Paris | Definition, Map, Population, Facts, & History

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class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris">Paris</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/place/Paris">Introduction & Top Questions</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref59646"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris#ref59646">Character of the city</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref59647"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris#ref59647">Landscape</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref60484"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris#ref60484">City site</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref60485"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Climate">Climate</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref277052"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Climate#ref277052">City layout</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60491"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Climate#ref60491">Île de la Cité</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60492"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Climate#ref60492">Notre-Dame de Paris</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60494"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Ile-Saint-Louis">Île Saint-Louis</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60488"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Ile-Saint-Louis#ref60488">The Louvre</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60500"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Ile-Saint-Louis#ref60500">The “Triumphal Way”</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60486"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Ile-Saint-Louis#ref60486">Around the Eiffel Tower</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60487"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Invalides">The Invalides</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60502"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Invalides#ref60502">The ministry quarter</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref277053"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Invalides#ref277053">The Institute of France</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60503"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Saint-Germain-des-Pres-and-the-Latin-Quarter">Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60499"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Saint-Germain-des-Pres-and-the-Latin-Quarter#ref60499">The Rue de Rivoli and Right Bank environs</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60497"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Hotel-de-Ville">The Hôtel de Ville</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60495"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Hotel-de-Ville#ref60495">The Bastille</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60496"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Hotel-de-Ville#ref60496">The Marais</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60498"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Halles">The Halles</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60504"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Halles#ref60504">The Buttes</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref60501"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/The-Halles#ref60501">Modern business quarters</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref14537"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/People">People</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref14538"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/People#ref14538">Economy</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14539"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/People#ref14539">Manufacturing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14540"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/People#ref14540">Finance and other services</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14541"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Transportation">Transportation</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref14542"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Transportation#ref14542">Administration and society</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14543"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Transportation#ref14543">Government</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14544"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Transportation#ref14544">Municipal services</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14545"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Transportation#ref14545">Health</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14546"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Education">Education</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref14547"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Education#ref14547">Cultural life</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref14548"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Education#ref14548">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14549"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Education#ref14549">Foundation and early growth (<em>c.</em> 7600 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span> to 12th century <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>)</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref313266"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Medieval-development-and-discord-12th-century-to-16th-century">Medieval development and discord (12th century to 16th century)</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14550"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Medieval-development-and-discord-12th-century-to-16th-century#ref14550">From Renaissance architecture to beautification schemes (15th century to 18th century)</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref14551"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Paris-during-and-after-the-French-Revolution-1789-to-mid-19th-century">Paris during and after the French Revolution (1789 to mid-19th century)</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref313267"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Paris-during-and-after-the-French-Revolution-1789-to-mid-19th-century#ref313267">Haussmann’s Paris (mid-19th century to 1968)</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref313268"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Paris/Paris-during-and-after-the-French-Revolution-1789-to-mid-19th-century#ref313268">The city of <em>grands projets</em> (1968 to 21st century)</a></li></ul></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Paris">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris/images-videos">Images & Videos</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/36/135436-050-ED1D0FCE/skyline-Eiffel-Tower-France-Paris.jpg" data-href="/media/1/443621/276155" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/36/135436-004-46E1DF3F/skyline-Eiffel-Tower-France-Paris.jpg" alt="Paris; Eiffel Tower" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/64463-050-928FDB04/Paris-France.jpg" data-href="/media/1/443621/276156" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/64463-004-4CA509B6/Paris-France.jpg" alt="Paris" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/59050-050-852EE969/Seine-River-Ile-Saint-Louis-France-Paris.jpg" data-href="/media/1/443621/1474" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/59050-004-31D76B9F/Seine-River-Ile-Saint-Louis-France-Paris.jpg" alt="Paris, France" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/24187-050-9356F0A4/Map-Paris-Encyclopaedia-Britannica-edition-1900.jpg" data-href="/media/1/443621/66711" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/24187-004-57308D95/Map-Paris-Encyclopaedia-Britannica-edition-1900.jpg" alt="map of Paris 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Author of <i>France Today </i>and others.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> John Anthony Charles Ardagh</span>, <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/Kimberly-Daul/9079747" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Kimberly Daul</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Kimberly Daul holds a Master of Architecture from UCLA and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Kimberly Daul</span><span class="text-gray-700 mx-5">•</span><a class="see-all border-gray-700 gtm-byline" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris/additional-info#contributors">All</a> </div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-03-06T00:00:00CST" >Mar 6, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 module-spacing js-inline-ai-ask-button p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot </button> </div> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>Where is Paris located?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Paris is located in the north-central part of France along the Seine River. It is at the center of the \u00CEle-de-France region." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>What is the weather like in Paris?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Paris weather can be very changeable. The wind can be sharp and cold in winter and spring. The annual average temperature is in the lower 50s \u00B0F (about 12 \u00B0C); the July average is in the upper 60s \u00B0F (about 19 \u00B0C), and the January average is in the upper 30s \u00B0F (about 3 \u00B0C)." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>What is the landscape of Paris?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Paris occupies a depression hollowed out by the Seine. The surrounding heights have elevations that vary from 430 feet (130 meters), at the butte of Montmartre in the north, to 85 feet (26 meters), in the Grenelle area in the southwest. The city is surrounded by great forests of beech and oak, called the \u201Clungs of Paris,\u201D as they help purify the air in the region." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>Paris is the capital of what country?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Paris is the national capital of France." } } ] } </script> <div class="top-questions qa-accordion d-flex flex-column module-spacing"><div class="font-weight-bold font-14 mb-5"> Top Questions </div><div id="intent-accordion" class="md-intent-accordion"><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="1"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>Where is Paris located?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Paris is located in the north-central part of France along the Seine River. It is at the center of the Île-de-France region.</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="2"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What is the weather like in Paris?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Paris weather can be very changeable. The wind can be sharp and cold in winter and spring. The annual average temperature is in the lower 50s °F (about 12 °C); the July average is in the upper 60s °F (about 19 °C), and the January average is in the upper 30s °F (about 3 °C).</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="3"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What is the landscape of Paris?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Paris occupies a depression hollowed out by the Seine. The surrounding heights have elevations that vary from 430 feet (130 meters), at the butte of Montmartre in the north, to 85 feet (26 meters), in the Grenelle area in the southwest. The city is surrounded by great forests of beech and oak, called the “lungs of Paris,” as they help purify the air in the region.</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="4"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>Paris is the capital of what country?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Paris is the national capital of France.</p></div></div></div><button class="show-more-button js-toggle-top-questions btn btn-unstyled font-14 d-flex pr-10 rounded-sm"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></button></div></div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/443621/a1c4d31c57b00b4a3e4982ddb944161a" rel="nofollow">Chloé collection goes with the flow as Kamali flaunts the blouse at Paris Fashion Week</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Mar. 6, 2025, 8:21 PM ET (AP) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/443621/f7c3ceab5964fb5587bba21aa7f4325b" rel="nofollow">7 stand trial over cyber death threats against Paris Olympics artistic director</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Mar. 5, 2025, 1:26 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/443621/9a56ce7fe4bc51495b20d936ac28d978" rel="nofollow">New Dries Van Noten designer blends the archive with a new voice in Paris</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Mar. 5, 2025, 10:45 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/443621/2eb583d31cb4a6cd048093c21563bbd1" rel="nofollow">Courreges at Paris Fashion Week is a balance of concealment and exposure</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Mar. 5, 2025, 7:54 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/443621/411a317c736361e1db0031baa01fbbc1" rel="nofollow">At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri riffs on ruffs, history and gender-bending elegance</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Mar. 4, 2025, 12:16 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref364784"></span>Paris</strong>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/city" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">city</a> and capital of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">France</a>, situated in the north-central part of the country. People were living on the site of the present-day city, located along the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Seine-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Seine River</a> some 233 miles (375 km) upstream from the river’s mouth on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/English-Channel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">English Channel</a> (La Manche), by about 7600 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>. The modern city has spread from the island (the Île de la Cité) and far beyond both banks of the Seine.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="276156" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/64463-050-928FDB04/Paris-France.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/443621/276156"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/64463-050-928FDB04/Paris-France.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/64463-050-928FDB04/Paris-France.jpg?w=300" alt="Paris" data-width="1600" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/64463-050-928FDB04/Paris-France.jpg" data-href="/media/1/443621/276156">Paris</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Paris occupies a central position in the rich agricultural region known as the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris-Basin" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Paris Basin</a>, and it <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constitutes" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitutes" data-type="MW">constitutes</a> one of eight <em>départements</em> of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Ile-de-France-region-France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Île-de-France</a> administrative region. It is by far the country’s most important centre of commerce and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a>. Area city, 41 square miles (105 square km); <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/metropolitan-area" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">metropolitan area</a>, 890 square miles (2,300 square km). Pop. (2020 est.) city, 2,145,906; (2020 est.) urban agglomeration, 10,858,874.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref59646"><h2 class="h1">Character of the city</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">For centuries Paris has been one of the world’s most important and attractive cities. It is appreciated for the opportunities it offers for business and commerce, for study, for culture, and for entertainment; its gastronomy, haute couture, painting, literature, and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="intellectual" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellectual" data-type="MW">intellectual</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="community" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community" data-type="MW">community</a> especially enjoy an enviable reputation. Its <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="sobriquet" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sobriquet" data-type="MW">sobriquet</a> “the City of Light” (“la Ville Lumière”), earned during the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Enlightenment-European-history" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Enlightenment</a>, remains appropriate, for Paris has retained its importance as a centre for education and intellectual pursuits.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Paris’s site at a crossroads of both water and land routes significant not only to France but also to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Europe" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Europe</a> has had a continuing influence on its growth. Under Roman administration, in the 1st century <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>, the original site on the Île de la Cité was designated the capital of the Parisii tribe and territory. The Frankish king <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clovis-I" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Clovis I</a> had taken Paris from the Gauls by 494 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span> and later made his capital there. Under <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hugh-Capet" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hugh Capet</a> (ruled 987–996) and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Capetian-dynasty" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Capetian dynasty</a> the preeminence of Paris was firmly established, and Paris became the political and cultural <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="hub" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/hub" data-type="EB">hub</a> as modern France took shape. France has long been a highly centralized country, and Paris has come to be identified with a powerful central state, drawing to itself much of the talent and vitality of the provinces.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="1474" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/59050-050-852EE969/Seine-River-Ile-Saint-Louis-France-Paris.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/443621/1474"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/59050-050-852EE969/Seine-River-Ile-Saint-Louis-France-Paris.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/59050-050-852EE969/Seine-River-Ile-Saint-Louis-France-Paris.jpg?w=300" alt="Paris, France" data-width="1471" data-height="981" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/59050-050-852EE969/Seine-River-Ile-Saint-Louis-France-Paris.jpg" data-href="/media/1/443621/1474">Paris, France</a><span>The Seine River flows past the Île Saint-Louis in Paris, France.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The three main parts of historical Paris are defined by the Seine. At its centre is the Île de la Cité, which is the seat of religious and temporal authority (the word <em>cité</em> connotes the nucleus of the ancient city). The Seine’s Left Bank (Rive Gauche) has traditionally been the seat of intellectual life, and its Right Bank (Rive Droite) contains the heart of the city’s economic life, but the distinctions have become blurred in recent decades. The fusion of all these functions at the centre of France and, later, at the centre of an empire, resulted in a tremendously vital <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="environment" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/environment" data-type="MW">environment</a>. In this environment, however, the emotional and intellectual climate that was created by contending powers often set the stage for great violence in both the social and political arenas—the years 1358, 1382, 1588, 1648, 1789, 1830, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Revolutions-of-1848" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">1848</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Commune-of-Paris-1871" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">1871</a> being notable for such events.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/european-capitals-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/94531-131-A6E89842/Brandenburg-Gate-Berlin.jpg" alt="Top of Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">European Capitals Quiz</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="66711" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/24187-050-9356F0A4/Map-Paris-Encyclopaedia-Britannica-edition-1900.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/443621/66711"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/24187-050-9356F0A4/Map-Paris-Encyclopaedia-Britannica-edition-1900.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/24187-050-9356F0A4/Map-Paris-Encyclopaedia-Britannica-edition-1900.jpg?w=300" alt="map of Paris c. 1900" data-width="1600" data-height="1417" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/24187-050-9356F0A4/Map-Paris-Encyclopaedia-Britannica-edition-1900.jpg" data-href="/media/1/443621/66711">map of Paris <em>c.</em> 1900</a><span>Map of Paris, <em>c.</em> 1900, from the 10th edition of <em>Encyclopædia Britannica</em>.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">In its centuries of growth Paris has for the most part retained the circular shape of the early city. Its boundaries have spread outward to engulf the surrounding towns (<em>bourgs</em>), usually built around monasteries or churches and often the site of a market. From the mid-14th to the mid-16th century, the city’s growth was mainly eastward; since then it has been westward. It <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="comprises" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprises" data-type="MW">comprises</a> 20 <em><span id="ref364785"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/arrondissement" class="md-crosslink ">arrondissements</a></em> (municipal districts), each of which has its own mayor, town hall, and particular features. The numbering begins in the heart of Paris and continues in the spiraling shape of a snail shell, ending to the far east. Parisians refer to the <em>arrondissements</em> by number as the first (<em>premier</em>), second (<em>deuxième</em>), third (<em>troisième</em>), and so on. <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="Adaptation" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Adaptation" data-type="MW">Adaptation</a> to the problems of urbanization—such as immigration, housing, social <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="infrastructure" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infrastructure" data-type="MW">infrastructure</a>, public utilities, suburban development, and zoning—has produced the vast urban agglomeration.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span></section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref59647"> <h2 class="h1">Landscape</h2> <section data-level="2" id="ref60484"><h2 class="h2">City site</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="216517" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/11/127811-050-14FCCC53/Paris-area.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/443621/216517"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/11/127811-050-14FCCC53/Paris-area.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/11/127811-050-14FCCC53/Paris-area.jpg?w=300" alt="Paris" data-width="1340" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/11/127811-050-14FCCC53/Paris-area.jpg" data-href="/media/1/443621/216517">Paris</a><span>Paris and its metropolitan area.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Paris is positioned at the centre of the Île-de-France region, which is crossed by the Seine, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Oise-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Oise</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Marne-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Marne</a> rivers. The city is ringed with great forests of beech and oak; they are called the “lungs of Paris,” for they help to purify the air in the heavily industrialized region. The city proper is small; no corner is farther than about 6 miles (10 km) from the square in front of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Notre-Dame-de-Paris" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Notre-Dame Cathedral</a>. It occupies a depression hollowed out by the <span id="ref364786"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Seine-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Seine</a>, and the surrounding heights have been respected as the limits of the city. Elevation varies from 430 feet (130 metres) at the butte of Montmartre, in the north, to 85 feet (26 metres) in the Grenelle area, in the southwest.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=august-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The Seine flows for about 8 miles (13 km) through the centre of the city and 10 of the 20 <em>arrondissements</em>. It enters the city at the southeast corner, flows northwestward, and turns gradually southwestward, eventually leaving Paris at the southwest corner. As a result, what starts out as the stream’s east bank becomes its north bank and ends as the west bank, and the Parisians therefore adopted the simple, unchanging <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="designation" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/designation" data-type="MW">designation</a> of <span id="ref364787"></span>Right Bank and <span id="ref364788"></span>Left Bank (when facing downstream). Specific places, however, are usually indicated by <em>arrondissement</em> or by quarter (<em>quartier</em>).</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">At water level, some 30 feet (9 metres) below street level, the river is bordered—at least on those portions not transformed into expressways—by cobbled quays graced with trees and shrubs. From street level another line of trees leans toward the water. Between the two levels, the retaining walls, usually made of massive stone blocks, are decorated with the great iron rings once used to moor merchant vessels, and some are pierced by openings left by water gates for old palaces or inspection ports for subways, sewers, and underpasses. At <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="intermittent" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittent" data-type="MW">intermittent</a> points the walls are shawled in ivy.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD10 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The garden effect of the Seine’s open waters and its tree-lined banks foster in part the appearance of Paris as a city well-endowed with green spaces. Tens of thousands of trees (mostly <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/plane-tree" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">plane trees</a>, with a scattering of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/chestnut" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">chestnuts</a>) line the streets as well, and numerous public parks, gardens, and squares dot the city. Most of the parks and gardens of the modern central city are on land that formerly was reserved for the kings on the old city’s outskirts. Under <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Napoleon-III-emperor-of-France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Napoleon III</a>, who had been impressed by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/London" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">London’s</a> parks while living in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Britain</a>, two ancient royal military preserves at the approaches to Paris were made into “English” parks—the <span id="ref995392"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Bois-de-Boulogne" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bois de Boulogne</a> to the west and the <span id="ref995393"></span>Bois de Vincennes to the east. Moreover, during his reign a large area of land was laid out in <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="promenades" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/promenades" data-type="EB">promenades</a> and garden squares. Under Mayor <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacques-Chirac" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jacques Chirac</a> in the late 20th century, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/local-government" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">municipal government</a> initiated efforts to create new parks, and such projects continued into the 21st century.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The <span id="ref1186570"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Promenade-Plantee" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Promenade Plantée</a> is a partially elevated parkway built along an abandoned rail line and viaduct in the 12th <em>arrondissement</em> (municipal district) of Paris, on the right bank of the Seine River. It was the world’s first elevated park (first phase completed in 1994) and the first “green space” constructed on a viaduct; it has since inspired other cities to turn abandoned rail lines into public parkland. The entire feature runs some 4.5 km (about 3 miles) from the Opéra <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bastille" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Bastille</a> to the Bois de <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Vincennes-France" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Vincennes</a>. Located underneath the elevated portion is the Viaduc des Arts, which stretches along the Avenue Daumesnil. 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Paris | Definition, Map, Population, Facts, & History | Britannica