The population of Paris. Area of Paris

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, there is not enough time for visiting all local attractions. Further in this article, in more detail, it will be 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 boundaries of the city are protected by a ring road called Peripheral Boulevard, and it is divided into the left-bank and right-bank part by 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 with its suburbs, thereby forming the largest agglomeration in the country.

Geography

The capital of France is located in the north of the country, 145 kilometers from the English Channel. The River Seine Paris intersects in a direction from the southeast to the northwest. The map of Paris demonstrates how original the water artery branches into the heart of the city, thus forming the island of Sete. It was on him once the first local settlers settled their homes. Many interesting historical objects are located along the river. On the outskirts of the city are quite extensive areas that remain unbuilt and in our time. In this case we are talking about the Bois de Boulogne and the Vincennes forest. Once there were hunted French aristocrats, and now these places have become one of the most favorite among Parisians. Like almost all of France, Paris is under the influence of a damp, mild climate. In the winter months, the air temperature drops below 0 degrees extremely rarely. As for the snow, it also falls out not often.

Short story

Before the invasion of the Roman troops in 52 BC, the tribes of the Gauls inhabited the territory of the modern French capital. The conquerors then nicknamed the local population the Parisians. From this word comes the name of the city. As already mentioned, initially only the island of Sete, now the historical center of Paris, was settled. Over the next 50 years, the city has grown a little on the left bank. Now here is the so-called Latin Quarter. The Roman government 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 a period of rapid development. At this time, not just significantly increased the area of Paris, but were built numerous churches, paved key roads, and built the fortress of the Louvre. In the Middle Ages, the city became one of the leading European intellectual and shopping centers, and its rapid development was suspended for a while 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.

In the early 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, proved to be a bright confirmation of this. At the same time, the first branch 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 expected this development, and for some time before the French capital was captured by the fascists, the population of Paris was partially evacuated, and monuments and public buildings were covered with sandbags. Whatever it was, it should be noted that, in comparison with other major European cities, it practically did not suffer.

The post-war period and our days

The development of the French capital continued in the postwar years. At this time, the suburbs expanded significantly and the business, industrial area of Defense, now famous throughout the world for its line of skyscrapers, was being built. In the eighties of the last century, the city embraced mass protests. They mostly occurred in its suburbs and were associated with discontent of local residents, mostly immigrants. More serious riots occurred at the end of 2005. Then the rebellious persons representing the newcomer population of Paris, in protest against their social status and status, burned several thousand cars and often attacked public buildings. In our time in the city, in some surprising way, progress harmoniously combines with a hundred-year history. In particular, near the architectural masterpieces created by world-famous masters, modern buildings are being built. And this fact does not violate the local atmosphere, which has been formed for centuries.

Population

As of today, the population of Paris is about 2.3 million people. In this indicator, the city is among the five largest megacities of the European Union. About 300 thousand of its inhabitants are foreigners who have come here from European and African states. Considering the suburbs in the metropolitan area, known as Greater Paris, there are about 10 million people. 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 itself occupies only 2% of its territory.

The population of Paris greatly increased in the period from 1945 to 1970. This time was characterized by a large migration from other regions of the country, as well as high birth rates in the families of people who arrived here. In the eighties, the influx of young people did not stop, but at that time many middle-aged citizens left the city. As a result, in ten years the residents of the French capital were mainly foreigners and elderly people.

As shown by statistical studies, throughout the history of the population of Paris was significantly replenished by immigrants from other countries. In the early nineties of the last century, this trend intensified. At this time, the settlers accounted for about 25% of the local residents. They were mainly Algerians, Spaniards, Portuguese and representatives of other former French colonies. They basically performed poorly paid jobs in construction and industry. The result of all this was the acute housing problems that arose within Greater Paris, as a result - there were slums inhabited by very poor people.

Economy

The capital of France, together with its suburbs, boasts the highest in the country in terms of the number of employed residents. The population of the city of Paris mainly works in such areas as making watches, jewelry, perfumes, fashionable clothes, as well as high-quality furniture. These goods are usually produced in small workshops concentrated in the central part of the city. Industrial workers account for about one-fourth of all employed people in Paris. The service industry is quite developed here. Large enterprises that specialize in the production of cars, airplanes, electrical engineering and chemicals are located mainly in the northern near suburbs.

Suburbs

As a rule, residents of the agglomeration live in small single-family houses erected in the interwar period, as well as in multi-storey buildings that appeared after the Second World War. Despite the fact that housing construction during this period has flourished, the problem of housing shortage in the suburbs of the French capital remains. Moreover, many of the houses located here can not boast of the availability of modern amenities. The predominant majority of local people are immigrants. The most famous, elite suburbs of the French capital are Deffence, Versailles and Saint-Denis. Their residents are adequately provided with work and a developed sphere of services.

Tourism, shopping and nightlife

The capital of France, according to statistics, is the most visited city on the planet. Every year an average of 30 million tourists come here. This is not surprising, because there are numerous historical masterpieces of different epochs. In addition, the city attracts visitors with its secrets, unique old streets and atmosphere. At the same time, a person who comes here for the first time does not even need a map of Paris with sights. In any case, he will be delighted, since absolutely every corner is unique here.

Another reason why travelers come to the French capital is shopping. Spend your free time for this occupation and love the local people. 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. In this case, the purpose of shopping for Paris is reduced to the process itself, and not to the mandatory acquisition of something.

After darkness the city is transformed: bridges and architectural monuments begin to be illuminated, and the boulevards and streets overflow the reflections of both ancient and modern lamps. The population of Paris prefers to spend this time meeting with their friends. They visit theaters or restaurants, and after them sometimes go to night clubs and bars.