Montpellier
Montpellier (UK: /mɒntˈpɛlieɪ/, US: /ˌmoʊnpɛlˈjeɪ/, French: [mɔ̃pəlje, -pɛl-] ⓘ; Occitan: Montpelhièr [mumpeˈʎɛ]) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the department of Hérault. At the 2020 census, 299,096 people lived in the city proper, while its metropolitan area had a population of 813,272. The inhabitants are called Montpelliérains.
Montpellier
Montpelhièr (Occitan) | |
|---|---|
Prefecture and commune | |
Clockwise from top: The Place de la Comédie, Port Marianne's lake, the bank of the Lez with the Montpellier Town Hall, and the Cathedral of Saint Peter. | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Location of Montpellier | |
Montpellier Montpellier | |
| Coordinates: 43°36′43″N 3°52′38″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Hérault |
| Arrondissement | Montpellier |
| Canton | Montpellier-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Montpellier – Castelnau-le-Lez |
| Intercommunality | Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Michaël Delafosse |
| Area 1 | 56.88 km2 (21.96 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 310.0 km2 (119.7 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,414 km2 (932 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | 302,454 |
| • Rank | 7th in France |
| • Density | 5,300/km2 (14,000/sq mi) |
| • Urban (Jan. 2020) | 465,950 |
| • Urban density | 1,500/km2 (3,900/sq mi) |
| • Metro (Jan. 2020) | 813,272 |
| • Metro density | 340/km2 (870/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Montpelliérain (masculine) Montpelliéraine (feminine) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 34172 /34000, 34070, 34080, 34090 |
| Elevation | 7–121 m (23–397 ft) (avg. 27 m or 89 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
In the Middle Ages, Montpellier was an important city of the Crown of Aragon (and was the birthplace of James I), and then of Majorca, before its sale to France in 1349. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the oldest universities in the world and has the oldest medical school still in operation, with notable alumni such as Petrarch, Nostradamus and François Rabelais. Above the medieval city, the ancient citadel of Montpellier is a stronghold built in the seventeenth century by Louis XIII of France.
Since the 1990s, Montpellier has experienced one of the strongest economic and demographic growths in the country. Its urban area has experienced the highest population growth in France since the year 2000. Numbering 70,000, students comprise nearly one-fourth of its population, one of the highest such proportions in Europe. Its living environment, with one of Europe's largest pedestrian areas, along with its rich cultural life and Mediterranean climate, explains the enthusiasm for the city, which is nicknamed the "Gifted". Montpellier was nominated for "Best Emerging Culture City of the Year 2017" by the think tank LCD. It is ranked as a Sufficiency city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.