Tour métallique de Fourvière (1894) The GDP of Lyon was 74 billion euro 2012, it's second richest city France after Paris Lyon its region Rhône-Alpes represent one of most important economies Europe and according Loughborough University can be compared Philadelphia Mumbai or Athens with regard its international position city of Lyon working partnership more easily enable establishment of new headquarters territory (ADERLY Chambre du commerce et d'industrie Grand Lyon...) High-tech industries such biotechnology software development video game (Arkane Studios Ivory Tower Eden Games EA France Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe) internet services also growing Other important sectors include medical research technology non-profit institutions universities Lyon home P4-Inserm–ean Merieux Laboratory which conducts top-level vaccine researchThe city home headquarters of many large companies such Groupe SEB Sanofi Pasteur Renault Trucks Norbert Dentressangle LCL S.ADescours & Cabaud Merial Point S BioMérieux Iveco Bus Compagnie Nationale du Rhône GL Events April Group Boiron Feu Vert Panzani Babolat Euronews Lyon Airports LVL Medical inter-governmental agencies IARC Interpol specialisation of some sectors of activities has led creation of many main business centres La Part-Dieu located 3rd arrondissement second biggest business quarter after La Défense Paris with over 1,600,000 m2 (17,222,256.67 sq ft) of office space services more than 55,000 jobs Cité Internationale created architect Renzo Piano located border of Parc de la Tête d'Or 6th arrondissement worldwide headquarters of Interpol located there district of Confluence south of historic centre new pole of economical cultural developmentTourism important part of Lyon economy with one billion euros 2007 3.5 million hotel-nights 2006 provided non-residents Approximately 60% of tourists visit business with rest leisure January 2009 Lyon ranked first France hostels business festivals most important attracting tourists Fête des lumières Nuits de Fourvière every summer Biennale d'art contemporain Nuits SonoresDemographics; Catholicism has been predominant religion France more than millennium though not actively practised today was Among 47,000 religious buildings France 94% Roman Catholic During French Revolution activists conducted brutal campaign of de-Christianisation ending Catholic Church state religion some cases clergy churches were attacked with iconoclasm stripping churches of statues ornament After back forth of Catholic royal secular republican governments during 19th century France established laïcité passage of 1905 law Separation of Churches StateSince 1905 French Government has followed principle of laïcité which prohibited from recognising any specific right religious community (except legacy statutes like those of military chaplains local law Alsace-Moselle) recognises religious organisations according formal legal criteria that do not address religious doctrine Conversely religious organisations expected refrain from intervening policy-making Certain groups such Scientology Children of God Unification Church or Order of Solar Temple considered cults (sectes French), therefore do not have same status recognised religions France Secte considered pejorative term FranceHealth, masthead of Le Figaro newspaper Joan of Arc led French army several important victories during Hundred Years' War which paved way final victoryanimated gif showing changes French borders. Because of its pre-eminence Mediterranean port Marseille has always been one of main gateways into France This has attracted many immigrants made Marseille cosmopolitan melting pot end of 18th century about half population originated from elsewhere Provence mostly also from southern France.[page needed], Montessori School of LyonSupplementary education Further information Energy France. Main articles Demographics of France French people Marseille Provence Airport fifth busiest FranceThe city served international airport Marseille Provence Airport located Marignane airport fifth busiest French airport known 4th most important European traffic growth 2012extensive network of motorways connects Marseille north west (A7) Aix-en-Provence north (A51) Toulon (A50) French Riviera (A8) eastGare de Marseille Saint-Charles Marseille's main railway station operates direct regional services Aix-en-Provence Briançon Toulon Avignon Nice Montpellier Toulouse Bordeaux Nantes etc Gare Saint-Charles also one of main terminal stations TGV south of France making Marseille reachable three hours from Paris (a distance of over 750 km) just over one half hours from Lyon There also direct TGV lines Lille Brussels Nantes Geneva Strasbourg Frankfurt well Eurostar services London addition night train (Intercités de Nuit) from Luxembourg Strasbourg stops here its way Nice whereas night train from Paris Nice serves Gare de Marseille-Blancarde (fr)There new long distance bus station adjacent new modern extension Gare Saint-Charles with destinations mostly other Bouches-du-Rhône towns including buses Aix-en-Provence Cassis La Ciotat Aubagne city also served with 11 other regional trains stations east north of cityMarseille has large ferry terminal Gare Maritime with services Corsica Sardinia Algeria TunisiaPublic transport, According Article 2 of Constitution official language of France French, Romance language derived from Latin Since 1635 Académie française has been France's official authority French language although its recommendations carry no legal weight There also regional languages spoken France such Occitan Breton Catalan Flemish (Dutch dialect) Alsatian (German dialect) Basque others (see Languages of France) Italian was official language of Corsica until May 9 1859The French government does not regulate choice of language publications individuals but use of French required law commercial workplace communications addition mandating use of French territory of Republic French government tries promote French European Union globally through institutions such La Francophonie perceived threat from anglicisation has prompted efforts safeguard position of French language France Besides French there exist 77 vernacular minority languages of France eight spoken French metropolitan territory 69 French overseas territoriesFrom 17th mid-20th century French served pre-eminent international language of diplomacy international affairs well lingua franca among educated classes of Europedominant position of French language international affairs was overtaken English since emergence of US major powerFor most of time which French served international lingua franca was not native language of most Frenchmen report 1794 conducted Henri Grégoire found that of country's 25 million people only three million spoke French natively rest spoke one of country's many regional languages such Alsatian Breton or Occitan Through expansion of public education which French was sole language of instruction well other factors such increased urbanisation rise of mass communication French gradually came be adopted virtually entire population process not completed until 20th centuryAs result of France's extensive colonial ambitions between 17th 20th centuries French was introduced Americas Africa Polynesia South-East Asia Caribbean French second most studied foreign language world after English, lingua franca some regions notably Africa legacy of French living language outside Europe mixed nearly extinct some former French colonies (The Levant South Southeast Asia) while creoles pidgins based French have emerged French departments West Indies South Pacific (French Polynesia) other hand many former French colonies have adopted French official language total number of French speakers increasing especially AfricaIt estimated that between 300 million 500 million people worldwide can speak French either mother tongue or second languageAccording 2007 Adult Education survey part of project European Union carried France Insee based sample of 15,350 persons French was first mother tongue of 87.2% of total population or roughly 55.81 million people followed Arabic (3.6% 2.30 million) Portuguese (1.5% 0.96 million) Spanish (1.2% 0.77 million) Italian (1.0% 0.64 million) People who had other languages their mother tongue made up 5.2% of populationReligion. This section needs expansion You can help adding it (June 2017) On 10 August 1792 angry crowd threatened palace of King Louis XVI who took refuge Legislative AssemblyPrussian army invaded France later August 1792 early September Parisians infuriated Prussian army capturing Verdun counter-revolutionary uprisings west of France murdered between 1,000 1,500 prisoners raiding Parisian prisons Assembly Paris city council seemed unable stop that bloodshedNational Convention chosen first elections under male universal suffrage, 20 September 1792 succeeded Legislative Assembly 21 September abolished monarchy proclaiming French First Republic Ex-King Louis XVI was convicted of treason guillotined January 1793 France had declared war England Dutch Republic November 1792 did same Spain March 1793 spring of 1793 Austria Great Britain Dutch Republic invaded France March France created sister republic Republic of MainzAlso March 1793 civil war of Vendée against Paris started evoked both Civil Constitution of Clergy of 1790 nationwide army conscription early 1793 elsewhere France rebellion was brewing too factionalist feud National Convention smoldering ever since October 1791 came climax with group of 'Girondins' 2 June 1793 being forced resign leave Convention counter-revolution begun March 1793 Vendée July had spread Brittany Normandy Bordeaux Marseilles Toulon Lyon Paris' Convention government between October December 1793 with brutal measures managed subdue most internal uprisings cost of tens of thousands of lives Some historians consider civil war have lasted until 1796 with toll of possibly 450,000 lives France February 1794 abolished slavery its American colonies but would reintroduce laterPolitical disagreements enmity National Convention between October 1793 July 1794 reached unprecedented levels leading dozens of Convention members being sentenced death guillotined Meanwhile France's external wars 1794 were going prosperous example Belgium 1795 government seemed return indifference towards desires needs of lower classes concerning freedom of (Catholic) religion fair distribution of food Until 1799 politicians apart from inventing new parliamentary system (the 'Directory') busied themselves with dissuading people from Catholicism from royalismNapoleon 19th century (1799–1914).
Political majority each sector since 2014, See also Paris 18th century Paris during Second Empire Haussmann's renovation of Paris, Main article Libraries Paris According historian Dio Cassius 43 BC Roman Senate ordered creation of settlement Roman refugees of war with Allobroges These refugees had been expelled from Vienne were now encamped confluence of Saône Rhône rivers foundation was built Fourvière hill officially called Colonia Copia Felix Munatia name invoking prosperity blessing of gods city became increasingly referred Lugdunum (and occasionally Lugudunum)earliest translation of this Gaulish place-name Desired Mountain offered 9th-century Endlicher Glossarycontrast some modern scholars have proposed Gaulish hill-fort named Lug[o]dunon after Celtic god Lugus ('Light' cognate with Old Irish Lugh Modern Irish Lú) dúnon (hill-fort)The Roman-era Theatre Fourvière Hill. Main article Music of France The Eiffel Tower world's most visited paid monument icon of both Paris FranceThe Château de Marqueyssac featuring French formal garden one of Remarkable Gardens of FranceWith 83 million foreign tourists 2012, France ranked first tourist destination world ahead of United States (67 million) China (58 million) This 83 million figure excludes people staying less than 24 hours such North Europeans crossing France their way Spain or Italy third income from tourism due shorter duration of visitsmost popular tourist sites include (annual visitors) Eiffel Tower (6.2 million) Château de Versailles (2.8 million) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (2 million) Pont du Gard (1.5 million) Arc de Triomphe (1.2 million) Mont Saint-Michel (1 million) Sainte-Chapelle (683,000) Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (549,000) Puy de Dôme (500,000) Musée Picasso (441,000) Carcassonne (362,000)Paris. Secondary or non-official language Italy Rome Italy 1956 Université Claude Bernard (Lyon 1) An extensive bus network serves city suburbs of Marseille with 104 lines 633 buses three lines of tramway, opened 2007 go from CMA CGM Tower towards Les CaillolsAs many other French cities bike-sharing service nicknamed Le vélo free trips of less than half hour was introduced city council 2007A free ferry service operates between two opposite quays of Old Port From 2011 ferry shuttle services operate between Old Port Pointe Rouge spring 2013 will also run l'Estaque There also ferry services boat trips available from Old Port Frioul Calanques CassisSport.
La Salle Medical Associates