Almost every person on the planet dreams of visiting Paris. This is not surprising, because there is a unique charm and a unique atmosphere. As practice shows, a week of time is not enough to visit all local attractions. Further in this article we will talk in more detail about this amazing city, including its history and population.
general description
In general, the French capital is very compact. The total area of Paris is about 105 square kilometers. The borders of the city are fenced by a ring road called the Peripheral Boulevard, and it is divided into the left-bank and right-bank parts of the River Seine. In administrative terms, the metropolis is divided into twenty districts, which are numbered from the center towards the suburbs. Paris is the administrative, cultural, industrial and political center of the state. Over the past few decades, it has grown strongly together with its suburbs, thereby forming the country's largest agglomeration.
Geography
The capital of France is located in the north of the country, 145 kilometers from the English Channel. Paris crosses the Seine River in a direction from the southeast to the northwest. The map of Paris clearly demonstrates how originally the water artery branches in the heart of the city, thereby forming the island of Cité. It was on it that the first local settlers once arranged their homes. Many interesting historical sites are located along the river. On the outskirts of the city are quite vast territories that remain undeveloped in our time. In this case, we are talking about the Bois de Boulogne and the Vincennes forests. Once the French aristocrats hunted here, but now these places have become one of the most favorite among Parisians. Like almost all of France, Paris is influenced by a humid, mild climate. In the winter months, air temperature drops below 0 degrees extremely rarely. As for snow, it also does not fall often.
Short story
Before the invasion of Roman troops in 52 BC, the Gauls tribes inhabited the territory of the modern French capital. The conquerors then called the local population the Parisians. From this word comes the name of the city. As noted earlier, only the island of Cite was originally settled, now the historical center of Paris. Over the next 50 years, the city grew a bit on the left bank. Now here is the so-called Latin Quarter. Roman rule ended in 508.
During the eleventh century, part of the city spread to the right bank, and the reign of King Philip II Augustus (1180-1223) was the period of its rapid development. At this time, the area of Paris not only increased significantly, but numerous churches were erected, paved key roads, and the fortress of the Louvre was also erected. In the Middle Ages, the city became one of the leading European intellectual and shopping centers, and its rapid development temporarily stopped only because of the plague epidemic that began in the fourteenth century. In 1852, inspired by the modernization of London, Emperor Napoleon III partially rebuilt Paris.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the whole of France experienced economic growth. Paris was no exception. The Olympic Games and the World Exhibition, which was visited by millions of tourists from all over the world, have vividly confirmed this. At the same time, the first metro line was opened.
The Second World War
In June 1940, the city was occupied by German troops. They stayed here until the end of August 1944. The government of the country expected such a development of events, in connection with which, some time before the capture of the French capital by the Nazis, the population of Paris was partially evacuated, and monuments and public buildings were covered with sandbags. Be that as it may, one cannot fail to note the fact that, in comparison with other major European cities, it practically did not suffer.
The post-war period and our days
The development of the capital of France continued in the postwar years. At that time, the suburbs grew significantly and the business, industrial district of Defense began to be built, now known throughout the world thanks to its line of skyscrapers. In the eighties of the last century, the city was seized by mass protests. They mainly occurred in its suburbs and were associated with the discontent of local residents, mostly immigrants. More serious riots occurred at the end of 2005. Then, rioters representing the visiting population of Paris, in protest of their social status and status, burned several thousand cars and often attacked public buildings. Nowadays, in a city in some surprising way, progress is harmoniously combined with a century of history. In particular, next to the architectural masterpieces created by world famous masters, ultra-modern buildings are being erected. And this fact does not violate the local atmosphere, which has been forming for centuries.
Population size
As of today, the population of Paris is about 2.3 million people. In this indicator, the city is one of the five largest megacities of the European Union. About 300 thousand of its inhabitants are foreigners who arrived here from European and African countries. With the suburbs in the metropolitan area, known as Greater Paris, about 10 million people live. Throughout the country, this area is the most densely populated. Eloquent is the fact that the city accounts for 17% of the state’s population, although it occupies only 2% of its territory.
The population of Paris has grown rapidly between 1945 and 1970. This time was characterized by a large migration from other regions of the country, as well as a high birth rate in the families of people who arrived here. In the eighties, the influx of youth did not stop at all, but at that time many middle-aged citizens left the city. As a result, after ten years, mainly foreigners and elderly people became residents of the French capital.
As statistical studies show, throughout the history of the population of Paris has replenished significantly due to immigrants from other countries. In the early nineties of the last century, this trend intensified. At that time, migrants accounted for about 25% of local residents. They were mainly Algerians, Spaniards, Portuguese and representatives of other former French colonies. They mainly performed low-paid work in construction and industry. The result of all this was the acute housing problems that arose within the borders of Greater Paris, as a result - there appeared slums inhabited by very poor people.
Economy
The capital of France, along with its suburbs, boasts the country's highest employment rate. The population of the city of Paris mainly works in such areas as the manufacture of watches, jewelry, perfumes, fashionable clothes, as well as high-quality expensive furniture. These products are usually produced in small workshops concentrated in the central part of the city. Industrial workers account for about one quarter of all employed residents of Paris. Quite developed here is the service sector. Large enterprises that specialize in the production of machinery, aircraft, electrical equipment and chemicals are located mainly in the northern suburbs.
Suburbs
As a rule, agglomeration residents live in small single-family houses built in the interwar period, as well as in multi-storey buildings that appeared after the Second World War. Despite the fact that housing construction flourished during this period, the problem of housing shortages in the suburbs of the French capital remains. Moreover, many of the houses located here cannot boast of the availability of modern amenities. The vast majority of local people are immigrants. The most famous, elite suburbs of the French capital are Defense, Versailles and Saint-Denis. Their residents are adequately provided with work and a developed service sector.
Tourism, shopping and nightlife
The capital of France, according to statistics, is the most visited city on the planet. An average of 30 million tourists come here annually. This is not surprising, since numerous historical masterpieces of various eras have been preserved here. In addition, the city attracts visitors with its secrets, unique old streets and atmosphere. At the same time, the person who comes here for the first time does not even need a map of Paris with the sights on it. In any case, he will be delighted, since absolutely every corner is unique here.
Another reason travelers come to the French capital is shopping. Local people like to spend free time in this activity. To make purchases, you do not need to go somewhere, because the streets of the city are crowded with not only elite, but also cheaper shops. At the same time, the purpose of shopping for Parisians is reduced to the process itself, and not to the obligatory purchase of something.
After dark, the city transforms: bridges and architectural monuments begin to light up, and boulevards and streets are filled with reflections of both old and modern lamps. The people of Paris prefer to spend this time meeting with their friends. They visit theaters or restaurants, and after them sometimes go to nightclubs and bars.