- published: 06 Feb 2014
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Coordinates: 48°51′24″N 2°21′03″E / 48.8567°N 2.3508°E / 48.8567; 2.3508
Paris (i/ˈpærɨs/; French: [paʁi] ( listen)) is the capital and largest city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). As of January 2008 the city of Paris, within its administrative limits (the 20 arrondissements) largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,211,297 and a metropolitan population of 12,089,098, and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. Paris was the largest city in the Western world for about 1,000 years, prior to the 19th century, and the largest in the entire world between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Paris is today one of the world's leading business and cultural centres, and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. It hosts the headquarters of many international organizations such as UNESCO, the OECD, the International Chamber of Commerce or the European Space Agency. Paris is considered one of the greenest and most liveable cities in Europe. It is also one of the most expensive.
The Institut d'études politiques de Paris (English: Paris Institute of Political Studies), simply referred to as Sciences Po (French pronunciation: [sijɑ̃s po]), is a public research and higher education institution in Paris, France, specialised in the social sciences. It has the status of grand établissement, which allows its admissions process to be highly selective. Established in 1872, Sciences Po has traditionally educated France's political and diplomatic elite.
Its name refers to the political sciences, in the plural. Accordingly, its academic scope includes political science, as well as economics, history, sociology, law, finance, business, communication, social and urban policy, management and journalism. It offers several dual master’s degrees, in partnership with such institutions as the London School of Economics, King's College London, the Free University of Berlin, Bocconi University in Milan, ESADE in Barcelona, the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. At the undergraduate level, it also offers a dual degree programmes with the School of General Studies at Columbia University and the University College London.