Marseille, known in antiquity as Masalia, Massalia or Massilia is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 853,000 within its administrative limits on a land area of 240.62 km2. It is the third largest urban area and metropolitan area after Paris and Lyon with a population of around 1.6 million.Marseille was historically the most important trade center in the region and functioned as the main trade port of the French Empire. Marseille is France's largest city on the Mediterranean coast and largest commercial port. Marseille is the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, as well as the capital of the Bouches-du-Rhône department. Its inhabitants are called Marseillais in French and Marselhés in Occitan.
