Nîmes
Nîmes is a commune. It is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Nîmes dates back to Ancient Rome.
Nimes | |
Administration | |
---|---|
Country | France |
Region | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Department | Gard |
Arrondissement | Nimes |
Intercommunality | Communauté d'agglomération Nîmes Métropole |
Mayor | Jean-Paul Fournier (2014-2020) |
Statistics | |
Elevation | 21–215 m (69–705 ft) (avg. 39 m/128 ft) |
Land area1 | 164.2 km2 (63.4 sq mi) |
Population2 | 146,709 (2012) |
- Density | 893/km2 (2,310/sq mi) |
INSEE/Postal code | 30189/ 30000 |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
History
Nîmes was an important Roman town. Many sites have been discovered, including:
- The temple of Diane
- The Maison Carrée
- The Nîmes amphitheatre, the best-preserved in France.
The town was supplied with water by the Pont du Gard.
Sister cities
Nîmes is twinned with:
- Preston, United Kingdom, since 1955.
- Verona, Italy, since 1960.
- Braunschweig, Germany, since 1962.
- Prague, Czech Republic, since 1967.
- Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany, since 1976.
- Salamanca, Spain, since 1979.
- Rishon LeZion, Israel, since 1986.
- Meknes, Morocco, since 2005.