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Marseille (or Marseilles) is the principal port city of France, situated in the southeastern part of the country on the Mediterranean Sea near the mouth of the Rhône RIVER. With 800,550 (1990) inhabitants in the city proper, it is the second most populous city in France. Its metropolitan area population is 1,262,273 (1990). One of the oldest cities in the country, Marseille was founded more than 2,500 years ago along the well-protected bay now called Vieux-Port (Old Harbour). The city grew from the harbor area to the limestone hills in the east, which reach about 760 m (2,500 ft) above sea level.
Contemporary City
The center of the city has grown up on either side of its main thoroughfare, La Canebiere and Boulevard de la Liberation, where cafes, restaurants, and hotels are located. The rocky coast is paralleled by the Promenade de la Corniche, which has a beautiful view of the harbor. Few buildings from Marseille's long history still stand. A 19th-century basilica and cathedral, the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde church, and the University of Aix-Marseille are the best-known landmarks. The city has several museums, including the Archaeology and Fine Arts museums, and theaters.
Trade continues to be the economic mainstay of Marseille. The most important port on the Mediterranean, it handles millions of tons of freight annually. Major imports include petroleum, wine, fruits, olive oil, hides and skins, and tropical agricultural products. Exports are dominated by wines, liqueurs, processed foods, cement, and metal products. Petroleum refining and shipbuilding are the principal industries, but chemicals, soap, glass, sugar, building materials, plastics, textiles, olive oil, and processed foods are also important products. Marseille is connected with the Rhone via a canal and thus has access to the extensive waterway network of France. Petroleum is shipped northward to the Paris basin by pipeline.
History
About 600 BC, Greek mariners founded a settlement there called Massalia. It grew quickly and its residents colonized much of present-day southern France. In 49 BC it fell to Rome. From the 13th to the 15th century Marseille was a free republic. In 1481, Marseille became part of France. During the 18th and 19th centuries Marseille grew considerably as the major port serving the French colonies in the West Indies and North Africa. Marseille suffered severe damage during World War II, and much of the city has since been rebuilt. Since the war, Marseille's economy has expanded, and the city's significance in southern France has greatly increased.
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