History...
Paris's name comes from the name of Parisii, a Gaul people (one Parisius, two Parisii). The word Paris is in fact the transformation with time of the latin words Civitas Parisiorum (City of the Parisii).
The city's name becomes Paris during the 4th century and Clovis, King of France, settles in the town and makes it the capital in 508 following his victory on the Romans. Paris has become one of the world's best known cities thanks to its monuments which have over time become symbols: The Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysées and the Louvre Museum with the painting "La Joconde" by Leonard de Vinci are some of the best known landmarks.
Paris today
In 2004, Paris (within its administrative limits) counted 2,144,700 inhabitants (INSEE sources).However, the city and its agglomeration counted in 1999 11,1 million inhabitants! Paris enjoys a transportation network commensurate with its size and its Capital status and which links the city to many destinations in 3 hours or less: London, Brussels, Marseille, Bordeaux and many more...
Economy
Paris and its region are one of the main engines of the world's economy. The Ile-de-France's gross domestic product is the 5th of large cities worldwide after Tokyo, New York and is almost equal to London's. With over 5,3 million jobs, 84% of which are in the services sector, Paris and its region are at the top of the national economy especially in the services sector. Many national and international headquarters are based in the Ile-de-France region.
Culture
Paris is a major cultural centre. It is a tourism destination visited each year by over 26 million foreign tourists. It offers over 150 museums such as the Louvre and exceptional landmarks such as the Champs-Elysées and the Eiffel Tower.
World capitale of trade fairs and conferences, of fashion and luxury, of gastronomy and love, Paris also offers un wide choice in terms of shows, theater plays and operas as well as the widest choice of the best international movies.
Paris is a unique city and writings can not even describe the wealth of richness it holds. For more information, check-out the Paris Office du Tourisme website. Our students will also be happy to give you some information and hot tips about their city should you pay them a visit.