Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, with an area of 105 square kilometres and a population of 2,206,488. With 200,000 inhabitants in 1328, Paris, then already the capital of France, was the most populous city of Europe. By comparison, London in 1300 had 80,000 inhabitants. Since the 17th century, Paris has been one of Europe's major centres of finance, commerce, fashion, science, music, and painting.
