Marseille

Chief seaport and second city of France, and administrative centre of the département of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, situated on the Golfe du Lion on the Mediterranean Sea; population (2002 est) 815,100, conurbation 1,532,400. Industries include chemicals, metallurgy, shipbuilding, and food processing, as well as oil-refining at the massive industrial complex of Fos-sur-Mer to the west.

Marseille is surrounded by hills and is connected with the River Rhône by a canal, and there are several offshore islands including If, the rocky isle topped by a chateau that has long been the harbour's best-known landmark. In 1991 a grotto was discovered nearby, accessible only by an underwater passage. It contains prehistoric wall paintings showing people and animals, which may date from 20,000-12,000 BC; at that time the cave would have been accessible by land as the sea-level was much lower.

History

During the early Middle Ages it regained importance as a commercial centre and as a staging post for the Crusaders. Marseille became a republic in the 13th century and was Given considerable autonomy by the counts of Provence; in 1256 it was taken by Charles of Anjou. Along with the rest of Provence, it finally came under the French crown in 1481. The town retained special privileges until 1568, when a revolt against royal despotism was put down; in 1660 it was occupied by Louis XIV's troops. The citizens of Marseille were enthusiastic supporters of the Revolution and, when their volunteers arrived in Paris in 1792, a popular battle song was renamed ‘La Marseillaise’ in their honour. The modern prosperity of Marseille dates from the French conquest of Algeria in 1830 and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

The Germans destroyed much of the old waterfront quarter In 1943, and all port facilities in August 1944. After World War II, bigger and improved port facilities were built, stretching for 8 km/5 mi to the northwest.

Features Marseille is a cosmopolitan city, lying at the centre of an arc of bare limestone hills and built on slopes overlooking the Vieux Port (old port), the site of the original settlement. The broad avenues and imposing commercial and residential quarters were laid out during the middle of the last century. The lack of water supply was overcome in the 1840s by diverting water from the River Durance.

Despite the city's ancient foundation, few of Marseille's historic buildings remain. These include a 17th-century fort, built after an anti-royalist revolt, and a Romanesque church. Marseille has medical and science faculties at the University of Aix-en-Provence, founded in 1409, as well as schools of art and music. A modern feature is the cité radieuse, the famed residential complex or ‘vertical community’ designed by Le Corbusier and built between 1947 and 1952. Other developments include the construction of an underground railway system, elevated highways, and road tunnels. The city is served by Marignane Airport.

Marseille's population, always traditionally cosmopolitan, has been enlarged since the 1950s by immigrants from North and West Africa, many of whom are Muslim and have tended to live apart in their own districts.

Economy The city's principal industrial focus is the Étang de Berre, a large coastal lagoon with a navigable outlet to the sea at the Gulf of Fos. Many imports pass through the port, including wine, olives, citrus fruits, and tropical crops, while export products include soap, flour, fruits and legumes, manufactured goods, and luxury items. Its chemical industry includes the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, superphosphates, and sulphur products. Other industries include petroleum refineries, petrochemical and metallurgical plants, cement and lumber mills, and storage depots. About half of France's ship repair and maintenance facilities are located in Marseille.