Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. Since the 17th century, Paris has been one of the world's major centers of finance, diplomacy, commerce, fashion, gastronomy, and science. For its leading role in the arts and sciences and its very early street lighting system in the 19th century, it became known as "the City of Light." Like London, before the Second World War, it was also sometimes called the world's capital.
Paris hosts several United Nations organizations, including UNESCO, and other international organizations such as the OECD, the OECD Development Centre, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, the International Energy Agency, the International Federation for Human Rights, along with European bodies such as the European Space Agency, the European Banking Authority or the European Securities and Markets Authority.
