Île-de-France

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Coordinates: 48°30′N 2°30′E
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the region in France. For other uses, see Île-de-France
(disambiguation).

Île-de-France

Region
Clockwise from top: western Paris and La Défense in the distance; the
Viaduc of Saint-Mammès; the Palace of Versailles; and the UNESCO
World Heritage Site of Provins

Wordmark
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Interactive map of Île-de-France

Country France

Prefecture Paris

Departments hide

Paris (75)
Seine-et-Marne (77)
Yvelines (78)
Essonne (91)
Hauts-de-Seine (92)
Seine-Saint-Denis (93)
Val-de-Marne (94)
Val-d'Oise (95)
 Government
• President of the Regional Valérie Pécresse (LR)
Council

Area
• Total 12,012 km2 (4,638 sq mi)
• Rank 13th

Population
(1 January 2023)
• Total 12,271,794[1]
• Density 1,022/km2 (2,650/sq mi)

Demonym French: Francilien

GDP
[2]

• Total €782.639 billion (2022)

Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)

• Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)

ISO 3166 code FR-IDF

NUTS Region FR1

Website www.iledefrance.fr
The Île-de-France (/ˌiːl də ˈfrɒ̃s/, French: [il də fʁɑ̃s] ⓘ; literally "Island of France")
is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official
estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023.[1] Centred on
the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often
called the Paris Region[3] (French: Région
parisienne, pronounced [ʁeʒjɔ̃ paʁizjɛn]). Île-de-France is densely populated and
retains a prime economic position on the national stage, but it covers only
12,012 square kilometres (4,638 square miles), about 2% of metropolitan
French territory, its 2017 population was nearly one-fifth of the national total.[4]
The region is made up of eight administrative departments:
Paris, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Seine-et-Marne, Val-de-
Marne, Val-d'Oise and Yvelines. It was created as the "District of the Paris
Region" in 1961. In 1976, when its status was aligned with the French
administrative regions created in 1972, it was renamed after the historic
province of Île-de-France. Residents are sometimes referred to as Franciliens,
an administrative word created in the 1980s. The GDP of the region in 2019
was nearly one-third of the French,[5]: 12 and 5% of the European Union's.[5]: 12 It has
the highest per capita GDP of any French region and the third highest of any
region in the European Union.[citation needed]
Beyond the city limits of Paris, the region has many other important historic
sites, including the palaces of Versailles and Fontainebleau, as well as the
most-visited tourist attraction in France, Disneyland Paris. Although it is the
richest French region, a significant number of residents live in poverty. The
official poverty rate in the Île-de-France was 15.9% in 2015. The region has
witnessed increasing income inequality in recent decades, and rising housing
prices have pushed the less affluent outside Paris.[6]
Etymology[edit]
Further information: History of Île-de-France § Early history
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Although the modern name Île-de-France literally means Island of France, its
etymology is unclear. The "island" may refer to the land between the
rivers Oise, Marne and Seine, or it may also have been a reference to the Île de
la Cité, where the French royal palace and cathedral were located.[citation needed]
Alternatively, the name may refer to the lands that were under the direct rule of
the Capetian kings during the Middle Ages; thus, the lands were an "island" in a
sea of various feudal territories ruled by vassals of the king.[7]
Departments[edit]

Departments of Île-de-France by GDP (2021)

Populatio
Department Area km2 GDP[8] GDP per capita
n

Paris 105 2,133,111 €253.101 billion €118,653

Hauts-de-Seine 176 1,635,291 €188.333 billion €115,168

Seine-Saint-Denis 236 1,668,670 €66.227 billion €39,688

Val-de-Marne 245 1,415,367 €56.818 billion €40,144

Val-d'Oise 1,246 1,256,607 €38.861 billion €30,925

 Populatio
Department Area km2 GDP[8] GDP per capita
n

Seine-et-Marne 5,915 1,438,100 €42.983 billion €29,889

Essonne 1,804 1,313,768 €58.462 billion €44,500

Yvelines 2,284 1,456,365 €60.058 billion €42,238

Île-de-France 12,012 12,317,279 €764.844 billion €62,095

History[edit]


Historic province of Île-de-France before the French Revolution

 

The modern départements covered by the historical Île-de-France

Modern region of Île-de-France and départements

Main article: History of Île-de-France
The Île-de-France was inhabited by the Parisii, a sub-tribe of
the Celtic Senones, from around the middle of the 3rd-century BC.[9][10] One of the
area's major north–south trade routes crossed the Seine on the île de la Cité;
the meeting place of land and water trade routes gradually became an
important trading centre.[11] The Parisii traded with many river towns (some as far
away as the Iberian Peninsula) and minted their own coins for that purpose.[12]
The Romans conquered the area in 52 BC and began their settlement on
Paris's Left Bank.[13] It became a prosperous city with a forum, baths, temples,
theatres, and an amphitheatre.[14] Christianity was introduced in the middle of the
3rd century AD by Saint Denis, the first Bishop of Paris. According to legend,
when Denis refused to renounce his faith before Roman authorities, he was
beheaded on the hill that became known as Mons Martyrum (Latin "Hill of
Martyrs"), later "Montmartre". The legend further states that Denis walked
headless from this hill to the north of the city. The place that he finally fell and
was buried became an important religious shrine, the Basilica of Saint-Denis.[15]
Clovis the Frank, the first king of the Merovingian dynasty, made the city his
capital in 508. As the Frankish domination of Gaul began, there was a gradual
immigration by the Franks to Paris and the Parisian Francien dialects were
born. Fortification of the Île de la Cité failed to avert sacking by Vikings in 845,
but Paris's strategic importance—with its bridges preventing ships from passing
—was established by successful defence in the Siege of Paris (885–86). In
987, Hugh Capet, Count of Paris (comte de Paris) and Duke of the Franks (duc
des Francs), was elected King of the Franks (roi des Francs). Under the rule of
the Capetian kings, Paris gradually became the largest and most prosperous
city in France.[15]
The Kings of France enjoyed getting away from Paris and hunting in the game-
filled forests of the region. They built palatial hunting lodges, most
notably Palace of Fontainebleau and the Palace of Versailles. From the time of
Louis XIV to the French Revolution, Versailles was the official residence of the
Kings and the seat of the French government. Île-de-France became the term
used for the territory of Paris and the surrounding province, which was
administered directly by the King.
During the French Revolution, the royal provinces were abolished and divided
into departments, and the city and region were governed directly by the national
government. After World War II, as Paris faced a major housing shortage,
hundreds of massive apartment blocks for low-income residents were built
around the edges of Paris. In the 1950s and the 1960s, thousands of
immigrants settled in the communes bordering the city. In 1959, under
President Charles De Gaulle, a new region was created out of six departments,
which corresponded approximately with the historic region, with the
name District de la région de Paris ("District of the Paris Region"). On 6 May
1976, as part of the process of regionalisation, the district was reconstituted
with increased administrative and political powers and renamed the Île-de-
France region.
Geography[edit]
Île-de-France is in the north of France, neighboring Hauts-de-France to the
north, Grand Est to the east, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté to the
southeast, Centre-Val-de-Loire to the southwest, and Normandy to the west.
 

View of the forest of Fontainebleau in Seine-et-Marne

The Seine in Paris

Vineyard in Luzarches, Val-d'Oise

 

Transilien Line R train between Veneux-les-Sablons and Saint-Mammès

Departments[edit]
Île-de-France has a land area of 12,011 km2 (4,637 sq mi). It is composed of
eight departments centred on its innermost department and capital, Paris.
Around the department and municipality of Paris, urbanisation fills a first
concentric ring of three departments commonly known as the petite
couronne ("small ring"); it extends into a second outer ring of four departments
known as the grande couronne ("large ring"). The former department of Seine,
abolished in 1968, included the city proper and parts of the petite couronne.
The petite couronne consists of the departments of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-
Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne; the grande couronne consists of those of Seine-
et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne and Val-d'Oise. Politically, the region is divided
into 8 departments, 25 arrondissements, 155 cantons and 1,276 communes,
out of the total of 35,416 in metropolitan France.[4]
Topography[edit]
The outer parts of the Île-de-France remain largely rural. Agricultural land, forest
and natural spaces occupy 78.9 percent of the region, and 28 percent of the
region's land is in urban use. the remaining 24 percent[clarification needed] is rivers, forests,
woods, and ponds.[4]
The River Seine flows through the middle of the region, which is crisscrossed by
its tributaries and sub-tributaries, including the Rivers Marne, Oise and Epte.
The River Eure does not cross the region but receives water from several rivers
in the Île-de-France, including the Drouette and the Vesgre. The major rivers
are navigable, and, because of the modest variations of altitude in the region
(between 10 metres (33 ft) and 200 metres (660 ft)), they have a tendency to
meander and curve. They also create many lakes and ponds, some of which
have been transformed into recreation areas, including Moisson-Mousseaux,
Cergy-Neuville and Villeneuve-Saint-Georges.
Economy[edit]
 

Headquarters of Total in La Défense

The historic Bourse de Paris, or Paris stock market, now called Euronext Paris

Headquarters of Société Générale in La Défense

Paris region (Île-de-France) produced €742 billion (Gross domestic product)[5] or
around 1/3 of the economy of France in 2019.[5]: 12
The regional economy has gradually shifted toward high-value-added service
industries (finance, IT services, etc.) and high-tech manufacturing (electronics,
optics, aerospace, etc.).[16] In 2014, industry represented just under five percent
of active enterprises in the region, and 10.2 percent of salaried workers.
Commerce and services account for 84 percent of the business establishments
in the region, and have 83.3 percent of the salaried employees.[17]
Financial services and insurance are important sectors of the regional economy;
the major French banks and insurance companies, including BNP
Paribas, Société Générale, and Crédit Agricole, all have their headquarters in
the region. The region also hosts the headquarters of the top French telecom
companies and utilities, including Orange S.A., Veolia, and EDF. The French
stock market, the Bourse de Paris, now known as Euronext Paris, occupies a
historical building in the center of Paris and is ranked fourth among global stock
markets, after New York, Tokyo and London.[18]
Other major sectors of the regional economy include energy companies
(Orano, Engie, Électricité de France, and Total S.A.). The two major French
automobile manufacturers, Renault at Flins-sur-Seine and Groupe
PSA at Poissy, do much of their assembly work outside of France but still have
research centre and large plants in the region. The leading French and
European aerospace and defense companies, including Airbus, Thales
Group, Dassault Aviation, Safran Aircraft Engines, the European Space
Agency, Alcatel-Lucent, and Arianespace, have a large presence in the region.
[18]

The energy sector is also well established in the region. The nuclear power
industry, with its major firm Orano, has its