Paris (IPA-frpa?iParis1.ogg in French (French language), pron-en?p�r?s in English (English language)) is the capital (Capital (political)) and largest city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the �le-de-France (�le-de-France (region)) region (Regions of France) (or Paris Region, Lang-frR�gion parisienne). The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,203,817 (January 2006),Fr icon cite weburl=Estimation de population par d�partement, sexe et grande classe d?�ge - Ann�es 1990 � 2006"author=Institut National de la Statistique et des �tudes �conomiques (INSEE)accessdate=2008-02-16 but the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of 11,769,433 (January 2006),Fr icon cite weburl=Urbaine 99 - pop totale par sexe et �ge"author=Institut National de la Statistique et des �tudes �conomiquesaccessdate=2006-04-10 and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas (Largest European cities and metropolitan areas) in Europe.cite weburl=Metropolitan Areas"author=Stefan Helders, World Gazetteeraccessdate=2007-01-18

An important settlement for more than two millennia, Paris is today one of the worlds leading business and cultural (culture) centres, and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, media (mass media), fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the worlds major global cities (global city).

Paris and the Paris Region (�le-de-France (region)), with ?552.7 billion (US$813.4 billion) in 2008, produces more than a quarter of the gross domestic product (GDP) of France.Fr icon cite weburl=Int�rieurs Bruts R�gionaux (PIBR) en valeur en millions deurosauthor=Institut National de la Statistique et des �tudes �conomiquesformat=XLSaccessdate=2010-02-10 According to 2007 estimates, the Paris urban agglomeration is Europes biggest city economy and the sixth largest (List of cities by GDP) in the world. The Paris Region hosts 38 of the Fortune Global 500 companies in several business districts, notably La D�fense, the largest purpose-built business district in Europe. Paris also hosts many international organizations such as UNESCO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the informal Paris Club. According to the latest survey from Economist Intelligence Unit in 2010, Paris is the worlds most expensive city to live in.

Paris is one of the most popular tourist (tourism) destinations in the world. The Paris region receives 45 million tourists annually, 60% of whom are foreign visitors. The city and region contain numerous iconic landmarks, world-famous institutions and popular parks.

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