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Marseille

From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.

Marseilles redirects here. There is also Marseilles, Illinois.

Ville de Marseille


Traditional city flag	Traditional coat of arms

City motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis.
(Latin: By her great deeds, Marseilles shines in the world)

City proper
(commune)

Région

Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur

Département

Bouches-du-Rhône (13)

Mayor

Jean-Claude Gaudin
(UMP) (since 1995)

Area

240.62 km²

Subdivisions

16 arrondissements
(in 8 secteurs)

Population
2004 estimate
1999 census

(Ranked 2nd)
795,600
798,430

Density

3,318/km² (1999)

Metropolitan area
(aire urbaine)

Communes

82 (1999)

Area

2,830.2 km² (1999)

Population
1999 census

(Ranked 3rd)
1,516,340

Yearly growth

+0.46 %

Density

536/km² (1999)

Intercommunality

- president

Urban Community of Marseille Provence Métropole
Jean-Claude Gaudin
(UMP) (since 2000)

Miscellaneous

Twin cities

Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Antwerp (Belgium)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Dakar (Senegal)
Genoa (Italy)
Haifa (Israel)
Hamburg (Germany)
Kobe (Japan)
Odessa (Ukraine)
Piraeus (Greece)
Marrakech (Morocco)
Shanghai (China)

Marseille (English alternate spelling Marseilles) (pronounced /maʀsɛj/ in standard French, /mɑxˈsɛjɐ/ in local Marseilles accent) (Provençal: Marsiho or Marsilha, both pronounced /maɾˈsijɐ/) is the second largest city in France, with 1,516,340 inhabitants in the metropolitan area at the 1999 census. Located in the former province of Provence and on the Mediterranean Sea, it is France's largest commercial port and the largest in the Mediterranean.

Marseille is the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur région, as well as the préfecture (capital) of the Bouches-du-Rhône département.

Contents

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History

Marseille was founded in 600 BC by Greeks as a trading port under the name Μασσαλία (Massalia). It was overrun by Celts and then conquered by the Romans. During the Roman times, it was called Massilia.

Marseille's harbor after WWII

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Economy

Marseille has a large and busy harbor.

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Culture

The French rap band IAM is from Marseille.

The most widely circulated tarot deck comes from Marseille; it is called the Tarot de Marseille, and was used to play the local variant of tarocchi before it came to the notice of people who used it in cartomancy.

The French national anthem "La Marseillaise" is named for the Revolutionary troops from Marseille.

Madonna and Child statue on the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde.

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