Marseille

Marseille (pop. 807,700), second largest city in France, located in the southeastern part of the country. It serves as France's chief seaport and is a major industrial center. The oldest city in France, was settled by the Greeks c.600 B.C. and annexed by Rome in 49 B.C. The city's expansion began with the conquest of Algeria and the opening of the Suez Canal in the 19th century. Marseille's port handles about one third of French maritime trade.