What is the capital of France?

Paris is the capital of France.

The city sits on the River Seine in north-central France and serves as the seat of the country’s national government. France’s president works from the Élysée Palace, while the prime minister’s official residence is the Hôtel Matignon. Paris is also the capital of the Île-de-France region.

The city’s name comes from the Parisii, a Celtic people who lived in the area before Roman rule. The settlement, known to the Romans as Lutetia, grew around the Seine. Clovis I made Paris the capital of his Frankish kingdom around 508, helping establish its long political importance.

Paris is divided administratively into 20 arrondissements. Visitors often associate it with the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre-Dame, but the city is also a major centre for finance, fashion, education, diplomacy, and gastronomy. Marseille, Lyon, and Nice are important French cities, but none is the national capital.