Marseilles (French: Marseille; Occitan: Marselha), known in antiquity as Masalia, Massalia or Massilia (Greek: Μασσαλία) is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 850,636 within its administrative limits on a land area of 241 km2 (93 sq mi). It is the 3rd-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris and Lyon, with a population of 1,720,941 at the January 2011 census.
Marseilles was historically the most important trade center in the region and functioned as the main trade port of the French Empire. Marseilles is France's largest city on the Mediterranean coast and largest commercial port. Marseilles 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.
