Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. Situated on the Seine River, in the north of the country, it is at the heart of the Île-de-France region. The city's municipality (the 20 arrondissements) had a population of 2,243,833 in 2010, while its urban area, the most populous in the European Union, had more then 10 million inhabitants.[6]
An important settlement for more than two millennia, by the late 12th century Paris had become a walled cathedral
city that was one of Europe's foremost centres of learning and the arts
and the largest city in the Western world until the turn of the 18th
century. Paris was the focal point for many important political events
throughout its history, including the French Revolution.
Today it is one of the world's leading business and cultural centres,
and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, science,
fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's
major cities. The city has one of the largest GDPs in the world,
€607 billion (US$845 billion) in 2011, and as a result of its high
concentration of national and international political, cultural and
scientific institutions is one of the world's leading tourist
destinations. The Paris Region hosts the world headquarters of 30 of the
Fortune Global 500 companies[7] in several business districts, notably La Défense, the largest dedicated business district in Europe.[8]
Centuries of cultural and political development have brought Paris a
variety of museums, theatres, monuments and architectural styles. Many
of its masterpieces such as the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe are iconic buildings, especially its internationally recognized symbol, the Eiffel Tower. Long regarded as an international centre for the arts, works by history's most famous painters can be found in the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay
and its many other museums and galleries. Paris is a global hub of
fashion and has been referred to as the "international capital of
style", noted for its haute couture tailoring, its high-end boutiques, and the twice-yearly Paris Fashion Week. It is world renowned for its haute cuisine, attracting many of the world's leading chefs. Many of France's most prestigious universities and Grandes Écoles are in Paris or its suburbs, and France's major newspapers Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération are based in the city, and Le Parisien in Saint-Ouen near Paris.