Marseille
Second-largest city in France From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marseille or Marseilles (French: Marseille; Provençal Occitan: Marselha; see below) is a city in southern France, the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the Provence region, it is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, near the mouth of the Rhône river. Marseille is the second-most populous city in France, after Paris, with 873,076 inhabitants in 2021.[7] Marseille with its suburbs and exurbs create the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, with a population of 1,911,311 at the 2021 census.[8][6]
Marseille
| |
|---|---|
Prefecture and commune | |
Skyline of the Euroméditerranée narrow streets near Fort Saint-Jean | |
| Motto(s): Actibus immensis urbs fulget massiliensis "The city of Marseille shines from its great achievements" | |
Location of Marseille  | |
  Marseille  Marseille | |
| Coordinates: 43°17′47″N 5°22′12″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Bouches-du-Rhône |
| Arrondissement | Marseille |
| Canton | 12 cantons |
| Intercommunality | Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis |
| Subdivisions | 16 arrondissements |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Benoît Payan[1] (DVG) |
Area 1 | 240.62 km2 (92.90 sq mi) |
| • Urban (2020[2]) | 1,758.2 km2 (678.8 sq mi) |
| • Metro (2020[3]) | 3,971.8 km2 (1,533.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[4] | 873,076 |
| • Rank | 2nd in France |
| • Density | 3,600/km2 (9,400/sq mi) |
| • Urban (Jan. 2021[5]) | 1,625,845 |
| • Urban density | 920/km2 (2,400/sq mi) |
| • Metro (Jan. 2021[6]) | 1,888,788 |
| • Metro density | 480/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Marseillais (French) Marselhés (Occitan) Massiliot (ancient) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 13055 /13001-13016 |
| Dialling codes | 0491 or 0496 |
| Website | marseille.fr |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
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Founded c. 600 BC by Greek settlers from Phocaea, Marseille is the oldest city in France, as well as one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited settlements.[9] It was known to the ancient Greeks as Massalia (Greek: Μασσαλία, romanized: Massalía) and to Romans as Massilia.[9][10] Marseille has been a trading port since ancient times. In particular, it experienced a considerable commercial boom during the colonial period and especially during the 19th century, becoming a prosperous industrial and trading city. Nowadays the Old Port still lies at the heart of the city, where the manufacture of Marseille soap began some six centuries ago. Overlooking the port is the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde or "Bonne-mère" for the people of Marseille, a Romano-Byzantine church and the symbol of the city. Inherited from this past, the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille (GPMM) and the maritime economy are major poles of regional and national activity and Marseille remains the first French port, the second Mediterranean port and the fifth European port.[11] Since its origins, Marseille's openness to the Mediterranean Sea has made it a cosmopolitan city marked by cultural and economic exchanges with Southern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. In Europe, the city has the third largest Jewish community after London and Paris.[12]
In the 1990s, the Euroméditerranée project for economic development and urban renewal was launched. New infrastructure projects and renovations were carried out in the 2000s and 2010s: the tramway, the renovation of the Hôtel-Dieu into a luxury hotel, the expansion of the Velodrome Stadium, the CMA CGM Tower, as well as other quayside museums such as the Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean (MuCEM). As a result, Marseille now has the most museums in France after Paris. The city was named European Capital of Culture in 2013 and European Capital of Sport in 2017. Home of the association football club Olympique de Marseille, one of the most successful and widely supported clubs in France, Marseille has also hosted matches at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2016. It is also home to several higher education institutions in the region, including the University of Aix-Marseille. A resident of Marseille is a Marseillais.
The name of Marseille is of unknown ultimate origin, but it is thought it may come from Ancient Ligurian, which was the local language before the arrival of the Greeks. Forms of the name include:
- In English Marseille or Marseilles, both pronounced /mɑːrˈseɪ/ mar-SAY;
- In French Marseille, which is pronounced [maʁsɛj] in Standard French and [maχˈsɛjə] in local French;
- In Occitan (Provençal) Marselha (pronounced [maʁˈsejɔ, maʁˈsijɔ]) according to the Classical orthographic norm, which may be written Marsiho according to the Mistralian norm, from the Medieval Occitan Marselha or Masselha;
- In Latin Massilia, from the Greek Μασσαλία (Massalía), which is the oldest attestation of the name, since the city was founded by Greek settlers around 600 BC, and remained for a long time a Greek-speaking place even after it fell under Roman rule.
Marseille is the third-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris and Lyon. To the east, starting in the small fishing village of Callelongue on the outskirts of Marseille and stretching as far as Cassis, are the Calanques, a rugged coastal area interspersed with small fjord-like inlets. Farther east still are the Sainte-Baume (a 1,147 m (3,763 ft) mountain ridge rising from a forest of deciduous trees), the city of Toulon and the French Riviera. To the north of Marseille, beyond the low Garlaban and Etoile mountain ranges, is the 1,011 m (3,317 ft) Mont Sainte Victoire. To the west of Marseille is the former artists' colony of l'Estaque; farther west are the Côte Bleue, the Gulf of Lion and the Camargue region in the Rhône delta. The airport lies to the north west of the city at Marignane on the Étang de Berre.[13]
The city's main thoroughfare (the wide boulevard called the Canebière) stretches eastward from the Old Port to the Réformés quarter. Two large forts flank the entrance to the Old Port—Fort Saint-Nicolas[a][14] on the south side and Fort Saint-Jean on the north. Farther out in the Bay of Marseille is the Frioul archipelago which comprises four islands, one of which, If, is the location of Château d'If, made famous by the Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo. The main commercial centre of the city intersects with the Canebière at Rue St Ferréol and the Centre Bourse (one of the city's main shopping malls). The centre of Marseille has several pedestrianised zones, most notably Rue St Ferréol, Cours Julien near the Music Conservatory, the Cours Honoré-d'Estienne-d'Orves off the Old Port and the area around the Hôtel de Ville. To the south east of central Marseille in the 6th arrondissement are the Prefecture and the monumental fountain of Place Castellane, an important bus and metro interchange. To the south west are the hills of the 7th and 8th arrondissements, dominated by the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde. Marseille's main railway station—Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles—is north of the Centre Bourse in the 1st arrondissement; it is linked by the Boulevard d'Athènes to the Canebière.[13]
Climate
The city has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) with cool-mild winters with moderate rainfall, because of the wet westerly winds, and hot, mostly dry summers.[15] December, January, and February are the coldest months, averaging temperatures of around 12 °C (54 °F) during the day and 4 °C (39 °F) at night. July and August are the hottest months, averaging temperatures of around 28–30 °C (82–86 °F) during the day and 19 °C (66 °F) at night in the Marignane airport [35 km (22 mi) from Marseille] but in the city near the sea the average high temperature is 27 °C (81 °F) in July.[16]
Marseille receives the most sunlight of any French city, 2,897.6 hours per year on average,[17] while the average sunshine in the country is around 1,950 hours.[citation needed] It is also the driest major city with only 532.3 mm (21 in) of precipitation annually, mainly due to the mistral, a cold, dry wind originating in the Rhône Valley that occurs mostly in winter and spring and which generally brings clear skies and sunny weather to the region. Less frequent is the sirocco, a hot, sand-bearing wind, coming from the Sahara. Snowfalls are infrequent; over 50% of years do not experience a single snowfall.[citation needed]
The hottest temperature was 40.6 °C (105.1 °F) on 26 July 1983 during a great heat wave, the lowest temperature was −16.8 °C (1.8 °F) on 13 February 1929 during a strong cold wave.[18]
| Climate data for Marseille-Marignane (Marseille Provence Airport), elevation: 36 m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1921–present[b] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.9 (67.8) |
22.5 (72.5) |
25.4 (77.7) |
29.6 (85.3) |
34.9 (94.8) |
39.6 (103.3) |
39.7 (103.5) |
39.2 (102.6) |
34.3 (93.7) |
30.4 (86.7) |
25.2 (77.4) |
20.7 (69.3) |
39.7 (103.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.8 (53.2) |
12.8 (55.0) |
16.4 (61.5) |
19.3 (66.7) |
23.5 (74.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
30.7 (87.3) |
30.5 (86.9) |
25.9 (78.6) |
21.3 (70.3) |
15.7 (60.3) |
12.4 (54.3) |
20.7 (69.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.4 (52.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
18.4 (65.1) |
22.5 (72.5) |
25.2 (77.4) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
11.7 (53.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
15.9 (60.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.6 (38.5) |
3.7 (38.7) |
6.5 (43.7) |
9.4 (48.9) |
13.3 (55.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
19.7 (67.5) |
19.4 (66.9) |
15.9 (60.6) |
12.6 (54.7) |
7.7 (45.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
11.1 (52.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.4 (9.7) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
0.0 (32.0) |
5.4 (41.7) |
7.8 (46.0) |
8.1 (46.6) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 47.1 (1.85) |
29.8 (1.17) |
29.5 (1.16) |
51.6 (2.03) |
37.7 (1.48) |
27.9 (1.10) |
10.8 (0.43) |
25.8 (1.02) |
82.0 (3.23) |
73.3 (2.89) |
75.9 (2.99) |
40.9 (1.61) |
532.3 (20.96) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.1 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 4.4 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 4.7 | 53.5 |
| Average snowy days | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 147.9 | 173.1 | 234.7 | 250.8 | 298.6 | 337.8 | 372.2 | 333.8 | 263.7 | 196.1 | 150.8 | 138.1 | 2,897.6 |
| Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Source 1: Météo France[21] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[22] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Marseille (Longchamp observatory), elevation: 75 m, 1981–2010 averages, extremes 1868–2003[c] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 21.2 (70.2) |
22.7 (72.9) |
26.1 (79.0) |
28.6 (83.5) |
33.2 (91.8) |
36.9 (98.4) |
40.6 (105.1) |
38.6 (101.5) |
33.8 (92.8) |
30.9 (87.6) |
24.3 (75.7) |
23.1 (73.6) |
40.6 (105.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.8 (53.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
15.9 (60.6) |
18.3 (64.9) |
22.6 (72.7) |
26.2 (79.2) |
29.6 (85.3) |
29.1 (84.4) |
25.2 (77.4) |
20.9 (69.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
12.5 (54.5) |
20.0 (68.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.4 (47.1) |
8.9 (48.0) |
11.6 (52.9) |
13.8 (56.8) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
20.7 (69.3) |
16.9 (62.4) |
11.8 (53.2) |
9.3 (48.7) |
15.8 (60.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.9 (40.8) |
5.1 (41.2) |
7.3 (45.1) |
9.3 (48.7) |
13.1 (55.6) |
16.4 (61.5) |
19.4 (66.9) |
19.1 (66.4) |
16.1 (61.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
8.3 (46.9) |
6.0 (42.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.5 (13.1) |
−14.3 (6.3) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
0.0 (32.0) |
4.7 (40.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
8.1 (46.6) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
−14.3 (6.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 51.1 (2.01) |
32.1 (1.26) |
30.7 (1.21) |
51.1 (2.01) |
38.7 (1.52) |
23.5 (0.93) |
7.6 (0.30) |
27.9 (1.10) |
71.6 (2.82) |
78.6 (3.09) |
58.0 (2.28) |
52.3 (2.06) |
523.2 (20.60) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 6.1 | 4.3 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 4.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 52.6 |
| Source 1: Météo France[18] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Infoclimat.fr[24] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Marseille-Marignane (Marseille Provence Airport), elevation: 36 m, 1961–1990 normals and extremes | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.1 (66.4) |
22.1 (71.8) |
25.4 (77.7) |
26.6 (79.9) |
30.1 (86.2) |
34.4 (93.9) |
39.7 (103.5) |
38.6 (101.5) |
32.7 (90.9) |
30.1 (86.2) |
24.4 (75.9) |
20.7 (69.3) |
39.7 (103.5) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
16.7 (62.1) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.5 (68.9) |
24.9 (76.8) |
28.4 (83.1) |
32.4 (90.3) |
30.9 (87.6) |
27.4 (81.3) |
22.5 (72.5) |
17.0 (62.6) |
14.7 (58.5) |
32.4 (90.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) |
12.3 (54.1) |
14.7 (58.5) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
25.6 (78.1) |
28.9 (84.0) |
28.5 (83.3) |
25.2 (77.4) |
20.7 (69.3) |
14.6 (58.3) |
11.5 (52.7) |
19.3 (66.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.6 (43.9) |
8.4 (47.1) |
10.2 (50.4) |
13.3 (55.9) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.3 (73.9) |
20.2 (68.4) |
16.2 (61.2) |
10.6 (51.1) |
7.6 (45.7) |
14.8 (58.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) |
4.0 (39.2) |
5.7 (42.3) |
8.7 (47.7) |
12.4 (54.3) |
15.7 (60.3) |
18.4 (65.1) |
18.0 (64.4) |
15.4 (59.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
6.9 (44.4) |
4.0 (39.2) |
10.3 (50.5) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −1.6 (29.1) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
6.2 (43.2) |
10.1 (50.2) |
14.2 (57.6) |
16.5 (61.7) |
16.4 (61.5) |
13.3 (55.9) |
6.8 (44.2) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.4 (9.7) |
−15.0 (5.0) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
0.3 (32.5) |
2.2 (36.0) |
6.8 (44.2) |
11.7 (53.1) |
9.4 (48.9) |
6.6 (43.9) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
−15.0 (5.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 42.4 (1.67) |
47.7 (1.88) |
42.7 (1.68) |
37.0 (1.46) |
38.2 (1.50) |
23.3 (0.92) |
6.0 (0.24) |
25.7 (1.01) |
37.8 (1.49) |
45.0 (1.77) |
48.2 (1.90) |
56.3 (2.22) |
450.3 (17.74) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.5 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 6.0 | 56.8 |
| Average snowy days | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 75 | 72 | 67 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 59 | 62 | 69 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 69 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 150.0 | 155.5 | 215.1 | 244.8 | 292.5 | 326.2 | 366.4 | 327.4 | 254.3 | 204.5 | 155.5 | 143.3 | 2,835.5 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 53 | 53 | 59 | 62 | 65 | 72 | 79 | 77 | 68 | 61 | 54 | 52 | 63 |
| Source 1: NOAA[20] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Infoclimat.fr (humidity)[19][25] | |||||||||||||
Marseille was founded as the Greek colony of Massalia c. 600 BC, and was populated by Greek settlers from Phocaea (modern Foça, Turkey). It became the preeminent Greek polis in the Hellenized region of southern Gaul.[26] The city-state sided with the Roman Republic against Carthage during the Second Punic War (218–201 BC), retaining its independence and commercial empire throughout the western Mediterranean even as Rome expanded its empire into Western Europe and North Africa. However, the city lost its independence following the Roman Siege of Massilia in 49 BC, during Caesar's Civil War, in which Massalia sided with the exiled faction at war with Julius Caesar. Afterward, the Gallo-Roman culture was initiated.
The city maintained its position as a premier maritime trading hub even after its capture by the Visigoths in the fifth century AD, although the city went into decline following the sack of AD 739 by the forces of Charles Martel against the Umayyad Arabs. It became part of the County of Provence during the tenth century, although its renewed prosperity was curtailed by the Black Death of the 14th century and a sack of the city by the Crown of Aragon in 1423. The city's fortunes rebounded with the ambitious building projects of René of Anjou, Count of Provence, who strengthened the city's fortifications during the mid-15th century. During the 16th century, the city hosted a naval fleet with the combined forces of the Franco-Ottoman alliance, which threatened the ports and navies of the Genoese Republic.[27]
Marseille lost a significant portion of its population during the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720, but the population had recovered by mid-century. In 1792, the city became a focal point of the French Revolution, and though France's national anthem was born in Strasbourg, it was first sung in Paris by volunteers from Marseille, hence the name the crowd gave it: La Marseillaise. The Industrial Revolution and establishment of the Second French colonial empire during the 19th century allowed for the further expansion of the city, although it was occupied by the German Wehrmacht in November 1942 and subsequently heavily damaged during World War II. The city has since become a major center for immigrant communities from former French colonies in Africa, such as French Algeria.
 |
Marseille is a major French centre for trade and industry, with excellent transportation infrastructure (roads, sea port and airport). Marseille Provence Airport is the fourth largest in France. In May 2005, the French financial magazine L'Expansion named Marseille the most dynamic of France's large cities, citing figures showing that 7,200 companies had been created in the city since 2000.[28] As of 2019[update], the Marseille metropolitan area had a GDP amounting to US$81.4 billion,[d] or US$43,430 per capita (purchasing power parity).[29]
Port
Historically, the economy of Marseille was dominated by its role as a port of the French Empire, linking the North African colonies of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia with Metropolitan France. The Old Port was replaced as the main port for trade by the Port de la Joliette (now part of Marseille-Fos Port) during the Second Empire and now contains restaurants, offices, bars and hotels and functions mostly as a private marina. The majority of the port and docks, which experienced decline in the 1970s after the oil crisis, have been recently redeveloped with funds from the European Union. Fishing remains important in Marseille and the food economy of Marseille is fed by the local catch; a daily fish market is still held on the Quai des Belges of the Old Port.
The economy of Marseille and its region is still linked to its commercial port, the first French port and the fifth European port by cargo tonnage, which lies north of the Old Port and eastern in Fos-sur-Mer. Some 45,000 jobs are linked to the port activities and it represents €4 billion of added value to the regional economy.[30] 100 million tons of freight pass annually through the port, 60% of which is petroleum, making it number one in France and the Mediterranean and number three in Europe. However, in the early 2000s, the growth in container traffic was being stifled by the constant strikes and social upheaval.[31] The port is among the 20th firsts in Europe for container traffic with 1,062,408 TEU and new infrastructure has already raised the capacity to 2 million TEU.[32] Marseille is connected with the Rhône via a canal and thus has access to the extensive waterway network of France. Petroleum is shipped northward to the Paris basin by pipeline. The city also serves as France's leading centre of oil refining.[citation needed]
Companies, services and high technologies
In recent years,[when?] the city has also experienced a large growth in service sector employment and a switch from light manufacturing to a cultural, high-tech economy.[citation needed] The Marseille region is home to thousands of companies, 90% of which are small and medium enterprises with less than 500 employees.[33][full citation needed] Among the most famous are CMA CGM, container-shipping giant; Compagnie maritime d'expertises (Comex), a leader in sub-sea engineering and hydraulic systems; Airbus Helicopters, an Airbus division; Azur Promotel, an active real estate development company; La Provence, the local daily newspaper; RTM, Marseille's public transport company; and Société Nationale Maritime Corse Méditerranée (SNCM), a major provider of passenger, vehicle and freight transportation in the Western Mediterranean. The urban operation Euroméditerranée has developed a large offer of offices and thus Marseille hosts one of the main business district in France.
Marseille is the home of three main technopoles: Château-Gombert (technological innovations), Luminy (biotechnology) and La Belle de Mai (17,000 sq.m. of offices dedicated to multimedia activities).[34][35]
Tourism and attractions
The port is also an important arrival base for millions of people each year, with 2.4 million including 890,100 from cruise ships.[30] With its beaches, history, architecture and culture (24 museums and 42 theatres), Marseille is one of the most visited cities in France, with 4.1 million visitors in 2012.[36]
They take place in three main sites, the Palais du Pharo, Palais des Congrès et des Expositions (Parc Chanot) and World Trade Center.[37] In 2012 Marseille hosted the World Water Forum. Several urban projects have been developed to make Marseille attractive. Thus new parks, museums, public spaces and real estate projects aim to improve the city's quality of life (Parc du 26e Centenaire, Old Port of Marseille,[38] numerous places in Euroméditerranée) to attract firms and people. Marseille municipality acts to develop Marseille as a regional nexus for entertainment in the south of France with high concentration of museums, cinemas, theatres, clubs, bars, restaurants, fashion shops, hotels, and art galleries.
Employment
Unemployment in the economy fell from 20% in 1995 to 14% in 2004.[39][needs update] However, Marseille unemployment rate remains higher than the national average. In some parts of Marseille, youth unemployment is reported to be as high as 40%.[40][needs update]
The city of Marseille is divided into 16 municipal arrondissements, which are themselves informally divided into 111 neighbourhoods (French: quartiers). The arrondissements are regrouped in pairs, into 8 sectors, each with a mayor and council (like the arrondissements in Paris and Lyon).[41] Municipal elections are held every six years and are carried out by sector. There are 303 councilmembers in total, two-thirds sitting in the sector councils and one third in the city council.
The 9th arrondissement of Marseille is the largest in terms of area because it comprises parts of Calanques National Park. With a population of 89,316 (2007), the 13th arrondissement of Marseille is the most populous one.
From 1950 to the mid-1990s, Marseille was a Socialist (PS) and Communist (PCF) stronghold. Gaston Defferre (PS) was consecutively reelected six times as Mayor of Marseille from 1953 until his death in 1986. He was succeeded by Robert Vigouroux of the European Democratic and Social Rally (RDSE). Jean-Claude Gaudin of the conservative UMP was elected Mayor of Marseille in 1995. Gaudin was reelected in 2001, 2008 and 2014.
In recent years, the Communist Party has lost most of its strength in the northern boroughs of the city, whereas the National Front has received significant support. At the last municipal election in 2014, Marseille was divided between the northern arrondissements dominated by the left (PS) and far-right (FN) and the southern part of town dominated by the conservative (UMP). Marseille is also divided in twelve cantons, each of them sending two members to the Departmental Council of the Bouches-du-Rhône department.
Mayors of Marseille since the beginning of the 20th century
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| Mayor | Term start | Term end | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siméon Flaissières | 1895 | 1902 | POF | |
| Albin Curet (acting) | 1902 | 1902 | Independent | |
| Jean-Baptiste-Amable Chanot | 1902 | 1908 | FR | |
| Emmanuel Allard | 1908 | 1910 | FR | |
| Clément Lévy (acting) | 1910 | 1910 | Independent | |
| Bernard Cadenat | 1910 | 1912 | SFIO | |
| Jean-Baptiste-Amable Chanot | 1912 | 1914 | FR | |
| Eugène Pierre | 1914 | 1919 | Independent | |
| Siméon Flaissières | 1919 | 1931 | SFIO | |
| Simon Sabiani | 1931 | 1931 | Independent | |
| Georges Ribot | 1931 | 1935 | RAD | |
| Henri Tasso | 1935 | 1939 | SFIO | |
| Nominated administrators | 1939 | 1946 | Independent | |
| Jean Cristofol | 1946 | 1947 | PCF | |
| Michel Carlini | 1947 | 1953 | RPF | |
| Gaston Defferre | 1953 | 1986 | SFIO, PS | |
| Jean-Victor Cordonnier (acting) | 1986 | 1986 | PS | |
| Robert Vigouroux | 1986 | 1995 | PS, DVG | |
| Jean-Claude Gaudin | 1995 | 2020 | UDF-PR, DL, UMP, LR | |
| Michèle Rubirola | 2020 | 2020 | EELV | |
| Benoît Payan | 2020 | Incumbent | PS |
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Immigration
| Country/territory of birth | Population (2019)[45][46] |
|---|---|
 Algeria | 59,927 |
 Tunisia | 17,340 |
 Morocco | 16,704 |
 Italy | 11,740 |
 Comoros | 10,457 |
 Portugal | 7,708 |
 Spain | 7,384 |
 Turkey | 6,863 |
 Romania | 4,514 |
 Réunion | 3,841 |
 Senegal | 3,173 |
 Madagascar | 2,885 |
 Vietnam | 2,754 |
 Belgium | 2,594 |
 Germany | 2,444 |
 Mayotte | 2,304 |
 Martinique | 2,168 |
 Russia | 2,078 |
 United Kingdom | 1,767 |
 China[f] | 1,732 |
 Lebanon | 1,614 |
Because of its pre-eminence as a Mediterranean port, Marseille has always been one of the main gateways into France. This has attracted many immigrants and made Marseille a cosmopolitan melting pot. By the end of the 18th century about half the population originated from elsewhere in Provence mostly and also from southern France.[47][48][page needed]
Economic conditions and political unrest in Europe and the rest of the world brought several other waves of immigrants during the 20th century: Greeks and Italians started arriving at the end of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century, up to 40% of the city's population was of Italian origin;[49] Russians in 1917; Armenians in 1915 and 1923; Vietnamese in the 1920s, 1954 and after 1975;[50] Corsicans during the 1920s and 1930s; Spanish after 1936; Maghrebis (both Arab and Berber) in the inter-war period; Sub-Saharan Africans after 1945; Maghrebi Jews in the 1950s and 1960s; the Pieds-Noirs from the former French Algeria in 1962; and then from Comoros.
At the 2019 census, 81.4% of the inhabitants of the Marseille metropolitan area were natives of Metropolitan France, 0.6% were born in Overseas France, and 18.0% were born in foreign countries (two-fifth of whom French citizens from birth, in particular Pieds-Noirs from Algeria arrived in Metropolitan France after the independence of Algeria in 1962).[45] A quarter of the immigrants living in the Marseille metropolitan area were born in Europe (half of them in Italy, Portugal, and Spain), 46% were born in the Maghreb (almost two-third of them in Algeria), 14% in the rest of Africa (almost half of them in the Indian Ocean islands of Comoros, Madagascar, and Mauritius, not counting those born in Réunion and Mayotte who are not legally immigrants), and 15.0% in the rest of the world (not counting those born in the French overseas departments of the Americas and in the French territories of the South Pacific, who are not legally immigrants).[46]
In 2002, about one third of the population of Marseille can trace their roots back to Italy.[51] Marseille also has the second-largest Corsican and Armenian populations of France. Other significant communities include Maghrebis, Turks, Comorians, Chinese, and Vietnamese.[52]
The largest immigrant communities (including descendants) in 2002 were Italians (290,000 Italians, or 33%), then Muslims - mainly Maghrebis (200,000 Muslims, or 23%), then Corsicans (100,000 Corsicans, or 11.5%), then Armenians (80,000 Armenians, or 9%).[51]
In 1999, in several arrondissements, about 40% of the young people under 18 were of Maghrebi origin (at least one immigrant parent).[53]
Since 2013 a significant number of Central- and Eastern European immigrants have settled in Marseille, attracted by better job opportunities and the good climate of this Mediterranean city. The main nationalities of the immigrants are Romanian and Polish.[54]