Paris (city, France), city in north central France, capital and largest city of the country, on the Seine River. It has a population of 2,148,991 (1990). With an estimated population approaching 10 million, the Paris metropolitan area contains nearly one-fifth of the nation's inhabitants and dominates the economic, cultural, and political life of France to an extraordinary degree. The city is situated in a low-lying basin. It is mostly flat and has a temperate marine climate with mild winters and cool summers. Paris is the leading industrial center of France; with about one-quarter of the nation's manufacturing concentrated in the metropolitan area. The cultural and artistic preeminence of Paris has attracted a large publishing industry and a wide range of luxury manufactures. Most key service activities of the nation, especially banking and finance, are concentrated here. An additional advantage is the city's location at the center of one of Europe's richest agricultural regions