Paris-Île de France Introduction

City Introduction

Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. Situated on the Seine River, in the north of the country, it is in the centre of the Île-de-France region, "Paris Region." The Paris Region is the banking and financial centre of France, and contains the headquarters of 29 of the 31 French companies ranked in the 2015 Fortune Global 500.

Paris is the home of the most visited art museum in the world, the Louvre. The notable architectural landmarks of Paris include Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and Centre Pompidou. Paris is also known for its fashion, particularly the twice-yearly Paris Fashion Week, and for its haute cuisine and three-star restaurants. Most of France's major universities are located in Paris.

Paris played host to the 1900 and 1924 Summer Olympics, the 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

History

The Romans conquered the Paris basin in 52 BC. By the end of the Western Roman Empire, the town was known as Paris in French. Clovis the Frank, the first king of the Merovingian dynasty, made the city his capital from 508. In 987 Hugh Capet was elected King of the Franks. Under the rule of the Capetian kings, Paris gradually became the largest and most prosperous city in France.

In the summer of 1789, Paris became the centre stage of the French Revolution. A succession of revolutionary factions ruled Paris until November 1799, when Napoléon Bonaparte seized power as First Consul. He began erecting monuments to military glory, including the Arc de Triomphe, and improved the neglected infrastructure of the city. During the Restoration, the bridges and squares of Paris were returned to their pre-Revolution names, but the July Revolution of 1830 in Paris, brought Louis Philippe I to power. He was overthrown in 1848. His successor, Napoleon III launched a gigantic public works project to build wide new boulevards, a new opera house, a central market, new aqueducts, sewers, and parks. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), Paris was besieged by the Prussian army. On March, Paris Commune seized power in Paris. The Commune held power for two months. Late in the 19th century, Paris hosted two major international expositions, the 1889 Universal Exposition and the 1900 Universal Exposition. Paris became the laboratory of Naturalism, Symbolism, and Impressionism in art.

During the First World War, Paris was not damaged much. On June 1940, the German army marched into Paris. On August 1944, the city was liberated.

Most of the post war’s presidents of the Fifth Republic wanted to leave their own monuments in Paris: President Georges Pompidou started the Centre Georges Pompidou, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing began the Musée d'Orsay; President François Mitterrand built the Opéra Bastille, and so on. Paris developed into the center of politics, culture and business in France.

In 2007, President Nicolas Sarkozy launched the Grand Paris project, to integrate Paris more closely with the towns in the region around it.

Natural Environment

Paris is located in northern central France. It is located in the north-bending arc of the river Seine and includes two islands, the Île Saint-Louis and the larger Île de la Cité, which form the oldest part of the city. Overall, the city is relatively flat, and the lowest point is 35 m above sea level. Paris has several prominent hills, the highest of which is Montmartre at 130 m. The metropolitan area of the city is 2,300 km2.

Climate

Paris has a typical Western European oceanic climate which is affected by the North Atlantic Current. The overall climate throughout the year is mild and moderately humid. Summer days are usually warm and pleasant with average temperatures hovering between 15 and 25 °C, and a fair amount of sunshine. Spring and autumn have, on average, mild days and fresh nights but are changing and unstable. Surprisingly warm or cool weather occurs frequently in both seasons. In winter, sunshine is scarce; days are cold but generally above freezing with temperatures around 7 °C. Light night frosts are quite common. Snow falls every year, but rarely stays on the ground. The city sometimes sees light snow or flurries with or without accumulation.

Holidays

Jour de l'an: New Year's Day, Jan 1st

Vendredi saint: Good Friday

Lundi de Pâques: Easter

Fête du travail: Labour Day, May 1st

Victoire 1945, Fête de la Victoire: Victory 1945, May 8th

Ascension: Ascension, 40 days after Easter

Pentecôte: Pentecost, 50 days after Easter

Fête Nationale de la France: Bastille Day, July 14th

L'Assomption: Assumption Day, Aug.15th

La Toussaint: All Saints’ Day, Nov.1st

Armistice: Armistice 1918, Nov.11th

Noël: Christmas Day, Dec.25th