Paris

Paris is the capital and seat of government of France. The city is divided in two by the River Seine. Paris itself had approximately 2.22 million inhabitants in 2014, not counting the suburbs. In 2014, more than 10 million people lived in the entire agglomeration. Paris is located in the Île-de-France region. The area of Paris alone was 105.40 km² in 2011.

The first settlements around the beginning of the Christian era were on the banks of the Seine, but construction soon also began on the Île de la Cité. In the area now covered by Paris and the suburbs, there were once separate villages, which are now part of Paris. Early on, Paris was a cultural center in Europe. The city lies at a crossroads of various trade routes. As early as the 10th century, when Notre Dame and several abbeys were built, Paris was one of the most important cities in France and also a significant place for Christianity. Since the 13th century, it has been a city where education, art, and recreation have played a very central role. This development is historically a result of the centralist policies that were pursued in France for centuries when it was a republic and a monarchy. Within the framework of this politics, a great deal of significance was attributed to the capital. Since the 1960s, political policy in France has been characterized by decentralization and deconcentration, leading to a bit more balance within the national borders.

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