Project on the theme of the country of the world paris. Message about France

General information about the city

Paris (Paris) is the capital of France, the most important economic and cultural center of Europe, located in the north of the central part of France, in the Ile-de-France region, on the banks of the Seine River.

Paris is not just a city. This is a dream, this is a living legend, this is "a holiday that is always with you." He is both the keeper of history, and the personification of modernity, and the creator of the future. Paris belongs not only to France, it belongs to the whole world, it is loved not only by Parisians, but also by residents of different parts of the world. Everyone seeks and finds something different in Paris.

“Paris is so well described,” Baron Pelnitz remarked in 1732, “so much has been said about it that even those who have never seen the city know what it looks like.” More than two centuries have passed since the writing of this phrase, but nothing has changed. The main symbols of Paris - Notre Dame Cathedral, the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe are also known to those who have never been to it. Paris exists in their imagination as real as it does in reality.

Paris is the capital of France, the administrative, political and industrial center in which the financial and commercial activities of the country are concentrated. Paris is also the center of the cultural and intellectual life of France.

Paris is located in the geographical center of the northern part of the country on the banks of the Seine River and 145 kilometers from the English Channel. It is located in the center of a vast chalk basin - the Paris Basin, about 65 meters above sea level. The basin is drained not only by the Seine, but also by its numerous tributaries, including the Marne and the Oise.

The region surrounding Paris is located in the heart of France.

Since the 6th century, it has occupied this privileged position, since even then it became the core of the kingdom of the Franks. Rich agricultural lands, picturesque plains, green forests, temperate climate, convenient transport routes - all this provided the region with dominance over other French provinces.

At the end of the 18th century, the entire territory of the country was divided into about 90 departments, which made it difficult to accurately determine the boundaries of the area, which for a long time was called the "Paris region". But in 1976, France was divided into 26 regions, each of which included several departments. The Paris region was officially returned to its historical name of Ile-de-France. Today, the region includes Paris and seven other departments surrounding the French capital. The region is governed by the Regional Council, which is elected for a six-year term and works closely with the Committee on Economic and Social Affairs.

Konstantin Paustovsky wrote: “The charm of Paris takes possession of you suddenly, as soon as you touch the Parisian land. But only if you knew Paris and loved it long before this first meeting. For those who know Paris from books, from painting, from the total amount of knowledge about it, this city immediately opens up, as if covered with a bronze reflection of its majestic history, the brilliance of glory and human genius ... "

The boundaries of the city are outlined by Periferik Boulevard - a ring highway. The territory of Paris includes the Bois de Boulogne located to the west of the city and the Bois de Vincennes located to the east. The area of ​​the city is 105 km2.

“If you are lucky and you lived in Paris in your youth, then wherever you are later, he will remain with you until the end of your days, because Paris is a holiday that is always with you.”

E. Hemingway.

The Seine River flows through the city from east to west, on the right northern bank dominated by the hill of Montmartre. On the left bank, the dominant vertical is the Montparnasse Tower. In the center of Paris, the river splits into branches, washing two islands - the island of Cité and the island of St. Louis (Saint-Louis). Another island - Lebyazhy, is located in the western part of the city.

In modern France, there is a parliament, government and president.

Parliament is represented by two chambers: the National Assembly, which discusses and adopts laws, and the Senate, which performs an advisory function. The National Assembly is elected for a five-year term, while members of the Senate are elected for nine years. The National Assembly meets in the Bourbon Palace overlooking the Place de la Concorde, and the Senate in the Luxembourg Palace.

The meridian of Paris, which was defined in 1718 by Jacques Cassini and measured more precisely in 1806 by the French physicist Arago, was the prime meridian until 1884. It passes through the Paris Observatory and is marked with bollards throughout Paris, as well as with special marks on pavements, sidewalks and buildings, including the Louvre.

The government is headed by the prime minister, who is appointed by the president. The government is accountable to the National Assembly. The residence of the Prime Minister is located in the Hotel Matignon in the Faubourg Saint-Germain district.

The President of the Republic is elected for 7 years. The president not only appoints the prime minister, but also presides over cabinet meetings and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President serves as the guarantor of the independence of the judiciary and is given special powers in emergency situations. The official residence of the president is the Elysee Palace.

All the political parties and trade unions actively participating in the political life of the country, as well as nationwide print media, are located in Paris. The capital also hosts embassies from around the world and the headquarters of major international organizations, such as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). Paris often hosts international congresses, meetings and conferences.

Since 1977, Paris has enjoyed the unique privilege of a dual status in terms of administrative-territorial division: it is both a commune and a department. As a commune, or municipality, Paris has its own mayor and is divided into 20 arrondissements with their own prefects. The mayor of Paris is elected by the city council for a term of 6 years.

“Paris conquers from the first day of the meeting! Literally after an hour of being in it, you feel easy and simple, as with an old friendly friend. The charm of this wonderful city is in its soft cheerfulness and lightness, amazing lightness in everything! And, above all, in the architecture of its countless palaces and squares, mansard roofs, in its boulevards ... In the friendly life of the streets, in witty, sociable people, in the climate, finally!

Georgy Zhzhenov, actor. From the book "Experienced".

Paris received the status of a department after the formation of the Île-de-France region. With the advent of new departments, the department of the Seine, with its main city of Paris, and several departments around the capital were transformed. Paris, home to one fifth of the region's population, was given the status of an independent department governed by the Council of Paris.

Local self-government received real power and shared responsibility with the state for the greatest architectural heritage of Paris.

The modern architectural appearance of Paris took shape by the middle of the 19th century, when work was carried out on the reconstruction of the capital. At this time, the main greened Champs-Elysées Avenue, new highways, two large forest parks - the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes - were created.

Truly magnificent are the world-famous masterpieces of Parisian architecture: Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Palace Ensemble, the Luxembourg Palace and the Palais-Royal Palace, the ensemble of Les Invalides.

In the 18th century, the central architectural ensemble of Paris was created - Place de la Concorde, recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world. In the second half of the 18th century, the Pantheon was built - the tomb of the great people of France. In the first half of the 19th century, the city was decorated with triumphal buildings in the Empire style: the arch on the Carousel Square and the Arc de Triomphe on the Place de l'Etoile. 12 avenues diverge from the Place de l'Etoile ("star"). In the skyline of Paris, an important place belongs to the Eiffel Tower - a 300-meter metal structure built on the occasion of the 1889 World Exhibition.

The last decades have changed Paris: entire districts, which had been in a deplorable state for a long time, were either restored, for example, the Marais quarter, or completely reconstructed - like the area of ​​​​the former Les Alles Central Market. The redevelopment of the eastern districts was begun on the basis of the latest principles of urban development. Thus, the northeastern district of La Villette was turned into the largest cultural center of the capital.

“Anyone who plunges into the abyss of Paris experiences dizziness. There is nothing more fantastic, more tragic, more majestic."

Victor Hugo

The population of Paris exceeds 2 million people. The population census in 1999 showed that 2,125,246 people live in the capital, on a land area of ​​10,540 hectares, that is, more than 20,000 inhabitants per square kilometer. This is the highest population density in France. True, the areas within Paris differ in population density. The most populated districts are XV, XVIII, XX, and the least populated are I, II, IV. Paris is a fairly young city with a lower death rate than the rest of France.

"Paris is the world, all other lands are only its suburbs."

Pierre Marivaux, French playwright and novelist.

Paris and its environs is a zone of intense economic activity. Most industrial enterprises are located in the western and northern suburbs of Paris, mainly along the banks of the Seine and along the Canal Saint-Denis. The leading branches of heavy industry are represented by large enterprises, such as automobile factories, electrical engineering enterprises, and rubber factories. Developed industries such as mechanical engineering, metalworking, automotive, electrical and electronic industries.

Of great importance are the aviation industry, machine tool building, the production of precision mechanics and optics, the military industry and other branches of engineering. The main branches of the chemical industry are rubber, fine chemicals (pharmaceuticals, photographic materials), plastics production.

Thanks to the concentration of national and international firms in the city, Paris provides about a third of the country's GDP. One of the problems of the city remains unemployment, the level of which corresponds to the unemployment rate in all of France.

Paris is an international trendsetter with a well-developed clothing industry. The production of toilet articles, haberdashery and jewelry, souvenirs is world famous. The paper, printing, furniture and food industries, the production of building materials and the construction industry have received great development.

Half of all banks in the country are concentrated in Paris. It plays a leading role in France's internal and external trade. Large trade fairs are regularly held here. The city is visited by millions of foreign tourists every year.

Paris is the main transport hub of France, important international routes pass through it.

Railway lines of 6 Parisian stations connect the capital with all regions of France and neighboring countries. Communication between the stations is well established with the help of public transport.

Saint-Lazare - Normandy, UK (to Dieppe, then by ferry).

North Station - northbound (high-speed train TGV), UK (Eurostar), Belgium and Holland (Thalys - via Brussels to Cologne and Amsterdam), Scandinavian countries.

Vostochny station - east direction, Germany, Switzerland, Austria.

Gare de Lyon - Regions Center and South East (TGV), Alps, Italy, Greece.

Station Austerlitz - southwest direction (TGV), Spain, Portugal.

Gare Montparnasse - Brittany and the West of France (TGV).

For cargo transportation, the Le Bourget stations, located in the commune of the same name, and Vaires, with the Grand Ring Road (Grande Ceinture) running from it, are used.

The most important highways and inland waterways converge on Paris. The Seine is canalized as far as Rouen and is accessible to ships with a displacement of up to 2,000 tons. Through a system of canals coming from the Seine and its tributaries, Paris is connected with the rivers Rhine, Rhone, Loire, as well as with the northern industrial region. The main cargoes moving on water are building materials, oil products, coal, and metals. The main port is Gennevilliers.

Paris is a major hub for international air lines. Paris is served by three international airports and 155 airlines. Airport "Charles de Gaulle" occupies the third place in Europe in terms of the number of passengers. Orly Airport receives primarily domestic flights from southern countries. The older Le Bourget Airport is used mainly by private jets and smaller airlines.

Paris has an extensive network of metro lines and bus routes.

The most convenient and fastest transport in Paris is the metro, consisting of 16 lines (14 full and 2 supplementary; some lines have branchings at the ends) with a total length of 212.5 km, which makes it one of the largest in the world.

There is also a regional express metro (RER) - commuter train lines that run underground in Paris and intersect with metro lines. The RER network consists of 5 lines, labeled A, B, C, D, E.

Since 1992, tram lines, which were destroyed in the 60s and 70s, began to be built again in Paris.

The Parisian tram network consists of four lines, three of which connect the Parisian suburbs, and only one (TK) runs within the city.

Paris has an extensive bus network. It includes not only ordinary buses, but also special lines that run along the tourist routes of Paris.

The appearance of Paris was changed in the middle of the 19th century as a result of a grand rebuilding. For many centuries before that, it was a labyrinth of narrow streets and wooden houses. In 1852, Baron Haussmann's city improvement plan demolished entire blocks of dilapidated buildings and replaced them with wide avenues and lined neoclassical stone buildings.

The requirements of the times of Napoleon III for the development of Paris have not lost their relevance even now: the height and dimensions of buildings are subject to a single law of uniformity, and since the middle of the 19th century only a few exceptions to these rules have been made.

Paris is a city that is a living museum. He preserves his great heritage, makes it the property of the whole world. A significant number of different organizations have moved or are planning to move to convenient suburbs. Already outside the historical city are the business district of Defense, a large food market (Rangi district), important educational institutions (Polytechnic Institute), world-famous scientific laboratories, sports facilities and even ministries (for example, the Ministry of Transport).

District Defense

Paris is a city of students. The most prestigious educational institutions in France are located in its capital. It houses the University of Paris, the College de France, the Higher Practical School, the National Polytechnic Institute, the Higher Normal School, the Higher National School of Technical Education, over 40 so-called independent institutes, 2 conservatories (dramatic art and music), the Louvre School, the National High School fine arts and other educational institutions.

Sorbonne

The Sorbonne, which became more and more popular after its foundation, eventually became the largest and most prestigious educational institution in Paris and France. Around the Sorbonne, the famous Latin Quarter was formed, whose name then spread to the student quarters of other cities.

The Sorbonne University, named after its founder Robert de Sorbonne, confessor of King Louis IX, traces its history back to 1258. At the beginning of the XIX century. The Sorbonne gradually gained true fame, reaching its apogee by the beginning of the 20th century.

The university building was rebuilt in 1884–1901. designed by the architect Eno. From the boulevard Saint-Germain, a magnificent staircase leads to the monumental hall of the Rector of the Paris Academy, which is also located in this building. In a rectangular courtyard, next to the statues of the romantic poet Victor Hugo and the philosopher Victor Cousin, there is a church where the ashes of Cardinal Richelieu, who is sometimes called the "second founder" of the university, are buried.

In 1972, the Sorbonne, or the University of Paris, was reorganized into 13 universities, differing in areas of study. They belong to 3 academies of Paris and Ile-de-France. Four of these universities are located mainly in the historical buildings of the Sorbonne, the rest - in other quarters of Paris and its suburbs. Sorbonne Universities have authority all over the world.

The Pantheon-Sorbonne, also called Paris I, owes its name to the Pantheon Square where it is located. About 40 thousand students study here. The university includes the faculties of law, economics, art history and archeology, fine arts and art history, business law, administration and management, international and European relations, geography, history, philosophy, political sciences, social sciences, common law, mathematics and computer science . Its structure also includes four institutes (demography of Paris, economic and social development, social issues of labor, tourism) and a network of specialized higher educational institutions engaged in training personnel in the field of banking, finance and insurance.

The University of Paris II, or the University of Paris Panthéon-Assas, is a state French university, the main successor of the Faculty of Law of the University of Paris. Assas is the best law university in France. 80% of the total number of students study at the faculties of law, 11% of the total number study at the faculties of management and economics.

New Sorbonne - University Paris III, located on Sorbonne Street, has a pronounced humanitarian focus. About 20 thousand students study here at the faculties of French and Latin languages ​​​​and literature, general and applied linguistics and phonetics, general and comparative literature, teaching French as a foreign language, German, the English-speaking world, Hispanic studies and Latin American countries, regional studies of Italy and Romania , Oriental and Arabic studies, theater studies, film studies, mass media. There are two specialized educational institutions at the university: the Institute of Latin American Countries and the Graduate School of Translators.

The University of Paris-Sorbonne, or Paris IV, is located on rue Victor Cousin and has over 25,000 students. This educational institution includes the faculties of French literature, French, Latin, Greek, English and North America, Italian and Romanian, Slavic, Hispanic and Latin American studies, history, geography, philosophy, art history and archeology, music and musicology, applied humanities. The university has established a research institute for the study of civilizations of the modern West, as well as the Higher School of Information Sciences and Communication. Institute of Religious Studies, Institute of Physical Culture and Sports.

René Descartes University, aka Paris V University, is located on rue École de Medein. The number of students is about 30 thousand. The university includes faculties and departments of biomedicine, childhood diseases, dental surgery, physical education and sports, pharmacy and biology, mathematics and computer science, humanities and social sciences, psychology, and law. A separate structure is the Institute of Technology (with the status of a university), which has a department of medical law.

All universities are connected into a single whole by a network of organizations and institutions of general purpose - such as, for example, the Center for Professional Development, the Center for Career Guidance, the Interuniversity Center for Physical Education and Sports.

In the system of the University of Paris, a special place is occupied by higher schools (Grandes Ecoles). Their diploma is highly regarded in France. The first of them were created even before the French Revolution: the School of Mines - in 1783, the Royal School of Bridge and Road Construction - a year later. As a rule, the path to big business and big politics lies through them. The most famous higher schools are Ecole Normale Superieure, where future teachers are trained. Higher Agronomic School (Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique), Higher Commercial School (Ecoles des Hautes Etudes Commerciales), Polytechnic School (Ecole Polytechnique), Central School of Civil Engineers (Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures), Military Combined Arms School (Ecole Speciale Militaire Interarmes) .

The Library of the University of Paris opened its doors for the first time on December 3, 1770. Then it contained 20 thousand volumes, which was quite a lot for those times. Access to this treasury of knowledge from the very first days was open not only for students and teachers, but also for everyone. The library funds, constantly replenished, reached by 1936 an impressive figure of a million volumes. By 1997, the number of books had tripled. Today, the Sorbonne Library is the world's largest collection of the intellectual heritage of all mankind.

The Institute of France (Institut de France) is also located in Paris, consisting of 5 academies, the main and most prestigious of which is the French Academy (Academie fran^aise), which became part of the Institute in 1803. Since that time, it has been located in the building of the College of the Four Nations “College des Quatre Nations” opposite the Louvre. In Paris, there is a French page - x. Academy, Academy of Architecture, Academy of Surgery, Maritime Academy, Academy of the Latin World, National Academy of Medicine and other academies, research institutes and scientific societies in all branches of scientific knowledge.

Paris is also the largest libraries in France - the National Archives and the National Library, as well as about 50 libraries of academies, universities, research institutes and scientific societies.

The largest library in Paris is the National Library of France, founded in 1368 by King Charles V from his personal library in the Louvre. At the time of its foundation, the library consisted of only 911 manuscripts, since in those days it was customary to destroy all his documents after the death of the monarch. This custom was violated by Louis XI, from whom the expansion of the fund began. On July 14, 1988, President François Mitterrand announced the construction of a new building for the National Library, which began in December 1990. The building was designed by the architect Dominique Perrault and commissioned on December 20, 1996. Now the library has more than 10 million printed publications.

The National Archives of France, located in the Soubise mansion, in addition to manuscripts and documents of the French kings, contains the most important documents related to the history of France, for example, a letter from Joan of Arc or an order to take Robespierre into custody Paris - these are the most interesting museums in the world - the Louvre Museum, the Museum Carnaval (history of Paris), the Museum of Modern Art, the Rodin Museum, the National Museum of Natural History and many other museums.

Opened in 1793 in the former residence of the French kings, the Louvre Museum contains one of the largest and most important collections in the world. The collection consists of 30,000 exhibits from ancient times to the end of the 19th century. The museum building is located in the very center of Paris between the right bank of the Seine and Rivoli Street.

The Musee d'Orsay is located in the building of the former Orsay railway station on the right bank of the Seine opposite the Tuileries Gardens. The station building was built according to the design of Victor Lalu in 1900 for communication between Paris and Orleans, but was closed in 1939 and in 1978 received the status of a historical monument. From 1980 to 1986, under the leadership of Gae Aulenti, the building was converted into a new museum. The Musée d'Orsay is famous for its collection of French Impressionist works. At the same time, paintings, sculptures, photographs and furniture from the period 1848-1914 of all possible directions of art are exhibited here.

Center Georges Pompidou

Built in 1977 and designed by Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Gianfranco Franchini, the Georges Pompidou Cultural Center is France's premier center of contemporary art. The building houses not only a museum of modern art, but also a library, cinema halls, bookstores and children's art studios.

The Picasso Museum is one of the most beautiful museums in Paris. The exposition consists of works by Picasso himself, as well as a collection of works by other artists he collected - Georges Braque, Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and Amedeo Modigliani. The museum is housed in the Salé mansion built in 1656-1659 in the Marais quarter.

The medieval palace of the abbots of Cluny now houses the Museum of the Middle Ages (Cluny Museum) with a collection of medieval art objects.

Interior of the Picasso Museum

For the World Exhibition of 1900, the Great and Small Palaces were designed as exhibition halls. The Grand Palace not only exhibits art, but also hosts various fairs, exhibitions, such as an automobile exhibition. In the Small Palace, they found a place for a collection of French and Italian Renaissance paintings, as well as paintings by Flemish and Dutch masters.

Theatrical Paris is more than 60 theaters - Grand Opera, Comedie Francaise and other theaters.

The Paris Opera plays an important role in the development of opera. Opened in 1875 and named after the architect, the Opéra Garnier is the largest opera house in the world. The "new opera", Opéra Bastille, has been in existence since 1989. She is technically well equipped. Since the opening of the new opera, the Palais Garnier has been used mainly for ballet performances and classical opera performances. Opéra Bastille has its own ballet company and a ballet school.

Medieval Museum

The famous theater Comédie Francaise, which arose in 1680 as a result of the merger of the former theater of Moliere with several theater companies, is still popular. Such outstanding artists as Sarah Bernhardt and Jean-Louis Barrault played on the stage of the Comédie Francaise. Today the theater performs mainly with the classical repertoire.

The Théâtre des Champs Elysées, built between 1911 and 1913 by Auguste Perret and the Belgian Henri van de Velde, is known for its architecture and sometimes scandalous performances.

For fans of variety shows in Paris, a large number of cabarets are open. The most famous of them are the Moulin Rouge, Lido and Paradise Latin in the Latin Quarter. Parisian cabarets are famous for their cancan.

Rock concerts are most often held in the Zenith concert hall in La Villette park or Bercy park.

The French telecommunications market is located in Paris. The largest concerns in this market include Vivendi Universal, Groupe Lagardere, Groupe TF1. In Paris, there are publishers of the largest daily newspapers Le Figaro, Le Monde, Liberation and many other publishers.

The best time to visit Paris is from April to October (especially the spring and autumn months). In Paris, the coldest month is January and the warmest is July. August in Paris is hot and stuffy, which is why most Parisians take vacations during this time and leave the city. Many establishments are closed during this time. But on the other hand, the city is flooded with tourists who have come from around the world to explore Parisian sights.

Winter in Paris is mild, it rarely snows. The temperature almost never drops below -10 °C.

More than 300,000 foreigners live in Paris. These are mainly immigrants from Africa, Turkey, Portugal, Spain and Asian countries.

80% of Parisians are baptized and 75% identify themselves as Catholics. Most of them are Catholics of the Latin rite, some are adherents of the Armenian and Ukrainian rites. In total, there are 94 Catholic communities, 15 Orthodox churches, 7 synagogues, 2 mosques in Paris.

Paris is the hometown of many world famous people. However, the history of Paris was made not only by native Parisians, but by thousands of provincials and foreigners who came to Paris and made it their hometown.

Paris has hosted two Summer Olympics, 1900 and 1924. In addition, the city competed for the right to host the 2012 Summer Olympics but lost to London.

The final stage of the Tour de France is traditionally held in Paris: since 1975, the last kilometers of the race have been held along the Champs Elysees. Paris hosts the French Open every year, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. author Yudin Alexander Vasilievich

General information Geography Khakassia is located in the south-west of Eastern Siberia in the left-bank part of the Yenisei basin. The territory of Khakassia (61.9 thousand km?) occupies a significant part of the Minusinsk basin. The length from north to south is 460 km, from west to east in the most