57, Jan 8, 2005 (UTC) ::::Depends. You could of course go to the emergency room at any hospital (H�tel-Dieu, Piti�-Salp�tri�re etc.), but unless you really have some injury this may be overkill. You could also see your general practitioner (most French GPs are in private practice). User:David.Monniaux 19:56, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC) === City of Light...or Lights === In English, the correct term for Paris is actually "City of LightS" (plural), but this has been corrupted by writers over the years. Must Wikipedia propagate the error? :I have never heard Paris called "city of light", I've only heard "city of lights" User:MechBrowman 23:32, Apr 11, 2005 (UTC) == A Beautifull City == Paris is a beautifull city and to walk... --User:Adelepuc 18:33, 26 Apr 2005 (UTC) ==People died with 25�C at night?!?!== In here, Northern Portugal it isnt summer yet and yesterday and the day before and the other the temperature was above 28�C at 2 A.M. Nobody died... o_O when some body is about to die they just go to the beach and cool down in the water. LOL. -User:PedroPVZ 13:44, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC) :If you're alluding to the extreme heats of summer 2003, the thing is that people are absolutely not used to them and don't know the precautions to take. Remember, they were very elderly people. And there is no beach, by the way. User:David.Monniaux 15:07, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC) Pedro, your thermometer must have a problem. According to the Portuguese Meteorology Institute, the temperature in Porto yesterday was 26 maximum during the afternoon, and 17 minimum during the night ([http://www.meteo.pt/extremos.html]). In Vigo the Spanish Meteorology Institute says the minimum temperature was 17.3 last night, and in Ourense it was 15.3. Maybe you measured the temperature inside your flat/house, but that's quite different. Meteorology institutes measure temperatures in the outside. Also, 2am is never the lowest temperature at night.... usually the lowest temperature is reached between 4am and 7am. The 25.5� C temperature that I wrote down in the article was recorded inside the Parc Montsouris at approximately 4am (at 2am the temperature was still 28-29). The temperature in the streets was higher than in the park, and inside flats/apartments, it was even higher than in the streets. In many Paris apartments, temperatures never went below 30� C at night during these days, which is extremely high. A 25.5 minimum at night as recorded by meteorology institutes is extremely high, even for southern Spain where daily temperatures reach 45 in the summer. Usualy it's the kind of night temperatures you find in Madras or Bombay in the summer, but not in Paris. User:Hardouin 17:48, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)
On the Spanish Meteorology Institute website they say that yesterday the temperature in the Sevile area reached 36.5 in the afternoon, but the minimum at night was only 17.5. So you see that 25.5 is indeed very high. User:Hardouin 17:52, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC) OK... the weather is colder today than yesterday, I'm going to see the temperature better, in a better place. BTW Galicia is traditionally very cold! At least for us here. So you cant compare. When I go to Galicia I normally use a lot of cloths. Unfortunnaly even in here the temperature reached 40�c in the last summer, I hope it doesnt occur again this year! But 25�C is a very pleasant temperature.--User:PedroPVZ 23:03, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC) after a lot of time measuring correctly, and today the night is much more pleasant than yesterday. Much more. The temp is: 18.7 at 1 A.M. (so you are correct, although the temp. today is much lower than yesterday). == Introduction == Where is the source for Paris being the second largest stock exchange in Europe? Surely both the London stock exchange and German Stock exchange are far larger. I would also dispute that paris is alongside London as being the major financial centre of Europe. Again London, Frankfurt & Berlin are far more developed in this respect. == European Bourses == The introduction is correct. There are different ways to measure the size of a bourse. Data below as of Feb 2001. One way is by the number of comapnies listed. London had 2,921; Paris 1,437 and Deutsche B�rse 988. Another common method is by market capitalisation. London with close to 2.5 trillion dollars, Paris with over 2 trillion and Deutsche B�rse with over 1 trillion. So by market capitalisation, which is the most common measure of size, Paris is twice the size of the German bourse. However, it should be noted that turnover in the German bourse may be higher. The reported figure is higher but reporting rules and calculation methods differ among the bourses. User:Parmaestro 23:40, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Paris

This category relates to Paris, the capital of France. Capitals in Europe Cities, towns and villages in France

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Words begining with Paris:

Paris
Paris
Paris
Paris,_AR
Paris,_Arkansas
Paris,_Arkansas
Paris,_Bibl._Nat._MS_nouv._acq._lat._2334
Paris,_Biblioth�que_Nationale,_cod._suppl._gr._1294
Paris,_France
Paris,_France
Paris,_Grant_County,_WI
Paris,_Grant_County,_Wisconsin
Paris,_ID
Paris,_Idaho
Paris,_IL
Paris,_Illinois
Paris,_Kenosha_County,_WI
Paris,_Kenosha_County,_Wisconsin
Paris,_Kentucky
Paris,_KY
Paris,_Maine
Paris,_ME
Paris,_Missouri
Paris,_MO
Paris,_New_York
Paris,_Ontario
Paris,_Tennessee
Paris,_Tennessee
Paris,_Texas
Paris,_Texas
Paris,_Texas_(disambiguation)
Paris,_Texas_(movie)
Paris,_Texas_(rock_band)
Paris,_Texas_(USA)
Paris,_TN
Paris,_TX
Paris,_TX_(disambiguation)
Paris,_TX_(movie)
Paris,_TX_(rock_band)
Paris,_TX_(USA)
Paris,_When_It_Sizzles
Paris,_WI
Paris,_Wisconsin
Paris,_Yukon
Paris,_Yukon
Paris-Brest-Paris
Paris-Brest_et_retour
Paris-Brussels
Paris-Charles_de_Gaulle_Airport
Paris-Dakar
Paris-Dakar_Rally
Paris-Dakar_rally
Paris-France-Transit
Paris-Match
Paris-Nice
Paris-Roubaix
Paris-roubaix
Paris-Roubaix_Cycle_Race
Paris1.ogg
PARIS21
PARIS21
PARISC
Parisd
Pariser
Pariser-Parr-Pople_method
Parish
Parish
Parish/Geographical_Subdivision
Parishan
Parishes
Parishes
Parishes_and_dependencies_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda
Parishes_in_Guernsey
Parishes_in_Guernsey
Parishes_in_the_Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Dubuque
Parishes_of_Andorra
Parishes_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda
Parishes_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda
Parishes_of_Barbados
Parishes_of_Barbados
Parishes_of_Barbados
Parishes_of_Dominica
Parishes_of_Dominica
Parishes_of_Grenada
Parishes_of_Grenada
Parishes_of_Jamaica
Parishes_of_Lisbon
Parishes_of_Macau
Parishes_of_Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis
Parishes_of_Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines
Parishes_of_Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines
Parishes_of_Sweden
Parishes_of_the_United_States
ParisHilton
Parishville,_New_York
Parish_(town),_New_York
Parish_(town),_Oswego_County,_New_York
Parish_(village),_New_York
Parish_(village),_Oswego_County,_New_York
Parish_Ale
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Parish_Church_of_St._Francis_of_Assisi
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Parish_of_Anthony
Parish_of_Latheron
Parish_of_Olrig
Parish_of_Orleans
Parish_of_Saint_George
Parish_of_Saint_John
Parish_of_Saint_Mary
Parish_of_Saint_Paul
Parish_of_Saint_Peter
Parish_of_Saint_Philip
Parish_of_St._Francis_of_Assisi
Parish_of_St._Francis_of_Assisi
Parish_of_the_Ascension_Burial_Ground,_Cambridge
Parish_register
Parish_seat
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Parisian_(language)
Parisian_(language)
Parisian_option
Parisien
Parisien2.ogg
Parisii
Parisii
Paristore
Paris_(album)
Paris_(album)
Paris_(Cure_live_album)
Paris_(disambiguation)
Paris_(disambiguation)
Paris_(hotel_and_casino)
Paris_(legendary_figure)
Paris_(list)
Paris_(list)
Paris_(musical)
Paris_(musical)
Paris_(mythology)
Paris_(mythology)
Paris_(rapper)
Paris_(rapper)
Paris_(Texas)
Paris_-_Roubaix
Paris_1900_Exposition
Paris_1919
Paris_1919:_Six_Months_That_Changed_the_World
Paris_2012
Paris_2012_Olympic_bid
Paris_2012_Olympic_bid
Paris_Academy_of_Science
Paris_Airport
Paris_Airshow
Paris_Air_Show
Paris_Arrondissements
Paris_Auto_Show
Paris_Basket_Racing
Paris_Bordone
Paris_Business_Review
Paris_by_Night
Paris_C._Dunning
Paris_Cannon
Paris_Catacombs
Paris_Charter
Paris_Club
Paris_Codex
Paris_Commune
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Paris_Commune_(French_Revolution)
Paris_Conservatoire
Paris_Conservatory
Paris_Conservatory_of_Music
Paris_Convention
Paris_convention
Paris_Convention_for_the_Protection_of_Industrial_Property
Paris_convention_for_the_Protection_of_Industrial_Property
Paris_Convention_on_Industrial_Property
Paris_Convention_on_the_Protection_of_Industrial_Property
Paris_Dakar
Paris_Dakar_Rally
Paris_Dakar_Rally
Paris_Dakar_Rallye
Paris_District_High_School
Paris_District_High_School
Paris_Earth
Paris_embassy_attack_plot
Paris_embassy_terrorist_attack_plot
Paris_Exhibition_of_1878
Paris_Exhibition_of_1900
Paris_Fall_Fair
Paris_FC
Paris_fc
Paris_Fire_Brigade
Paris_Gambit
Paris_Gun
Paris_Gun
Paris_gun
Paris_Hall_of_Justice
Paris_heng
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Paris_hilton
Paris_hilton_video
Paris_hilton_video
Paris_I:_Panth�on_Sorbonne
Paris_II
Paris_II:_Panth�on-Assas
Paris_II_Panth�on-Assas
Paris_infobox
Paris_International_Exhibition_of_1855
Paris_in_the_20th_Century
Paris_Island
Paris_Junior_College
Paris_Landing_State_Park
Paris_Las_Vegas
Paris_Latsis
Paris_la_Defense
Paris_Live_E.P.
Paris_Marathon
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Paris_Massacre_of_1961
Paris_Massacre_of_1961
Paris_Masters
Paris_Match
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Paris_Metro_Line_14
Paris_Metro_train_fire
Paris_Military_School
Paris_Motor_Show
Paris_Museum_of_Natural_History
Paris_Musical_Conservatory
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Paris_of_Troy
Paris_Olympia
Paris_Olympia
Paris_Opening
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Paris_Peace_Accord
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Paris_Peace_Treaties
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Paris_Season_(The_Real_World)
Paris_SG
Paris_Skatepark
Paris_St._Germain
Paris_St_Germain
Paris_Texas
Paris_Themmen
Paris_Township,_Kent_County,_MI
Paris_Township,_Kent_County,_Michigan
Paris_Township,_MI
Paris_Township,_Michigan
Paris_Township,_Portage_County,_OH
Paris_Township,_Portage_County,_Ohio
Paris_train_stations
Paris_underground
Paris_University
Paris_XI:_Paris-Sud