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Questions about Paris

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What is the population of Paris?

Paris has an estimated city population of 2.04 million within an area of 105.4 square kilometres. Its metropolitan population is 13.2 million. The City of Paris recorded 2,102,650 residents in January 2023.

Why is Paris called the City of Light?

Paris is nicknamed the City of Light partly because of its role in the Age of Enlightenment. Its standing in education and sciences led to the name during the 18th century.

How did Paris get its name?

The name Paris derives from the Parisii, a Gallic tribe of the Iron Age and Roman period. Julius Caesar first mentioned the settlement in the mid-1st century BC as Lutetia Parisiorum, and the Roman town was commonly called Lutetia.

When did the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burn down?

The Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire on the 15th of April 2019, beginning in the eaves of its roof and engulfing the spire and most of the roof. Firefighters saved the bell towers and rose windows, and it reopened on the 7th of December 2024.

How many arrondissements does Paris have?

Paris is divided into twenty arrondissements that spiral clockwise. The current form dates to 1860, when Napoleon III annexed surrounding towns and created eight new arrondissements.

What happened in Paris during the French Revolution?

In the summer of 1789, Paris became the centre stage of the French Revolution, with a mob storming the Bastille on the 14th of July. In 1793, the king, queen, and Mayor were beheaded by guillotine in the Reign of Terror, along with more than 16,000 others across France.