Paris stands as the capital and largest city of France, a vibrant metropolis that has shaped global culture, finance, and diplomacy for centuries. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 in January 2025 across an area exceeding 105 square kilometers, it holds the distinction of being the fourth-most populous city in the European Union. In 2022, Paris was also recognized as the 30th most densely populated city worldwide.
Since the 17th century, Paris has emerged as a major world center across various domains, including finance, diplomacy, commerce, culture, fashion, and gastronomy. Its profound influence in the arts and sciences, coupled with its early embrace of extensive street lighting, earned Paris the iconic moniker of the “City of Light” in the 19th century.
The City of Paris forms the core of the Île-de-France region, commonly known as the Paris Region. This broader metropolitan area boasts an official estimated population of 12,271,794 in January 2023, representing approximately 19% of France’s total population. Economically, the Paris Region recorded a nominal GDP of €765 billion (US$1.064 trillion when adjusted for PPP) in 2021, marking it as the highest in the European Union. Despite its economic prowess, the Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey in 2022 identified Paris as the city with the ninth-highest cost of living globally.
Accessibility to Paris is facilitated by its robust transportation network, serving as a major railway, highway, and air-transport hub. The city is specifically served by two international airports: Charles de Gaulle Airport, which ranks as Europe’s third-busiest, and Orly Airport. Paris is also celebrated for one of the most sustainable transportation systems, a testament to its commitment to environmental responsibility, having received the Sustainable Transport Award twice.
The city’s cultural landscape is enriched by its world-renowned museums and architectural landmarks. The Louvre, for instance, attracted 8.9 million visitors in 2023, positioning it to maintain its status as the most-visited art museum globally. Other notable institutions include the Musée d’Orsay, Musée Marmottan Monet, and Musée de l’Orangerie, which are celebrated for their impressive collections of French Impressionist art.
For enthusiasts of modern and contemporary art, the Pompidou Centre, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Musée Rodin, and Musée Picasso offer extensive and compelling collections. Adding to its historical significance, the central historical district along the Seine River was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Beyond art and history, Paris is a hub for international organizations, hosting several United Nations bodies like UNESCO, alongside the OECD, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, the European Space Agency, and the European Banking Authority.
Paris also enjoys a rich sporting heritage, being home to the football club Paris Saint-Germain and the rugby union club Stade Français. The 81,000-seat Stade de France, originally built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, is situated just north of the city in Saint-Denis. The city annually hosts the French Open, a Grand Slam tennis tournament, at Roland Garros.
Notably, Paris has a distinguished Olympic history, having hosted the Summer Olympics in 1900, 1924, and the upcoming 2024 games. The city has also been a stage for major international sports events, including the FIFA World Cups in 1938 and 1998, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, the Rugby World Cups in 2007 and 2023, and various UEFA European Championships. Each July, the prestigious Tour de France bicycle race culminates its journey on the iconic Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
The name Paris itself carries a fascinating historical lineage. The ancient settlement corresponding to modern Paris was first documented in the mid-1st century BC by Julius Caesar as Luteciam Parisiorum, meaning ‘Lutetia of the Parisii.’ It later appeared as Parision in the 5th century AD before being known simply as Paris in 1265.
During the Roman era, the city was widely referred to as Lutetia or Lutecia in Latin, and Leukotekía in Greek. The interpretation of these names often connects them to Celtic roots, either *lukot- meaning ‘mouse’ or *luto- meaning ‘marsh, swamp.’ The contemporary name, Paris, is directly derived from its original inhabitants, the Parisii, a Gallic tribe present during the Iron Age and Roman period.
While the precise meaning of the Gaulish ethnonym remains a subject of academic debate, several intriguing theories exist. Xavier Delamarre suggested it might stem from the Celtic root pario- (‘cauldron’). Alfred Holder, through comparison to the Welsh word peryff (‘lord, commander’), interpreted the name as signifying ‘the makers’ or ‘the commanders,’ potentially originating from a Proto-Celtic form reconstructed as *kwar-is-io-.
Alternatively, Pierre-Yves Lambert proposed translating Parisii as the ‘spear people,’ linking the initial element to the Old Irish word carr (‘spear’), which itself derives from an earlier *kwar-sā. It is important to note that, despite the phonetic similarity, the city’s name bears no relation to the mythological Paris of ancient Greece. Residents of the city are commonly known as Parisians in English and Parisiens in French, though they are also sometimes pejoratively referred to as Parigots.
The history of Paris traces back to around the middle of the 3rd century BC, when the Parisii people first inhabited the area. A significant north-south trade route intersected the Seine River at the Île de la Cité, which progressively developed into a vital trading hub. The Parisii engaged in trade with numerous river towns, extending as far as the Iberian Peninsula, and even minted their own coins, highlighting their early commercial sophistication.
Julius Caesar’s conquest of the Paris Basin in 52 BC led to the establishment of a Roman settlement on Paris’s Left Bank. This Roman town, initially named Lutetia Parisiorum, flourished into a prosperous city, complete with a forum, baths, temples, theatres, and an amphitheatre, demonstrating a robust Roman presence.
By the waning years of the Western Roman Empire, the town had become known as Parisius, a Latin designation that would eventually evolve into the French name, Paris. Christianity found its way to the city in the mid-3rd century AD, introduced by Saint Denis, who served as Paris’s first Bishop. According to legend, after refusing to renounce his faith before Roman occupiers, he was beheaded on the hill later known as Mons Martyrum, or “Hill of Martyrs,” which subsequently became Montmartre.
Legend recounts that Saint Denis walked headless to the north of the city, and the site where he eventually fell and was buried transformed into a significant religious shrine: the Basilica of Saint-Denis. This hallowed ground would later become the burial place for many French kings, underscoring its enduring historical and religious importance. In 508, Clovis the Frank, the inaugural king of the Merovingian dynasty, officially made the city his capital, cementing Paris’s early role as a seat of power.
As Frankish dominance over Gaul began to take hold, a gradual migration of Franks into Paris occurred, leading to the emergence of the Parisian Francien dialects. While the fortifications of the Île de la Cité proved insufficient to prevent a sacking by Vikings in 845, Paris’s strategic significance, particularly its bridges that obstructed river passage, was decisively demonstrated during the successful defense in the Siege of Paris (885–886).
This pivotal defense led to the election of Odo of France, then Count of Paris, as king of West Francia. The subsequent Capetian dynasty, initiated by the 987 election of Hugh Capet, who was both Count of Paris and Duke of the Franks, marked a period during which Paris progressively became the largest and most prosperous city in all of France.
