Paris: Capital of France – Geography and Context

Paris is the capital and largest city of France, a Western European nation spanning 551,695 km² (213,011 mi²) with 68 million people (2024).

France's Borders

France shares land borders with eight countries (clockwise from northeast):

• Belgium (620 km)
• Luxembourg (73 km)
• Germany (451 km)
• Switzerland (573 km)
• Italy (515 km)
• Monaco (4.4 km)
• Andorra (56.6 km)
• Spain (623 km)

Maritime borders: United Kingdom (Channel), Netherlands (Caribbean), Brazil/Suriname (via French Guiana).

Coastlines

• Atlantic Ocean: English Channel (north), Bay of Biscay (west)
• Mediterranean Sea: South coast (French Riviera)

Paris in Context

• Population: 2.1M (city), 12.4M (metro)
• Location: North-central, on Seine River
• Role: Political, economic, cultural, transport hub
• Time zone: CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)

Administrative Note

France includes 18 regions (13 metropolitan, 5 overseas). Paris is the prefecture of Île-de-France region.