France

Paris is the capital of France; it’s where the president resides at the Élysée Palace and where Parliament (National Assembly and Senate) meets, making it the country’s political heart. Since the medieval Capetian kings, Paris has grown into France’s cultural and economic center, famed for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre-Dame. Mnemonic: “Pair-is”—France and Paris are a pair, and the City of Light leads the nation. Lyon (culinary capital), Marseille (major Mediterranean port), and Nice (Riviera resort) are important, but none is the seat of government.