Paris (city)

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Port and capital of France, on the River Seine; département (Ville de Paris) in the Île-de-France region; area of the agglomération parisienne (comprising the Ville de Paris, which is divided into 20 arrondissements and surrounding suburbs) 105 sq km/40.5 sq mi; population Ville de Paris (2002 est) 2,113,000; agglomération parisienne (2002 est) 11,293,200. The city is the core of a highly centralized national administration, a focus of

European transport networks, and France's leading centre for education, research, finance, and industry. Manufactured products include metal, electrical and luxury goods, chemicals, glass, and tobacco. As one of the world's principal historic and cultural centres, Paris attracts enormous numbers of tourists throughout the year.

History
The Île de la Cité, the largest of the Seine islands and the nucleus of modern Paris, was the capital of the Parisii, a Celtic people. It was occupied by Julius Caesar in 53 BC, and became known as Lutetia Parisiorum. In AD 451 Attila attempted to enter the city but is said to have been halted by the prayer of St Geneviève, who became the city's patron saint. The Merovingian king Clovis made Paris the capital in about AD 508, and the city became important under the Capetian kings 987–1328. Paris was occupied by the English 1420–36, and was besieged by Henry IV of France 1590–94.

The Bourbon kings did much to beautify the city. Louis XIV built many magnificent buildings but lost the loyalty of the populace by moving the court to Versailles. The French Revolution began in Paris in 1789 with the storming and destruction of the Bastille. Napoleon I, as emperor from 1804, undertook to modernize the city and added new boulevards, bridges, and triumphal arches, as did Napoleon III (emperor 1852–70). Paris was the centre of the revolutions of 1789–94, 1830, and 1848. The medieval heart of the city was redesigned by the French administrator Baron Haussmann 1853–70 and the modern layout of boulevards, avenues, and parks established. It was besieged by Prussia 1870–71, and by government troops during the Commune period (a local socialist government) March–May 1871.

During World War I Paris suffered from air raids and bombardment, and in World War II it was occupied by German troops from June 1940 until August 1944. The German commandant, General Cholitz, ignored Hitler's order to defend Paris at all costs to avoid causing large-scale damage to the city. Aerial bombardment mainly affected suburban railway installations and some factory sites. In 1968, Paris was the scene of serious disorders, which began with a student strike; the demonstrations nearly toppled Charles De Gaulle's Fifth Republic. Large-scale architectural projects of note were again undertaken during the presidency of François Mitterrand (1981–95).

The cog-wheel and rice plant stand for industry and agriculture. The stars represent the 14 states. Blue symbolizes peace. Red denotes courage. Effective date: 4 January 1974. >>