VILLE-DE-PARIS

dpartement, le-de-France rgion, France, established in 1964 as part of the administrative reorganization of the Paris metropolitan area. It is coextensive with the municipality of Paris. With the exception of the Bois de Boulogne, the Bois de Vincennes, and some streets formerly in peripheral suburbs, the dpartement is contained within the last line of fortifications built around Paris in 184145 and demolished after World War I. Like other dpartements, it has a prfet as representative of the central government, but the Conseil de Paris resembles a municipal council rather than a departmental assembly. The 20 arrondissements have been maintained, each of which comprises a canton. Area: 41 square miles (105 square km). Pop. (1989 est.) 2,038,800.