The Opéra de Marseille The city's top tourist attraction was Notre Dame Cathedral which welcomed estimated 12,000,000 visitors 2017 Second was Basilique du Sacré-Cœur Montmartre with estimated 11 million visitors This was followed Louvre Museum (8.02 million visitors) Eiffel Tower (6.2 million) Centre Pompidou (3.3 million visitors) Musée d'Orsay (3.2 million) City of Science Industry (2.4 million visitors) Chapel of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal (2 million visitors) Museum of Natural History (1.7 million visitors) Arc de Triomphe (1.3 million visitors)The centre of Paris contains most visited monuments city including Notre Dame Cathedral Louvre well Sainte-Chapelle Les Invalides where tomb of Napoleon located Eiffel Tower located Left Bank south-west of centre Panthéon Catacombs of Paris also located Left Bank of Seine banks of Seine from Pont de Sully Pont d'Iéna have been listed UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991The Axe historique pictured here from Concorde Grande Arche of La Défense, Lascaux cave paintings horse from Dordogne facing right brown white background Sailing major sport Marseille wind conditions allow regattas warm waters of Mediterranean.[citation needed] Throughout most seasons of year can be windy while sea remains smooth enough allow sailing Marseille has been host of 8 (2010) Match Race France events which part of World Match Racing Tour event draws world's best sailing teams Marseille identical supplied boats (J Boats J-80 racing yachts) raced two time water dogfight which tests sailors skippers limits of their physical abilities Points accrued count towards World Match Racing Tour place final event with overall winner taking title ISAF World Match Racing Tour Champion Match racing ideal sport spectators Marseille racing close proximity shore provides excellent views city was also considered possible venue 2007 America's CupMarseille also place other water sports such windsurfing powerboating Marseille has three golf courses city has dozens of gyms several public swimming pools Running also popular many of Marseille's parks such Le Pharo Le Jardin Pierre Puget annual footrace held between city neighbouring Cassis Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale! Main article France twentieth century Louis XIV sun king was absolute monarch of France made France leading European powerThe monarchy reached its peak during 17th century reign of Louis XIV turning powerful feudal lords into courtiers Palace of Versailles Louis XIV's personal power became unchallenged Remembered his numerous wars he made France leading European power France became most populous country Europe had tremendous influence over European politics economy culture French became most-used language diplomacy science literature international affairs remained so until 20th century France obtained many overseas possessions Americas Africa Asia Louis XIV also revoked Edict of Nantes forcing thousands of Huguenots into exileUnder Louis XV Louis XIV's great-grandson France lost New France most of its Indian possessions after its defeat Seven Years' War which ended 1763 Its European territory kept growing however with notable acquisitions such Lorraine (1766) Corsica (1770) unpopular king Louis XV's weak rule his ill-advised financial political military decisions – well debauchery of his court– discredited monarchy which arguably paved way French Revolution 15 years after his deathLouis XVI Louis XV's grandson actively supported Americans who were seeking their independence from Great Britain (realised Treaty of Paris (1783)) financial crisis that followed France's involvement American Revolutionary War was one of many contributing factors French Revolution Much of Enlightenment occurred French intellectual circles major scientific breakthroughs inventions such discovery of oxygen (1778) first hot air balloon carrying passengers (1783) were achieved French scientists French explorers such Bougainville Lapérouse took part voyages of scientific exploration through maritime expeditions around globe Enlightenment philosophy which reason advocated primary source legitimacy authority undermined power of support monarchy helped pave way French RevolutionRevolutionary France (1789–1799). Temple du Change (17th 18th century) former stock exchange of Lyon Protestant temple since 18th century! Basilica of St-Martin-d'Ainay one of rare surviving Romanesque basilica-style churches Lyon In addition 18 regions 101 departments French Republic has five overseas collectivities (French Polynesia Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre Miquelon Wallis Futuna) one sui generis collectivity (New Caledonia) one overseas territory (French Southern Antarctic Lands) one island possession Pacific Ocean (Clipperton Island)Overseas collectivities territories form part of French Republic but do not form part of European Union or its fiscal area (with exception of St Bartelemy which seceded from Guadeloupe 2007) Pacific Collectivities (COMs) of French Polynesia Wallis Futuna New Caledonia continue use CFP franc whose value strictly linked that of euro contrast five overseas regions used French franc now use eurodiagram of overseas territories of France showing map shapes.
BiscayLigurian Minaret of Grand Mosque of Paris France secular country freedom of religion constitutional right French religious policy based concept of laïcité strict separation of church state under which public life kept completely secularAccording survey held 2016 Institut Montaigne Institut français d'opinion publique (IFOP) 51.1% of total population of France was Christian of that year same time 39.6% of population had no religion (atheism or agnosticism) 5.6% were Muslims 2.5% were followers of other faiths remaining 0.4% were undecided about their faith Estimates of number of Muslims France vary widely 2003 French Ministry of Interior estimated total number of people of Muslim background be between 5 6 million (8–10%)current Jewish community France (as of 2016 about 0.8% of population religious Jews) largest Europe third-largest world after those Israel United StatesNotre-Dame de Reims façade gothic stone cathedral against blue sky. Olympia famous music hall Combined Arms School Main article Lutetia, Église Notre Dame Saint-Vincent (18th century) Neo-classical church19th century modern city. In addition 18 regions 101 departments French Republic has five overseas collectivities (French Polynesia Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre Miquelon Wallis Futuna) one sui generis collectivity (New Caledonia) one overseas territory (French Southern Antarctic Lands) one island possession Pacific Ocean (Clipperton Island)Overseas collectivities territories form part of French Republic but do not form part of European Union or its fiscal area (with exception of St Bartelemy which seceded from Guadeloupe 2007) Pacific Collectivities (COMs) of French Polynesia Wallis Futuna New Caledonia continue use CFP franc whose value strictly linked that of euro contrast five overseas regions used French franc now use eurodiagram of overseas territories of France showing map shapes, According 2012 INSEE figures 68 percent of employees City of Paris work commerce transportation services 24.4 percent public administration health social services 4.4 percent industry 0.1 percent agricultureThe majority of Paris's salaried employees fill 370,000 businesses services jobs concentrated north-western 8th 16th 17th arrondissements Paris's financial service companies concentrated central-western 8th 9th arrondissement banking insurance district Paris's department store district 1st 6th 8th 9th arrondissements employ ten percent of mostly female Paris workers with 100,000 of these registered retail trade Fourteen percent of Parisians work hotels restaurants other services individuals Nineteen percent of Paris employees work State either administration or education majority of Paris's healthcare social workers work hospitals social housing concentrated peripheral 13th 14th 18th 19th 20th arrondissements Outside Paris western Hauts-de-Seine department La Défense district specialising finance insurance scientific research district employs 144,600, north-eastern Seine-Saint-Denis audiovisual sector has 200 media firms 10 major film studiosParis's manufacturing mostly focused its suburbs city itself has only around 75,000 manufacturing workers most of which textile clothing leather goods shoe trades Paris region manufacturing specialises transportation mainly automobiles aircraft trains but this sharp decline Paris proper manufacturing jobs dropped 64 percent between 1990 2010 Paris region lost 48 percent during same period Most of this due companies relocating outside Paris region Paris region's 800 aerospace companies employed 100,000 Four hundred automobile industry companies employ another 100,000 workers many of these centred Yvelines department around Renault PSA-Citroen plants (this department alone employs 33,000), but industry whole suffered major loss with 2014 closing of major Aulnay-sous-Bois Citroen assembly plantThe southern Essonne department specialises science technology, south-eastern Val-de-Marne with its wholesale Rungis food market specialises food processing beveragesParis region's manufacturing decline quickly being replaced eco-industries these employ about 100,000 workers2011 while only 56,927 construction workers worked Paris itself, its metropolitan area employed 246,639, activity centred largely around Seine-Saint-Denis (41,378) Hauts-de-Seine (37,303) departments new business-park centres appearing thereUnemployment, The sectors arrondissements of Marseille Autochrome of 114 Infantery regiment París 14 July 1917 with French flag unfurled laying stacked arms. Bellecour Ecoles D'ArtsPrimary secondary schools, Grand EstBourgogne-Franche-Comté Metro tramway network, On 8 May 1945 while Liberation was celebrated France peaceful demonstrations Sétif eastern Algeria were violently repressed More than 40,000 Algerian fell victim shooting strafing from planes armed cars end of same month French bombarded Damascus killing hundredsbombardment of Haiphong 23 November 1946 killed about 6,000 Between March 1947 September 1948 electoral victory of proponents of independence Madagascar was followed savage repression French army (18,000 mostly Senegalese troops) resulting some 90,000 deaths Some 200 peaceful civilians demonstrating independence were killed (mostly Senegalese) French troops Casablanca Morocco April 7–8 1947Cameroon radical nationalist movement independence Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC) was forced underground engaged guerrilla warfare against French administration ensuing repression of French army paramilitary forces (gendarmerie) took form during 1958–1960 of scorched-earth policy whereby entire villages of south-central western Cameroon Bassa Bamiléké areas were burned ground resulting between 60,000 100,000 deaths France attempted regain control of French Indochina but was defeated Viet Minh 1954 climactic Battle of Dien Bien Phu Estimates of number of Vietnamese military civilian casualties during war of independence from France range from 300,000 dead 300,000 wounded half million dead 1 million woundedOnly months later France faced another anti-colonialist conflict Algeria Torture illegal executions were perpetrated both sides debate over whether or not keep control of Algeria then home over one million European settlers, wracked country nearly led coup civil war1958 weak unstable Fourth Republic gave way Fifth Republic which included strengthened Presidency latter role Charles de Gaulle managed keep country together while taking steps end Algerian war Despite its military victory France granted independence Algerians war exacted heavy human toll among Algerian population resulted some 500,000 deaths 2,137,000 internally displaced Algeriansvestige of colonial empire French overseas departments territoriesIn context of Cold War de Gaulle pursued policy of national independence towards Western Eastern blocs this end he withdrew from NATO's military integrated command he launched nuclear development programme made France fourth nuclear power He restored cordial Franco-German relations order create European counterweight between American Soviet spheres of influence However he opposed any development of supranational Europe favouring Europe of sovereign nations wake of series of worldwide protests of 1968 revolt of May 1968 had enormous social impact France considered be watershed moment when conservative moral ideal (religion patriotism respect authority) shifted towards more liberal moral ideal (secularism individualism sexual revolution) Although revolt was political failure (as Gaullist party emerged even stronger than before) announced split between French people de Gaulle who resigned shortly afterIn post-Gaullist era France remained one of most developed economies world but faced several economic crises that resulted high unemployment rates increasing public debt late 20th early 21st centuries France has been forefront of development of supranational European Union notably signing Maastricht Treaty (which created European Union) 1992 establishing Eurozone 1999 signing Lisbon Treaty 2007 France has also gradually but fully reintegrated into NATO has since participated most NATO sponsored warsPlace de la République statue column with large French flag; Église Saint-Polycarpe (1665–1670) Classical church The Transports en commun lyonnais (TCL) Lyon's public transit system consisting of metro tramways buses serves 62 communes of Lyon metropolis network has four lines ( B C D ) 42 stations runs with frequency of up train every 2 minutes There five Lyon tram lines ( T1 T2 T3 T4 T5) since April 2009 T1 from Debourg south IUT-Feyssine north Tram T2 from Perrache railway station south-west Saint-Priest south-east Tram T3 from Part-Dieu Meyzieu Tram T4 from 'Hôptial Feyzin Venissieux' Gaston Berger Tram T5 from Grange Blanche south-east Eurexpo south-wast Lyon bus network consists of Lyon trolleybus system motorbuses coaches areas outside centre There also two funicular lines from Vieux Lyon Saint-Just Fourvière ticketing system relatively simple city has only one public transport operator SYTRALThe public transit system has been complemented since 2005 Vélo'v bicycle network providing low-cost service where bicycles can be hired returned any of 340 stations throughout city Borrowing bicycle less than 30 minutes free Free rental time can be extended another 30 minutes any station Lyon was first city France introduce this bicycle renting system 2011 Auto'lib car rental service was introduced works much same way Velo'v but carsThe average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit Lyon weekday 45 minutes average amount of time people wait stop or station public transit 11 min while 17% of riders wait over 20 minutes average every day average distance people usually ride single trip with public transit 4.7 km while 4% travel over 12 km single directionInternational relations. Sainte Chapelle interior showing painted stonework vaulting stained glass.
Smith Burns