Paris
Over 2,000 years ago, about 60 Celtic tribes settled in the Paris Basin on the Ile de la Cité. Paris owes its name to those Gallic tribes, to be more precise, to the tribe of the Parisii. Julius Caesar (c.100-44 B.C) managed to defeat the Gauls though in around 50 B.C. and the Romans renamed the former Gaulish capital Lutetia. The Franks reconquered the city in the 5th century and their king, Clovis (465-511), gave Paris back its name and made it the capital of the Merovingian dynasty. The Franks were also the name givers of "France", which means land of the Franks. After the Merovingian, the dynasty of the Carolingians followed. Charlemagne (747-814) made Paris his permanent capital city of what we know today as France.[1]
Eiffel Tower by the Seine river, Paris, May 2014
Today, Paris is still the capital of France and the largest city of the country, with a population of 2,115,757 (1999). Paris is also known as the City of Light, due to its intellectual ascendancy, but also because of its beautiful look. Paris is known for its luxury products like perfume, jewelry and high-fashion clothing, but also for its heavy industry in the suburbs. Besides that, Paris is a world-famous city for its cultural localities. There are famous theatres like the Comédie Française, opera houses like the Operá national de Paris, or museums like the world-renowned Louvre. Other points of interest would be the Eiffel-Tower, which is located on the Champ-de-Mars by the river Seine, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Élysées, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, and the Bastille; just to name a few of the many famous locations in Paris.
Additionally, the UNESCO and the European Space Agency have their headquarters in Paris. The NATO had its headquarters there from 1950 to 1967 too.[2]
Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe#/media/File:Arc_de_Triomphe,_2_August_2015_002.jpg
[1] "Paris." Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Paris.aspx#1
[2] "Paris (city, France)." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2015. Encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Paris.aspx#2