Nîmes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nimes
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Country | France | |
Region | Occitanie | |
Department | Gard | |
Arrondissement | Nimes | |
Intercommunality | Communauté d'agglomération Nîmes Métropole | |
Area
1
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164.2 km2 (63.4 sq mi) | |
Population
(2012)
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146,709 | |
• Density | 893.48/km2 (2,314.1/sq mi) | |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) | |
INSEE/Postal code |
30189 /30000
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Elevation | 21–215 m (69–705 ft) (avg. 39 m or 128 ft) |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Nîmes is a commune. It is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Nîmes dates back to Ancient Rome.
Contents
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.
Sights
Several important remains of the Roman Empire can still be seen in and around Nîmes:
- The elliptical Roman amphitheatre, of the 1st or 2nd century AD, is the best-preserved Roman arena in France. It was filled with medieval housing, when its walls served as ramparts, but they were cleared under Napoleon. It is still used as a bull fighting and concert arena.
- The Maison Carrée (Square House), a small Roman temple dedicated to sons of Agrippa was built c. 19 BC. It is one of the best-preserved Roman temples anywhere. Visitors can watch a short film about the history of Nîmes inside.
- The 18th-century Jardins de la Fontaine (Gardens of the Fountain) built around the Roman thermae ruins.
- The nearby Pont du Gard, also built by Agrippa, is a well-preserved aqueduct that used to carry water across the small Gardon river valley.
- The nearby Mont Cavalier is crowned by the Tour Magne ("Great Tower"), a ruined Roman tower.
Later monuments include:
- The cathedral (dedicated to Saint Castor of Apt, a native of the city), occupying, it is believed, the site of the temple of Augustus, is partly Romanesque and partly Gothic in style.
- The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes
There is modern architecture at Nîmes too: Norman Foster conceived the Carré d'art (1986), a museum of modern art and mediatheque, and Jean Nouvel designed the Nemausus, a post-modern residential ensemble.
Tree-shaded boulevards trace the foundations of its former city walls.
Economy and infrastructure
Nîmes is historically known for its textiles. Denim, the fabric of blue jeans, derives its name from this city (Serge de Nîmes).
Population
The population of nimes increased from 128,471 in 1990 to 146,709 in 2012, yet the biggest growth the city ever experienced happened in 1968, with a growth of +23.5% compared to 1962.
Culture
From 1810 to 1822, Joseph Gergonne published a scientific journal specializing in mathematics from Nîmes called Annales de Gergonne.
The asteroid 51 Nemausa was named after Nîmes, where it was discovered in 1858.
Two times per year, Nîmes hosts one of the main French bullfighting events, Feria de Nîmes (festival), and several hundreds of thousands gather in the streets.
In 2005 Rammstein filmed their #1 live Album Völkerball in Nîmes, and are returning in 2017.
Metallica's live DVD Français Pour une Nuit (English: French for One Night) was recorded in Nîmes, France, in the Arena of Nîmes on July 7, 2009, during the World Magnetic Tour.
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.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Nimes para niños