Paris

The hundreds of suburban communes around the city of Paris also each have their separate administrations, which accounts for the extreme complexity of the Île-de-France administrative grid. Filmed on location in and around Melbourne (a great novelty for Melbourne at the time), it is perhaps best remembered for a comment Ava Gardner possibly never actually made - describing Melbourne as 'the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world', commenting on the dreary conservatism of Melbourne in the late 1950s. The city of Paris, the seven départements of petite couronne and grande couronne, and the Île-de-France région all have their own separate administrations. The film depicted the denizens of Melbourne quietly slipping off into eternity as the last victims of a global nuclear holocaust. It is made up of eight départements: the city of Paris itself (as a département), the three départements of the petite couronne already mentioned, and another concentric circle of four larger départements (Val-d'Oise (95), Yvelines (78), Essonne (91) and Seine-et-Marne (77)) which form the grande couronne. In 1959, it was made into a film directed by Stanley Kramer, and starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Anthony Perkins. This région encompasses the city of Paris, its suburbs, and most of the commuting belt beyond. Perhaps the best-known novel internationally is Nevil Shute's novel On the Beach.

Paris is also the préfecture, or capital city, of the Île-de-France région which was created in 1976, replacing a District of the Paris Region which had been created in 1961. Frank Hardy's Power Without Glory tells the story of Melbourne businessman John West (based on the real-life John Wren) and is set in a thinly-disguised Collingwood, a Melbourne working-class suburb. On the other hand, the jurisdiction of the Prefecture of Paris, previously called Prefecture of the Seine (before 1968), is now strictly limited to the city of Paris. Fergus Hume's international best-seller Mystery of a Hansom Cab, which outsold the Sherlock Holmes stories at the time, was set in Melbourne of the Gold Rush era. The Prefecture of Police jurisdiction, which used to be the whole Seine département, is now limited to Paris proper, but for some matters (such as fire protection or rescue operations) it still covers the three départements of the petite couronne. Melbourne has been the setting for many novels, television dramas, and films. "large ring") of the more distant suburbs of Paris. The Melbourne Shuffle, a style of dance, had its birth here, and has been evolving ever since.

"small ring"), as opposed to the grande couronne (i.e. There are dance parties happening almost every night of the year, frequently attracting some of the world's best DJs to the city. In 1968, Seine was split into four new départements: the city of Paris proper (which retained the number 75) and three départements (Hauts-de-Seine (92), Seine-Saint-Denis (93) and Val-de-Marne (94)) forming a ring around Paris often called petite couronne (i.e. The dance music scene in Melbourne is large and lively. Number 75 was once the official number of the Seine département, which encompassed the city of Paris and its nearest suburbs. Live shows constantly occur in the city with open-mic contests and performances by up-and-coming artists held throughout the week at different locations. The prefect of Paris is at the same time regional prefect of Île-de-France, in charge of some economic development and urban planning issues for the whole région of Île-de-France, which encompasses Paris and all its suburbs. Melbourne is home to a gritty style of home grown Hip Hop and is home to artists such as Lyrical Commission, Muphin, Reason and Pegz.

The State appointed prefect of Paris, not to be confused with the above mentioned prefect of Police, is the representative of the French State in the Paris département, in charge of the control of legality, as is the case in other French départements. Obese Records, a leading Australian Hip Hop recording label, was founded in 1995 in Melbourne and is located in Prahran, just off the famous Chapel Street. The Council of Paris, presided by the Mayor of Paris, is the single council for both authorities, meeting either as municipal council (conseil municipal) or as departmental council (conseil général) depending on the issue to be debated. Melbourne is home to a large Australian hip hop scene, generally known as "Melburn" or "The Burn" throughout the unique sub-culture. As well as being a single commune, the city of Paris is also a département (official number: 75), which is a unique status in France solely introduced for the capital city. Melbourne's lively rock and pop music scene has fostered many internationally renowned artists and musicians, with links to AC/DC, Nick Cave, Crowded House, John Farnham, Graeme Bell, Kylie Minogue, and Jet. Paris has yet to completely emerge from the centralized administrative system created by Napoleon in 1800: public order is still in the hands of the State appointed prefect of Police (as is the Paris Fire Brigade) and Paris has no municipal police force, although it does have its own traffic wardens. Several professional theatre companies operate in Melbourne, of which the Melbourne Theatre Company has the most institutional support of any in Australia, and there is a wide range of smaller companies.

The Council of Paris elects the mayor of Paris, a position created in 1977. Many of its most significant works hang in the National Gallery of Victoria, which has one of Australia's top collections of visual art, particularly early Australian western-tradition art. A selection of members from each arrondissement council form the Council of Paris (Conseil de Paris). It was largely the work of Melbourne-based artists, and was arguably the first distinctly Australian art movement (in the Western canon, at least). Citizens of each arrondissement elect a local council (conseil d'arrondissement), which in turn elects the mayor of the arrondissement. The Heidelberg School was an Australian art movement of the late 19th century centered in Melbourne. Two parks on the edge of the city proper, Bois de Boulogne on the west and Bois de Vincennes on the east, belong to the 16th and 12th arrondissements respectively. Melbourne was strongly associated with the establishment of Australia's visual arts.

It is divided into twenty municipal arrondissements (see: Arrondissements of Paris), numbered in a clockwise spiral outwards from the Ier arrondissement at the center of the city. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is highly regarded both at home and internationally. Administratively speaking, the city of Paris is a French commune (municipality). Melbourne is the home of the Australian Ballet and the second home of Opera Australia.
. Annuals arts celebrations include the Melbourne Arts Festival, the Melbourne Fringe Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, and Moomba. Among the manufacturing sector, the largest employers were the electronic and electrical industry (17.9% of the total manufacturing workforce in 1999) and the publishing and printing industry (14.0% of the total manufacturing workforce), the remaining 68.1% of the manufacturing workforce being distributed among many other industries. Melbourne has a large and vibrant arts and cultural life.

Reflecting the diversity of the Paris economy, at the 1999 census 16.5% of the 5,089,170 persons employed in the metropolitan area worked in business services, 13.0% in commerce (retail and wholesale trade), 12.3% in manufacturing, 10.0% in public administrations and defense, 8.7% in health services, 8.2% in transportation and communications, 6.6% in education, and the remaining 24.7% in many other economic sectors. Melbourne also boasts a number of community radio stations, of which the best known are 3RRR and 3PBS. The economies of Paris and its closest départements have made a clear shift towards high value-added services, in particular business services. 3AW is consistently the city's highest-rating commercial radio station. Although the Île-de-France's manufacturing base is still important and remains one of the manufacturing powerhouses of Europe, it is in a period of decline. Melbourne has a wide range of radio stations and is the base for the Australia-wide Austereo network. The Paris economy is essentially a service economy. There are three commercial television channels: the Seven, Nine and Ten networks — and three public channels: ABC, SBS, and a community television channel, Channel 31 Melbourne.

The tourism industry, for instance, employs only 3.6% of the total workforce of the metropolitan area (as of 1999) and is by no means a major component of the economy. Melbourne has two major daily newspapers, The Age and The Herald Sun, as well as the free afternoon tabloid mX. The economy of the Paris region is extremely diverse and has not yet adopted a specialization inside the global economy (unlike Los Angeles with the entertainment industry, or London and New York with financial services). In 2007, Melbourne will be the host of the FINA World Aquatics Championships. According to the 1999 census conducted within the INSEE statistical aire urbaine (metropolitan area) commuter belt area around Paris, out of 5,089,170 persons employed within, 31.5% worked inside the city of Paris, 16% in the Hauts-de-Seine (92) département, home of the new La Défense business district to the west of the city proper, while the remaining 52.5% worked in the rest of the suburbs of the Paris agglomeration. The 2006 Commonwealth Games will be held in Melbourne, the first time the city has hosted the event. In 2002, according to Eurostat, the Île-de-France GDP accounted alone for 4.5% of the total GDP of the European Union (of 25 members), although its population is only 2.45% of the total population of the EU25. Melbourne co-hosted the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup, including many pool matches as well as a quarter final – all of which were played at the Telstra Dome; broke new ground as the first city outside the United States to host the World Police and Fire Games in 1995, and the President's Cup golf tournament in 1999; and was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to host the World Cup Polo Championship in 2001.

The Île-de-France accounts for about 29% of the total GDP of metropolitan France, although its population is only 18.7% of the total population of metropolitan France (as of 2004). Since the 1956 Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, the city has hosted numerous sporting events which rotate host cities. In the same year, were it a country, the Île-de-France would be the 15th largest economy in the world. The Wallabies, Australia's national rugby union team, usually also play at least one Test annually at Melbourne's Telstra Dome. Together their 2003 GDP GDP is calculated by INSEE at €448,933 million ^[7], or US$506.7 billion (at real exchange rates, not at PPP). Annually, Melbourne hosts the Australian Open tennis tournament, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments; the Melbourne Cup horse race; the 'Boxing Day' cricket test match held each year from 26-30 December at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; and the Australian Grand Prix Formula One championship. Paris and its surrounding Île-de-France région is one of the engines of the global economy. The city has hosted several major international sporting events.

The most recent immigrants to Paris come essentially from mainland China and from Africa. The city also has two National Basketball League franchises, the Melbourne Tigers and the South Dragons (to enter the league in 2006). people who were not living in France in 1990). Olympic Park is also the home of Melbourne Victory, a team in the newly formed Australian football (soccer) competition, the A-League. As of 1999, 4.2% of the total population of the metropolitan area of Paris were recent migrants (i.e. Melbourne Storm, a National Rugby League team, are based at Olympic Park. As a comparison, 19.5% of the total population of the metropolitan area of London was born outside of the (metropolitan) United Kingdom^[5], while 27.5% and 31.9% of the total populations of the New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas respectively were born outside of the United States^[6]. It is the traditional venue for the Boxing Day cricket Test match.

The metropolitan area of Paris is one of the most multi-cultural in Europe, with 19.4% of the total population of the metropolitan area being born outside of metropolitan France^[4]. The MCG was the site of many events at the 1956 Summer Olympics, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. These peculiar facts are due to the conservativeness of French administrative limits, with no significant administrative enlargement of the city of Paris since 1860, contrary to many other western cities. The AFL Grand Final, one of the biggest sporting events in Australia, is played on the last weekend in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), a massive arena that has held up to 120,000 spectators. The city of Paris and the Hauts-de-Seine represent together 47.5% of the 5,089,170 jobs in the metropolitan area, while the city proper alone represents only 31.5% of these. The city is home to nine of the sixteen teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), whose five Melbourne games per week attract an average 35,000 people per game. As a consequence commuters are not exclusively going from the suburbs to work in the city of Paris, but also come from the city of Paris to work in the suburbs. Melbourne is where Australian rules football originated, and it still the most popular sport in Victoria.

Indeed, most offices in the agglomeration of Paris are located in an area consisting of the Western half of the city of Paris proper and the central portion of the département of the Hauts-de-Seine, in a triangle between the Opéra Garnier, La Défense and the Val de Seine. A majority of the oldest schools in Melbourne belong to the Associated Public Schools of Victoria and Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria associations. Economically speaking, Paris is not properly the center of the agglomeration. From years 7 to 12 students attend high schools. Modern suburban development is even accellerating, as with an estimated total of 11.5 million inhabitants for 2004, the Paris metropolitan area is showing a rate of growth double that of the 1990s. Primary school consists of seven grades; a preparatory year and grades 1 to 6. On the other hand, Paris agglomeration considered as a whole have been continuously increasing since the end of the late 16th-century French Wars of Religion, with brief setbacks only during the French Revolution and World War II. Melbourne has numerous government, independent and other secondary schools.

These tendencies are generally seen as negative for the city, and the current city administration is trying to reverse them; these actions seem to have had some effect, as according to the population estimate of July 2004, Paris population rose for the first time since 1954 reaching a total of 2,144,700 inhabitants. Several other universities are also located in Melbourne, including Deakin University, La Trobe University, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria University of Technology and the St Patrick's campus of the Australian Catholic University. This decline in population is due to the relocation of people to the suburbs, under the influence of several factors, namely de-industrialisation, high rent, the gentrification of many inner quarters as well as the transformation of living space into offices, although not to the scale of London or American cities. Both are also highly ranked among the best universities in the world by The Times Higher Education Supplement. This is a number lower than its historical 1921 peak of 2.9 million. They are both members of the Group of Eight, a lobby group including the most prestigious universities in Australia. At the 1999 census, the population of the city of Paris was 2,125,246. Melbourne's two most notable tertiary institutions are the University of Melbourne and Monash University.

mile).
. per sq. Melbourne Population by Year:. per km² (260,000 inh. In recent years, Melton, Wyndham and Casey, part of the Melbourne statistical division, have recorded the highest growth rate of all local government areas in Australia. Some neighborhoods in the east of this arrondissement are known to have densities of almost 100,000 inh. Attraction of a large proportion of overseas immigrants and interstate migration from Sydney due to more affordable housing are two recent key factors.

mile) in 1999. Although Brisbane and Perth are growing faster in percentage terms, and Victoria's net interstate migration has fluctuated, the Melbourne statistical division has grown by approximately 50,000 people a year since 2003, more than any other Australian city. per sq. The newest wave of immigrants comes from North Africa, particularly Sudan. per km² (105,339 inh. Melbourne also boasts the largest Jewish community in Oceania (See Judaism in Australia). Today, the most crowded arrondissement in the city of Paris is the 11th arrondissement, with a density reaching 40,672 inh. Refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam made Melbourne their home in the 1970s and 1980s and were joined by people from India, the Philippines and Malaysia.

mile) in 1999, seven times more dense than in the City of London. Melbourne has one of the world's largest population of people with Greek ancestry outside Greece -- in fact it is 3rd only to Athens and Thessaloniki as a metropolis for Greek-speakers [4]. per sq. Large numbers from Italy and Greece arrived in the 1950s and 1960s, to become the largest groups after those from Britain and Ireland. per km² (46,979 inh. The need for a population increase and a labour force saw many British, Yugoslav, Dutch, German, Arab and Maltese migrants arrive in 1945 after the devastation of the homelands in World War II. mile) in 2001, whereas the four first arrondissements of Paris still have a density of 18,139 inh. As a consequence property prices took decades to recover.

per sq. Much of Melbourne's population loss during the 1890s was the result of the unemployed moving west seeking gold, or, employment in the burgeoning industries stimulated by gold. per km² (6,417 inh. During the 1890s a world economic depression hit Melbourne's overleveraged economy with particular savagery. Today, the City of London is almost empty, with a population density of only 2,478 inh. In the following decades of the 1870s and 1880s, Melbourne was Australia's most populous city and led to a spectacular property boom, and exuberance still in evidence in the much loved late Victorian architecture. per km² before the Industrial Revolution. From 20,000 inhabitants in 1851, an additional 15,000 arrived almost overnight with the discovery of gold in August 1852 ^[3].

This is most striking in the medieval heart of both metropolises: the City of London and the four first arrondissements of Paris were the medieval heart of each metropolis, with densities reaching 75,000 to 100,000 inh. Melbourne's population exploded during the 1850s' gold rush. More precisely, people relocating to the suburbs were for the most part replaced by new people attracted to an urban lifestyle, and buildings were not converted into offices as systematically as has happened elsewhere, such as in London where the inhabitants have left the city center since the Second World War, and the density of Inner London is now much lower than that of Paris. As the capital city, Melbourne has over time become a large urban centre and the home to around 80% of the state's population. Although the city of Paris has also experienced a decline in population since the 1920s, it has nonetheless seen fewer inhabitants relocating to the suburbs than has occurred in other western cities. Almost a quarter of Victoria's population was born overseas and come from 233 countries, speak over 180 languages and dialects and follow 116 religious faiths. In many western cities, people have left the city center in the 20th century to relocate to the distant suburbs, leaving the city center as a business district dead at night. Today Melbourne is one of the world's most diverse and multicultural cities.

The density in Paris is comparable to the densities met within Asian cities. In 2006, Melbourne will play host to the summit of G20 finance ministers. The population density in the city of Paris is very high compared to those of most western cities, which are rarely as crowded as Paris (except for Manhattan). At a cost of $434 million the project involves reconstructing the old Olympic and Ponsford stands. mile). At the centrepiece of the Commonwealth Games projects is the redevelopment project for the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the stadium set for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games. per sq. The project is set for completion in early 2006, before the start of the Games.

per km² (22,438 inh. Such projects include the $AUD700 million Southern Cross Station redevelopment, including a $350 million world-class transport interchange facility with $350 million also set aside for office accommodation, residential towers and hotel and also a retail plaza. mile), and the density in Inner London at the 2001 UK census was 8,663 inh. Most current major infrastructure projects are generally centred on the upcoming 2006 Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in the city. per sq. Melbourne is home to Australia's largest seaport and much of Australia's automotive industry (including the engine manufacturing facility of Holden and the Ford and Toyota manufacturing facilities), in addition to many other manufacturing industries. per km² (66,940 inh. The peak body representing workers in Australia, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, is also headquartered in Melbourne.

As a matter of comparison, the density in Manhattan at the 2000 US census was 25,846 inh. Many of Australia's largest companies have their headquarters there, and many multinational corporations (approximately one-third of the 100 largest multinationals operating in Australia as of 2002), have their main Australian office there. mile). Melbourne is a large commercial and industrial centre. per sq.
. per km² (63,321 inh. For this reason the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, which had become a powerful semi-autonomous authority, was abolished in 1992.

Excluding the outlying parks of Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, the density in the city was actually 24,448 inh. Because three quarters of Victoria's population lives in Melbourne, state governments have traditionally been reluctant to allow the development of city-wide governmental bodies, which would tend to create a rival to the state government. mile). These include public transport, main roads, traffic control, policing, education above preschool level, and planning of major infrastructure projects. per sq. Most city-wide government activities are controlled by the state government. per km² (52,225 inh. Melbourne's overwhelming dominance of the state of Victoria's population and economy means the Victorian state government is also effectively the city government of greater Melbourne.

At the 1999 French census the population density in the city of Paris was 20,164 inh. The councils are collectively represented by the Local Government Association of Victoria. The expected failure of these projects is interpreted in France as yet another sign of Paris' muséification. Councils levy rates from their residents to pay for these services. Recent 'modernisation' proposals - building skyscrapers to the inside of the city rim, or to loosen strict laws governing the height of any new constructions - have been met with strong opposition on all sides. These include planning, rubbish collection, beaches, parks and gardens, child-care and preschool facilities, local festivals and cultural activities, services to the elderly, supervision of public health, sanitation and similar matters. Paris is subject to some of the most stringent architectural protection laws in the world: ill-renowned urbanistic experiences of the 1960s aside, it is difficult to place large-scale or architecturally innovative buildings within city limits. These municipalities all have elected councils and are responsible for a range of functions delegated to them by the Victorian state government.

It is feared that Paris is being slowly "embalmed" into a form pleasing to tourists and nostalgists. The rest of the metropolitan area is divided into 30 municipalities, all of which are styled as cities except for five on the city's outer fringes which are styled as shires (see a list of these at Local Government Areas of Victoria). Emblematically, even the National Archives of France are due to relocate to the northern suburbs before 2010. The current Lord Mayor is John So. Many of its institutions and arenas of communal activity are either located in the suburbs or finding a new home there, which one day may lessen Paris' importance as a pole of activity for its surrounding suburbs: the financial (La Défense) business district, the main food wholesale market (Rungis), major renowned schools (École Polytechnique, HEC, ESSEC, INSEAD, etc.), world famous research laboratories (in Saclay or Évry), the largest sport stadium (Stade de France), and even some ministries (namely the Ministry of Transportation) are located outside of the city of Paris. However the head of the Melbourne City Council, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, is frequently treated as a representative of greater Melbourne (the entire metropolitan area), particularly when interstate or overseas. A so-called "muséification" (museumification) of the city of Paris is feared by some in France. The Melbourne City Council governs only the City of Melbourne, which takes in the CBD and a few adjoining inner suburbs.

The widening social gap between these disadvantaged suburbs on the one hand and the wealthier suburbs (especially the western ones) and the rich city of Paris on the other hand have led to periodic unrest since the mid-1980s, sometimes degenerating into riots such as during the 2005 riots. There are also many parks in the surrounding suburbs of Melbourne, such as in the cities of Stonnington and Booroondara, south east of the CBD. Many inner suburbs of Paris (especially the eastern ones) have been in a period of de-industrialisation since the 1970s, and the once-thriving cités have gradually become ghettos for immigrants and oases of unemployment. There is an abundance of parks and gardens close to the CBD with a variety of common and rare plant species amid landscaped vistas, pedestrian pathways, and majestic tree lined avenues that help make Melbourne one of the world's most livable cities. A comprehensive express subway network, the RER, was built to complement the Métro and serve the distant suburbs, while a network of freeways was developed in the suburbs, centered on the Périphérique, the expressway circling around the city of Paris proper. Melbourne is often referred to as Australia's garden city. The suburbs around the city of Paris proper began to expand considerably, with the construction of large social estates known as cités and the beginning of the business district La Défense. The central business district (the original city) is laid out in the famous mile-by-half-a-mile Hoddle Grid, its southern edge fronting on to the Yarra.

In the post-WWII era, Paris experienced its largest development since the end of the Belle Époque in 1914. Geologically it is built on the confluence of Quaternary lava flows to the west, Silurian mudstones to the east and Holocene sand accumulation to the southeast along Port Phillip, its suburbs sprawling to the east, following the Yarra River out to the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges, south-east to the mouth of the bay, and following the Maribyrnong River and its tributaries west and north to flat farming country. It was one of few European cities that suffered almost no war damage at all thanks in part to the refusal of the German military commander, General von Choltitz, to carry out Hitler's direct order to destroy all monuments before evacuating the city. Melbourne is located in the south-eastern corner of mainland Australia, and is the southernmost mainland capital city. In June 1940, five weeks after the start of the German attack on France, a partially-evacuated Paris fell to German occupation forces, who remained there until Free French troops of General Leclerc liberated the city in late August 1944. This has continued under the government of current Premier Steve Bracks (Labor). From Russian exiled artists (such as composer Igor Stravinsky), to Spanish painters (such as Picasso or Dalí), to US writers (such as Hemingway), Paris became a melting pot of artists from all around the world. In the 1990s, the Victorian state government of Premier Jeff Kennett (Liberal) sought to reverse this trend with the aggressive development of new public buildings, such as the Melbourne Museum, the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (nicknamed "Jeff's Shed"), Crown Casino, capital works (most notably the City Link tollway), the selling off state assets (the State Electricity Commission and redundant state schools), the pruning back of state services and the publicising of Melbourne's merits both to outsiders and Melburnians.

In the Inter-war period Paris was famed for its cultural and artistic communities, as well as its nightlife. After a boom in the 1980s Melbourne experienced a largely property market and manufacturing driven slump from 1989 to 1992, with a loss of employment and a drain of population to New South Wales and Queensland. In 1918-1919, it was the scene of Allied victory parades and peace negotiations. Melbourne also developed as a centre of the arts. During World War I, Paris was at the forefront of the war effort, having been spared a German invasion by the French and English victory at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914. Even after the national capital moved to Canberra, Melbourne remained Australia's business and finance capital until the 1970s, when it began to lose this primacy to Sydney. Cholera in 1832 and 1849 (in 1832, 20 000 deads on a population of 650 000 [3]). Melbourne continued to expand steadily throughout the first half of the 20th century, particularly with the post-World War II influx of immigrants and the prestige of hosting the Olympic Games in 1956.

Paris's World's Fair years also consecrated its position in the tourist industry and as an attractive setting for international technology and trade shows. The seat of government and the national capital remained in Melbourne until 1927 when it moved to the new capital city of Canberra. The first line of the Paris Métro opened for the 1900 Universal Exposition and was an attraction in itself for visitors from the world over. The first Federal parliament was opened on 9 May of that year in the Royal Exhibition Building. Built for the French Revolution centennial 1889 Universal Exposition as a "temporary" display of architectural engineering prowess, the Eiffel Tower remained the world's tallest building until 1930, and today is the city's best-known landmark. Melbourne became Australia's national capital at Federation on 1 January 1901. Despite grim predictions on the future of the city, Paris recovered rapidly from these events to host the famous Universal Expositions of the late 19th century. Victorian architecture abounds in Melbourne and today the city is home to the largest number of surviving Victorian era buildings of any city in the world other than London.

The ensuing Commune of Paris events (1871) brought scenes of civil war and devastation into the very heart of the city. During the 1880s, Melbourne was the second largest city in the British Empire, and came to be known as "Marvellous Melbourne". Paris suffered greatly from the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and the Siege of Paris by Prussian troops, which brought famine and destruction to the city. Later it became Australia's leading manufacturing centre. The city itself underwent a massive renovation under Napoleon III and his préfet Haussmann, who, in levelling entire districts of narrow-winding medieval streets, created the network of wide avenues and neo-classical facades that make much of modern Paris. With the discovery of gold in Victoria in the 1850s, leading to the Victorian gold rush, Melbourne quickly grew as a port and service centre. A majority of migrants found employment in the new industries appearing in the suburbs. It was the capital first of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales and then of the separate colony of Victoria.

From the 1840s, rail transport and train stations spilled an unprecedented flow of immigration into Paris. Ultimately, settlement continued regardless [2]. The Industrial Revolution, the French Second Empire, and the Belle Époque brought Paris the greatest development in its history. A transaction was negotiated for 600,000 acres of land from eight of their representatives; this was later anulled by the New South Wales government (then governing all of eastern mainland Australia), who compensated the settlers in exchange. During the French Revolution, Paris was the centre stage of French history, with the Storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the overthrow of the monarchy in 1792. The area was already inhabited by the Kulin people, then indigenous to the area. King Louis XIV then moved the royal court permanently to Versailles in 1682. The European settlement at Melbourne was founded in 1835 by settlers coming from Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land), where they had difficulty finding available land.

During the Fronde, Parisians rose in rebellion and the royal family fled the city (1648). Melbourne in Derbyshire derives its name from the Old English for Mill Stream (Mylla Burne). King Henry IV re-established the royal court in Paris in 1594 after he captured the city from the Catholic party. The city was named after the British Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, whose home was near the village of Melbourne in Derbyshire. Bartholomew's Day massacre (1572). . During the French Wars of Religion, Paris was a stronghold of the Catholic party, culminating in the St. A resident of Melbourne is referred to as a Melburnian.

However, the Kings of France abandoned Paris in favour of the Loire Valley. It has one of the highest numbers of international students studying in its universities, after London, New York City, and Paris. Although Joan of Arc failed to reconquer the city in 1429, a successful reconquest took place in 1437. Melbourne has undergone a major urban 'revival', such that it is sometimes classed as being in a second tier of "world cities"; the GaWC study group in the UK ranks Melbourne, on the basis of relative availability of specialised "advanced services," as a "minor world city" comparable to cities such as Montreal, Osaka, and Prague. Paris was occupied during the Hundred Years' War by the Burgundians, allies of the English. The US's Utne Reader puts it thus: "Add a long tradition of civic pride, communities of new immigrants from around the world, and the best food in Australia, and you have a recipe for what many claim is the hippest city in the Southern Hemisphere" (Nov/Dec 2001). During this period the city's modern spatial distribution of activities appeared: the central island housed government and ecclesiastical institutions, the Left Bank became a scholastic centre with the University of Paris and colleges, while the Right Bank developed as the centre of commerce and trade around the central Les Halles marketplace. In 2005, however, it was ranked 2nd, behind Vancouver, Canada.

From 1190, King Philip Augustus enclosed Paris on both banks with a wall that had the Louvre as its western fortress; and in 1200 chartered the University of Paris which brought the city fame and visitors from across Europe. Melbourne has twice ranked first in a survey by The Economist of The World's Most Livable Cities on the basis of its cultural attributes, climate, cost of living, and social conditions such as crime rates and health care, once in 2002 ^[1], and again in 2004 – a year in which the Economist truly took a shine to Australian cities, with the five largest cities in Australia given rankings of 6 or better. Nearby marshlands were drained to allow Paris to grow on the Right Bank. It is also considered to be the fashion, shopping, dining and cultural capital of Australia. The Counts of Paris gained fame by defending France against Viking attack in the ninth century, but the Vikings irreparably damaged the old Roman city on the Left Bank. Melbourne is considered by most Australians to be the sporting capital of Australia, as it is home to The Melbourne Cup, Australian F1 Grand Prix, Australian Open Tennis, AFL Grand Final and MotoGP Motorcycle Grand Prix, and will host the Commonwealth Games in 2006. Paris became the city of French kings when Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, was elected King of France in 987, founding the Capetian dynasty whose rulers would raise Paris to become France's capital. Melbourne was the capital city of Australia from 1901 until 1927.

Odo was elected king after the deposition of the incumbent Charles the Fat. The city's name is pronounced as either /ˈmel.bən/ or /ˈmæl.bən/. Odo, Count of Paris defended Paris during the siege of 885-886 by the Vikings Siegfried and Rollo. Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia (after Sydney), with a population of approximately 3.8 million (2006 estimate) in the Melbourne metropolitan area and 69,670 in the City of Melbourne (which covers only the central city area). During the Carolingian dynasty, the counts of Paris rose to prominence, eventually wielding greater power than the Kings of France. ^  Coban, Suzie: “The immigration rush”, Special Broadcasting Service, (Unknown date). By the time of the Carolingian dynasty (9th century), it was little more than a feudal county stronghold. Retrieved December 14, 2005.

On the death of Clovis, the Frankish kingdom was divided with Paris as the capital of a much smaller kingdom. Melbourne and Vancouver are the world’s best cities to live in . From AD 512, Paris was the capital of the Frankish king Clovis I, who commissioned the first cathedral and abbey. ^  Economist Intelligence Unit (2002). The city reclaimed its original name of Paris towards the end of the Roman occupation. Galle, Sri Lanka – 2005 (after the 2004 tsunami disaster Melbourne adopted Galle in order to fund the reconstruction of its cricket ground). By 400 AD Lutetia had been reduced to a garrison town entrenched in the hastily fortified central island. Milan, Italy – 2004.

Lutetia expanded and prospered during the ensuing period of peaceful Gallo-Roman cohabitation, but third-century Germanic invasions caused a period of decline. Saint Petersburg, Russia – 1989. Rome conquered the region in 52 BC and built the city of Lutetia on the Left Bank Sainte Geneviève Hill as this area was protected from river floods. Boston, United States – 1985. There is dispute about the exact location of the settlement, traditionally assumed to be on the Île de la Cité, but now placed by many historians near Gare d'Austerlitz. Thessaloniki, Greece – 1984. They established a settlement by the River Seine to control river commerce. Tianjin, China (PRC) – 1980.

The region around Paris was settled from about 250 BC, by the Celtic Parisii who were known as boatmen and traders. Osaka, Japan – 1978. However, a record high night-time minimum of 25.5 °C (77.9 °F) in Parc Montsouris was set on August 11 and August 12, 2003, the highest minimum temperature at night ever registered in Paris. During the European heat wave of 2003, which caused the death of many elderly people in France, the temperature in central Paris reached "only" 38.1 °C (100.6 °F) (Parc Montsouris) and 40.2 °C (104.4 °F) at Le Bourget Airport in the northern suburbs. The highest temperature was recorded on July 28, 1947 when the temperature in central Paris (Parc Montsouris) reached 40.4 °C (104.7 °F).

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Paris (since meteorological records began in 1873) was on December 10, 1879: –23.9 °C (–11.0 °F) in central Paris and –25.6 °C (–14.1 °F) in the southeastern suburb of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés . (12 miles) north-northwest of the center of Paris as the crow flies, at 195 metres (640 ft) above sea-level. The highest elevation in the urban area of Paris is in the Forest of Montmorency (Val-d'Oise département), 19.5 km. The altitude of Paris varies, with several prominent hills, of which the highest is Montmartre at 130 metres (426½ ft) above sea level.

The metropolitan area (aire urbaine) of Paris (the built-up area plus the commuter belt) reaches beyond the surrounding Île-de-France administative région to cover 14,518 km² (5,605.5 mi²) (INSEE 1999), or about 138 times as large as the commune of Paris. The metropolitan urban area (unité urbaine) of Paris (the contiguous built-up area) covers 2,723 km² (1,051.4 mi²) (INSEE 1999), or about 26 times as large as the commune of Paris. In 1929, the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes were officially incorporated into the city of Paris. The limits of Paris changed marginally after 1860, reaching the 86.9 km² figure indicated above.

The borders of the commune were changed in 1860 when Napoleon III and the prefect Haussmann annexed the suburban communes surrounding Paris, such as Montmartre and Auteuil, more than doubling the city's area to 78 km² (30.1 mi²), and created the twenty arrondissements. The commune of Paris is the 113th largest commune in France (out of 36,782 communes). This oval extends 9.5 km (6 miles) from north to south, and 11 km (7 miles) from east to west. Excluding the outlying parks of Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, the area of the city is 86.928 km² (33.56 mi², or 21,480 acres), in the form of an almost regular oval, with a circumference of 35.5 km (22 miles).

The city (commune) of Paris proper has an area of 105.398 km² (40.69 mi², or 26,044 acres). This waterway features two inhabitated islands within the city, the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis, of which the former is the larger and the Capital's heart and origin. The city straddles a north-bending arc of the river Seine. Paris is located at 48°52′00″N, 2°19′59″E (48.866667, 2.333056).

from la Province). Parisians tend to call those living outside the Paris region provinciaux (i.e. Inhabitants of the Île-de-France région are known officially as Franciliens (/fʀɑ̃siljɛ̃/). Locally, inhabitants of the Paris suburbs are known colloquially as banlieusards (/bɑ̃ljøzaʀ/).

The pejorative term Parigot (/paʀigo/) is sometimes used in French slang. The inhabitants of Paris are known as Parisians /pəˈɹiː.ʒn̩z/ in English, and as Parisiens (/paʀizjɛ̃/) in French. ("I'm from Paname" (help·info).). Traditionally, Paris was known as Paname (/panam/) in French slang, but this vulgar appellation is gradually losing currency.

Lutetia was later dropped in favor of only Paris, based on the name of the Gallic Parisi tribe, whose name perhaps comes from the Celtic Gallic word parios, meaning "caldron", but this is not certain. The original Latin name of Paris was Lutetia (/lutetja/), or Lutetia Parisiorum, known in French as Lutèce (/lytɛs/). Paris is pronounced [ˈpʰæɹɪs] (RP) or [ˈpʰæɹəs] in English, and [paʀi] in French. .

It is often listed as one of the four major global cities along with New York, London and Tokyo. Today Paris is one of the world's major transport destinations, because of its financial, cultural, political, and tourism activities. The Île-de-France région, of which Paris is the capital, produces over a quarter of France's wealth, with a GDP of nearly €450 billion ^[2]. The population of Paris metropolitan area (also including satellite cities) was estimated at 11.6 million people in 2005.

According to the INSEE, the body issuing official statistics in France, the population of Paris urban area (the contiguous built-up area) was estimated at 10.1 million people in 2005. The population of Paris city proper was estimated at 2,144,700 inhabitants in 2004^[1], but during the last century the city has grown well beyond its administrative boundaries. Paris hosts the headquarters of many international trade and social organisations, including the OECD and UNESCO in addition to the head offices of nearly half of all French companies and offices of many major international firms. More recently, it has grown into a significant centre of international trade with ever-growing modern business districts, including La Défense, which forms a secondary city centre.

As one of the main cultural and political centers in Europe since the early Middle Ages, Paris contains many vestiges from its past including numerous art galleries, museums and theatres. Paris is also internationally renowned for its defining neoclassical architecture and its influence in fashion and the arts. The most recognisable symbol of Paris is the 324 metre (1,063 ft) brown metal Eiffel Tower located on the banks of the Seine. Nicknamed "the City of Light" (la Ville Lumière) since lighting its main boulevards with gas street lamps in 1828, the city of Paris also has a reputation as a "romantic" city and the "heart of Europe".

Straddling the river Seine in the country's north, it is a major global cultural and political centre in addition to being the world's most visited city. Paris is the capital and largest city of France. ² Excluding Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. ISBN 2869306482..

Connaissance du Vieux Paris, Rivages. Hillairet, Jacques (avril 22, 2005). ISBN 2213598746.. Paris, Fayard.

Favier, Jean (avril 23, 1997). Retrieved December 17, 2005. ^  (fr) France2 web article - "Ouverture du Parc Astérix pour sa 17e saison". ^  (fr) ORTIF - "Chiffres clés du tourisme 2004 en Île-de-France", page 5.

See Economy of Paris for a more detailed discussion. ^  GDP comparisons between metropolitan areas can only be approximate, because of the differences in national metropolitan area definitions. Retrieved December 1, 2005. "Produit intérieur brut (PIB) à prix courants.".

^  (fr) INSEE - Comptes régionaux - données 2003 semi-définitives en base 2 000. census 2000. ^ U.S. census 2001.

^ U.K. ^ France census 1999. Retrieved December 1, 2005. "Produit intérieur brut (PIB) à prix courants.".

^  (fr) INSEE - Comptes régionaux - données 2003 semi-définitives en base 2 000. Retrieved January 23, 2005. Paris. Janvier 2006.

^  (fr) Estimation de population pour certaines grandes villes. Harry's New York Bar. The Rex Club, Le Tryptique, Le Batofar- good places for electro music (techno, electro-rock, D&B). Les Bains-Douches, le Man Ray, l'Elysée Montmartre, le Queen - famous and trendy nightclubs.

The Buddha Bar, Barfly, Hotel Costes, Georges - trendy upscale restaurant / bars to see and be seen. the Paris Olympia, le Zenith, Bercy, Bobino - concert halls. Moulin Rouge, Le Crazy Horse Saloon, Folies Bergères - other famous cabarets. Le Lido - cabaret on the Champs-Élysées famous for its exotic shows and where, as an American GI on leave with some army friends, Elvis Presley gave an impromptu concert.

La Défense - As a city antenna just outside Paris' western limits, La Défense of the largest business districts in the world, and is a major destination for business tourism in Europe. l'Opéra - Shopping area with department stores such as Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. Le Marais - trendy district on the Right Bank with large gay and Jewish populations. Les Halles - shopping precinct around an important metro connection station.

Quartier Latin - Paris's scholastic center from the 12th century, formerly stretching between the Left Bank's place Maubert and the Sorbonne university. Montparnasse - historic area on the Left Bank, famous for the its artists studios, music-halls, and café life. Place de la Bastille - Former eastern stronghold and gate of Paris. The Egyptian obelisk it holds today can be considered Paris's "oldest monument".

Place de la Concorde - at the foot of the Champs-Élysées, built as the "Place Louis XV" site of the infamous guillotine. Champs-Élysées - a 17th-century garden promenade turned Avenue connection between the Concorde and Arc de Triomphe. Montmartre - historic area on the Butte, home to the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur and also famous for the studios and cafés of many great artists.