6^th World Congress on
Microbial Biotechnology

Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, Europe with an area of 105 square kilometres and a population of 2,206,488.  Since the 17th century, Paris has been one of Europe's major centres of finance, commerce, fashion, science, music, and painting. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey in 2018, Paris was the second-most expensive city in the world, behind Singapore and ahead of Zurich, Hong Kong, Oslo and Geneva. Paris is especially known for its museums and architectural landmarks: The Louvre was the most visited art museum in the world in 2017, with 8.1 million visitors. The Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie are noted for their collections of French Impressionist art, and the Pompidou Centre Musée National d'Art Moderne has the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe. The historical district along the Seine in the city centre is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Paris is the department with the highest proportion of highly educated people. In 2009, around 40 percent of Parisians held a licence-level diploma or higher, the highest proportion in France, while 13 percent have no diploma, the third-lowest percentage in France. Education in Paris region employs approximately 330,000 people, 170,000 of whom are teachers and professors teaching approximately 2.9 million children and students in around 9,000 primary, secondary, and higher education schools and institutions.