Canon law of the Catholic Church
Canonistics , faculties , and institutes -- Faculties and institutes of canon law
Table:
Number
University
Name of entity
City
Country

1
Catholic University of West Africa
Higher Institute of Canon Law
Abidjan
Ivory Coast

2
Catholic University of Central Africa
Autonomous Department of Canon Law
Yaoundé
Cameroon

3
Catholic University of Congo
Faculty of Canon Law
Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo

4
Saint Paul University
Faculty of Canon Law
Ottawa
Canada

5
Pontifical University of Mexico
Faculty of Canon Law
Mexico City
Mexico

6
The Catholic University of America[74]
School of Canon Law
Washington, D.C.
USA

7
Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina
Faculty of Canon Law of Saint Turibius of Mongrovejo
Buenos Aires
Argentina

8
Pontifical Institute of Canon Law
Pontifical Higher Institute of Canon Law
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

9
Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Our Lady of the Assumption
Institute of Canon Law of Fr Dr. Giuseppe Benito Pegoraro
São Paulo
Brazil

10
Pontifical Xavierian University
Faculty of Canon Law
Bogotá
Colombia

11
St. Peter's Pontifical Institute of Theology
Centre of Canon Law Studies
Bangalore
India

12
Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram
Institute of Oriental Canon Law
Bangalore
India

13
Sagesse High School
Faculty of Canon Law
Beirut
Lebanon

14
University of Santo Tomas
Faculty of Canon Law
Manila
Philippines

15
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Faculty of Canon Law
Leuven
Belgium

16
Université catholique de Louvain
Faculty of Canon Law
Louvain-la-Neuve
Belgium

17
Academy of Canon Law

Brno
Czech Republic

18
Institut Catholique de Paris
Faculty of Canon Law
Paris
France

19
University of Strasbourg
Institute of Canon Law
Strasbourg
France

20
Catholic University of Toulouse
Faculty of Canon Law
Toulouse
France

With reference to the table plus the article excerpts provided.

Solve the question: What Number is the University that is known in English as the Catholic University of Paris ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Do not introduce information beyond the provided sources.

Université Catholique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest ( UCAO ) or Catholic University of West Africa was founded in 1967 as the Higher Institute of Religious Culture ; later it became a university . It is situated in Abidjan , Ivory Coast . It has also campuses in Bobo-Dioulasso ( Burkina Faso ) and Lomé ( Togo ) .
Abidjan ( /ˌæbɪˈdʒɑːn/ AB-ih-JAHN , French : [ abidʒɑ̃ ] ; Nko : ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬ ) is the economic capital of Ivory Coast and one of the most populous French-speaking cities in Africa . According to the 2014 census , Abidjan 's population was 4.7 million , which is 20 percent of the overall population of the country , and this also makes it the sixth most populous city proper in Africa , after Lagos , Cairo , Kinshasa , Dar es Salaam , and Johannesburg . A cultural crossroads of West Africa , Abidjan is characterised by a high level of industrialisation and urbanisation . The city expanded quickly after the construction of a new wharf in 1931 , followed by its designation as the capital city of the then-French colony in 1933 . Abidjan remained the capital of Côte d'Ivoire after its independence from France in 1960 . The completion of the Vridi Canal in 1951 enabled Abidjan to become an important sea port . In 1983 , the city of Yamoussoukro was designated as the official political capital of Côte d'Ivoire . However , almost all political institutions and foreign embassies continue to be located in Abidjan . Because Abidjan is also the largest city in the country and the centre of its economic activity , it has officially been designated as the economic capital of the country . The Abidjan Autonomous District , which encompasses the city and some of its suburbs , is one of the 14 districts of Côte d'Ivoire .
Ivory Coast , formally Côte d'Ivoire , [ a ] officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire , is a country located on the south coast of West Africa . Ivory Coast 's political capital is Yamoussoukro in the centre of the country , while its economic capital and largest city is the port city of Abidjan . It borders Guinea to the northwest , Liberia to the west , Mali to the northwest , Burkina Faso to the northeast , Ghana to the east , and the Gulf of Guinea ( Atlantic Ocean ) to the south . The official language of the republic is French , with local indigenous languages also being widely used that include Baoulé , Dioula , Dan , Anyin , and Cebaara Senufo . In total , there are around 78 different languages spoken in Ivory Coast . The country has large populations of Muslims , Christians ( primarily Roman Catholics ) and various indigenous religions . Before its colonization by Europeans , Ivory Coast was home to several states , including Gyaaman , the Kong Empire and Baoulé . The area became a protectorate of France in 1843 and was consolidated as a French colony in 1893 amid the European scramble for Africa . It achieved independence in 1960 , led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny , who ruled the country until 1993 . Relatively stable by regional standards , Ivory Coast established close political and economic ties with its West African neighbors while at the same time maintaining close relations to the West , especially France . Ivory Coast experienced a coup d'état in 1999 and two religiously-grounded civil wars , first between 2002 and 2007 and again during 2010-2011 . In 2000 , the country adopted a new constitution .
The Catholic University of Central Africa ( Université Catholique de l'Afrique Centrale ) ( CUAC or UCAC ) is a private Roman Catholic university in Yaoundé , Cameroon .
Yaoundé ( US : /ˌjɑːʊnˈdeɪ/ , UK : /jɑːˈʊndeɪ , -ˈuːn-/ ; French pronunciation : ​ [ ja.unde ] ; German : Jaunde ) is the capital of Cameroon and , with a population of more than 2.8 million , the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala . It lies in the Centre Region of the nation at an elevation of about 750 metres ( 2,500 ft ) above sea level .
Cameroon ( /ˌkæməˈruːn/ ( listen ) ; French : Cameroun ) , officially the Republic of Cameroon ( French : République du Cameroun ) , is a country in Central Africa . It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north ; Chad to the northeast ; the Central African Republic to the east ; and Equatorial Guinea , Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south . Cameroon 's coastline lies on the Bight of Biafra , part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean . Although Cameroon is not an ECOWAS member state , it is geographically and historically in West Africa with the Southern Cameroons which now form her Northwest and Southwest Regions having a strong West African history . The country is sometimes identified as West African and other times as Central African due to its strategic position at the crossroads between West and Central Africa . Cameroon is home to over 250 native languages spoken by nearly 20 million people . The official languages of the country are English and French . Early inhabitants of the territory included the Sao civilisation around Lake Chad and the Baka hunter-gatherers in the southeastern rainforest . Portuguese explorers reached the coast in the 15th century and named the area Rio dos Camarões ( Shrimp River ) , which became Cameroon in English . Fulani soldiers founded the Adamawa Emirate in the north in the 19th century , and various ethnic groups of the west and northwest established powerful chiefdoms and fondoms . Cameroon became a German colony in 1884 known as Kamerun . After World War I , the territory was divided between France and the United Kingdom as League of Nations mandates .
Kinshasa ( /kɪnˈʃɑːsə/ ; French : [ kinʃasa ] ) , formerly Léopoldville ( Dutch : Leopoldstad ) , is the capital and the largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The city is situated alongside the Congo River . Once a site of fishing and trading villages , Kinshasa is now a megacity with an estimated population of more than 11 million . It faces Brazzaville , the capital of the neighbouring Republic of the Congo , which can be seen in the distance across the wide Congo River , making them the world 's second-closest pair of capital cities after Rome and Vatican City . The city of Kinshasa is also one of the DRC 's 26 provinces . Because the administrative boundaries of the city-province cover a vast area , over 90 percent of the city-province 's land is rural in nature , and the urban area occupies a small but expanding section on the western side . Kinshasa is Africa 's third-largest urban area after Cairo and Lagos . It is also the world 's largest Francophone urban area ( surpassing Paris in population ) , with French being the language of government , schools , newspapers , public services , and high-end commerce in the city , while Lingala is used as a lingua franca in the street . Kinshasa hosted the 14th Francophonie Summit in October 2012 . Residents of Kinshasa are known as Kinois ( in French and sometimes in English ) or Kinshasans ( English ) . The indigenous people of the area include the Humbu [ fr ] and Teke .
The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( pronunciation ( help·info ) French : République démocratique du Congo [ kɔ̃ɡo ] ) , also known as DR Congo , the DRC , DROC , Congo-Kinshasa , or simply the Congo , is a country located in Central Africa . It was formerly called Zaire ( 1971-1997 ) . It is , by area , the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa , the second-largest in all of Africa ( after Algeria ) , and the 11th-largest in the world . With a population of over 84 million , the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous officially Francophone country , the fourth-most-populous country in Africa , and the 16th-most-populous country in the world . Eastern DR Congo has been the scene of ongoing military conflict in Kivu , since 2015 . Centred on the Congo Basin , the territory of the DRC was first inhabited by Central African foragers around 90,000 years ago and was reached by the Bantu expansion about 3,000 years ago . In the west , the Kingdom of Kongo ruled around the mouth of the Congo River from the 14th to 19th centuries . In the centre and east , the kingdoms of Luba and Lunda ruled from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century . In the 1870s , just before the onset of the Scramble for Africa , European exploration of the Congo Basin was carried out , first led by Henry Morton Stanley under the sponsorship of Leopold II of Belgium . Leopold formally acquired rights to the Congo territory at the Berlin Conference in 1885 and made the land his private property , naming it the Congo Free State . During the Free State , his colonial military unit , the Force Publique , forced the local population to produce rubber . From 1885 to 1908 , millions of the Kongo people died as a consequence of disease and exploitation .
Saint Paul University ( French : Université Saint-Paul ) is a bilingual Catholic Pontifical university federated with the University of Ottawa since 1965 . It is located on Main Street in Canada 's capital city : Ottawa , Ontario . Fully bilingual , it offers instruction in the Country 's both official languages : French and English . The university has been entrusted for over a century and a half to the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate . In August 1866 , the university was endowed a civil charter that was passed by the government which was then called the Province of Canada . It later received a pontifical declaration promulgated by Pope Leo XIII on 5 February 1889 .
Ottawa ( /ˈɒtəwə/ ( listen ) , /ˈɒtəwɑː/ ; French pronunciation : ​ [ ɔtawa ] ) is the capital city of Canada . It stands on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of southern Ontario . Ottawa borders Gatineau , Quebec ; the two form the core of the Ottawa-Gatineau census metropolitan area ( CMA ) and the National Capital Region ( NCR ) . As of 2016 , Ottawa had a city population of 934,243 and a metropolitan population of 1,323,783 making it the fourth-largest city and the fifth-largest CMA in Canada . In June 2019 , the City of Ottawa estimated it had surpassed a population of a million . Founded in 1826 as Bytown , and incorporated as Ottawa in 1855 , the city has evolved into the political centre of Canada . Its original boundaries were expanded through numerous annexations and were ultimately replaced by a new city incorporation and amalgamation in 2001 which significantly increased its land area . The city name Ottawa was chosen in reference to the Ottawa River , the name of which is derived from the Algonquin Odawa , meaning to trade . Ottawa has the most educated population among Canadian cities and is home to a number of post-secondary , research , and cultural institutions , including the National Arts Centre , the National Gallery , and numerous national museums .
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America . Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean , covering 9.98 million square kilometres ( 3.85 million square miles ) , making it the world 's second-largest country by total area . Its southern border with the United States , stretching some 8,891 kilometres ( 5,525 mi ) , is the world 's longest bi-national land border . Canada 's capital is Ottawa , and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto , Montreal , and Vancouver . As a whole , Canada is sparsely populated , with most of its land area dominated by forest and tundra . Its population is highly urbanized , with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities , and 70 percent residing within 100 kilometres ( 62 mi ) of the southern border . Canada 's climate varies widely across its vast area , ranging from Arctic climate in the north to hot summers in the southern regions , with four distinct seasons . Various indigenous peoples inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years before European colonization . Beginning in the 16th century , British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast . As a consequence of various armed conflicts , France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 . In 1867 , with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation , Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces . This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom .
The Universidad Pontificia de México ( Pontifical University of Mexico ) is a private institution of higher education established by the Holy See and sponsored by the Roman Catholic Episcopate in Mexico . It is one of the two modern Mexican universities claiming to be successors of the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico ( Real y Pontificia Universidad de México ) one of the first universities founded in North America .
Mexico City , or the City of Mexico ( Spanish : Ciudad de México , American Spanish : [ sjuˈða ( ð ) ðe ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) ; abbreviated as CDMX , Nahuatl languages : Āltepētl Mēxihco ) , is one of the 32 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico and the capital of Mexico and the most populous city in North America . It is one of the most important cultural and financial centres in the world . It is located in the Valley of Mexico ( Valle de México ) , a large valley in the high plateaus in the center of Mexico , at an altitude of 2,240 meters ( 7,350 ft ) . The city has 16 alcaldías , formerly known as boroughs . The 2009 population for the city proper was approximately 8.84 million people , with a land area of 1,485 square kilometers ( 573 sq mi ) . According to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments , the population of Greater Mexico City is 21.3 million , which makes it the second largest metropolitan area of the Western Hemisphere , the eleventh-largest agglomeration ( 2017 ) , and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world . Greater Mexico City has a GDP of $ 411 billion in 2011 , making Greater Mexico City one of the most productive urban areas in the world . The city was responsible for generating 15.8% of Mexico 's GDP , and the metropolitan area accounted for about 22% of total national GDP . If it were an independent country , in 2013 , Mexico City would be the fifth-largest economy in Latin America , five times as large as Costa Rica and about the same size as Peru . Mexico 's capital is both the oldest capital city in the Americas and one of two founded by indigenous people , the other being Quito , Ecuador . The city was originally built on an island of Lake Texcoco by the Aztecs in 1325 as Tenochtitlan , which was almost completely destroyed in the 1521 siege of Tenochtitlan and subsequently redesigned and rebuilt in accordance with the Spanish urban standards . In 1524 , the municipality of Mexico City was established , known as México Tenochtitlán , and as of 1585 , it was officially known as Ciudad de México ( Mexico City ) .
Mexico ( Spanish : México [ ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) ; Nahuatl languages : Mēxihco ) , officially the United Mexican States ( UMS ; Spanish : Estados Unidos Mexicanos , EUM [ esˈtaðos uˈniðoz mexiˈkanos ] ( listen ) , lit . Mexican United States ) , is a country in the southern portion of North America . It is bordered to the north by the United States ; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean ; to the southeast by Guatemala , Belize , and the Caribbean Sea ; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico . Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers ( 770,000 sq mi ) , the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world . With an estimated population of over 129 million people , Mexico is the tenth most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world , while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil . Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states plus Mexico City ( CDMX ) , which is the capital city and its most populous city . Other metropolises in the country include Guadalajara , Monterrey , Puebla , Toluca , Tijuana , and León . Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8000 BC and is identified as one of six cradles of civilization and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacan , Zapotec , Maya , and Aztec before first contact with Europeans . In 1521 , the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its politically powerful base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan ( part of Mexico City ) , which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain . The Roman Catholic Church played a powerful role in governing the country as millions were converted to the faith , although King Charles III expelled the Jesuits in the 1770s . The territory became a nation state following its recognition in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence . The post-independence period was tumultuous , characterized by economic inequality and many contrasting political changes .
The Catholic University of America ( CUA ) is a private Catholic university in Washington , D.C . It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops . Established in 1887 as a graduate and research center following approval by Pope Leo XIII on Easter Sunday , the university began offering undergraduate education in 1904 . The university 's campus lies within the Brookland neighborhood , known as Little Rome , which contains 60 Catholic institutions , including Trinity Washington University , the Dominican House of Studies , and Archbishop Carroll High School , as well as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception . It has been ranked as one of the nation 's best colleges by the Princeton Review , one of the best values of any private school in the country by Kiplinger 's , one of the most eco-friendly universities in the country , and was awarded the highest federal recognition an institution can receive for community service . Also , it was ranked in the top 10 of the best Catholic colleges in the country , and has been recommended by the Cardinal Newman Society in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College . It was described as one of the 25 most underrated colleges in the United States . CUA 's programs emphasize the liberal arts , professional education , and personal development . The school stays closely connected with the Catholic Church and Catholic organizations . The American Cardinals Dinner is put on by the residential U.S. cardinals each year to raise scholarship funds for CUA . The university has a long history of working with the Knights of Columbus ; the university 's law school and basilica have dedications to the involvement and support of the Knights .
The School of Canon Law is the only faculty of Catholic canon law in the United States . It is one of the twelve schools at The Catholic University of America , located in Washington , D.C. and one of the three ecclesiastical schools at the university , together with the School of Theology and Religious Studies and the School of Philosophy . The school is part of the main campus in the Brookland neighborhood in Northeast D.C. and is housed in Caldwell Hall . It offers the Licentiate of Canon Law and the Doctor of Canon Law ecclesiastical degrees , as well as civil and joint ecclesiastical-civil degree programs .
Washington , D.C. , ( /ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən ˌdiːˈsiː/ ) formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as D.C. , Washington , or The District , is the capital of the United States . Founded after the American Revolution as the seat of government of the newly independent country , Washington was named after George Washington , the first president of the United States and a Founding Father . As the seat of the United States federal government and several international organizations , Washington is an important world political capital . The city , located on the Potomac River bordering Maryland and Virginia , is one of the most visited cities in the world , with more than 20 million tourists annually . The signing of the Residence Act on July 16 , 1790 , approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country 's East Coast . The U.S. Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress , and the District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state . The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district , which included the pre-existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria . The City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital . In 1846 , Congress returned the land originally ceded by Virginia , including the city of Alexandria ; in 1871 , it created a single municipal government for the remaining portion of the District . Washington had an estimated population of 702,455 as of July 2018 [ update ] , making it the 20th most populous city in the United States . Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city 's daytime population to more than one million during the workweek . Washington 's metropolitan area , the country 's sixth largest ( including parts of Maryland , Virginia and West Virginia ) , had a 2017 estimated population of 6.2 million residents .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
The Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina , whose full name in Spanish is Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina Santa María de los Buenos Aires , also known as Universidad Católica Argentina ( UCA ) , is a university in Argentina with campuses in the cities of Buenos Aires , Santa Fe , Rosario , Paraná , Mendoza and Pergamino . The main campus is located in Puerto Madero , one of the most modern neighborhoods of Buenos Aires . It is considered , according to a 2011 study by the Spanish Ministry of Education , as one of the best private universities in Latin America . It is the second university preferred by Argentine employers and the sixth in all Latin America . Its predecessor , the Catholic University of Buenos Aires ( 1910-1922 ) , was founded by the Argentine episcopate in 1910 , but its degrees , in law , were not recognized by the Argentine government , and the institution was closed in 1922 . In 1955 , Decree 6403 concerning the freedom of education enabled the creation of private universities with the authority to deliver academic qualifications . In 1956 , the bishops decided to create the Catholic University of Argentina , formally founded on March 7 , 1958 . Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was UCA 's Grand Chancellor , by virtue of his office as Primate of Argentina and Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires , the capital of Argentina , until his election in 2013 as Pope Francis to succeed Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI . When Mario Aurelio Poli was named Archbishop of Buenos Aires by Pope Francis later in 2013 , he became Grand Chancellor of the University . In May 2013 Pope Francis named Victor Manuel Fernández , the University 's President ( the second-highest administrative rank , after the Grand Chancellor ) , as titular archbishop of Tiburnia .
Buenos Aires ( /ˌbweɪnəs ˈɛəriːz/ or /-ˈaɪrɪs/ ; Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈbwenos ˈaiɾes ] ) is the capital and largest city of Argentina . The city is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata , on the South American continent 's southeastern coast . Buenos Aires can be translated as fair winds or good airs , but the former was the meaning intended by the founders in the 16th century , by the use of the original name Real de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre , named after the Madonna of Bonaria in Sardinia . The Greater Buenos Aires conurbation , which also includes several Buenos Aires Province districts , constitutes the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas , with a population of around 15.6 million . The city of Buenos Aires is neither part of Buenos Aires Province nor the Province 's capital ; rather , it is an autonomous district . In 1880 , after decades of political infighting , Buenos Aires was federalized and removed from Buenos Aires Province . The city limits were enlarged to include the towns of Belgrano and Flores ; both are now neighborhoods of the city . The 1994 constitutional amendment granted the city autonomy , hence its formal name of Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires ; CABA ) . Its citizens first elected a chief of government ( i.e . mayor ) in 1996 ; previously , the mayor was directly appointed by the President of the Republic . Buenos Aires ' quality of life was ranked 91st in the world in 2018 , being one of the best in Latin America . In 2012 , it was the most visited city in South America , and the second-most visited city of Latin America ( behind Mexico City ) .
Argentina ( Spanish : [ aɾxenˈtina ] ) , officially the Argentine Republic [ A ] ( Spanish : República Argentina ) , is a country located mostly in the southern half of South America . Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west , the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north , Brazil to the northeast , Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east , and the Drake Passage to the south . With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 ( 1,073,500 sq mi ) , [ B ] Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world , the fourth largest in the Americas , the second largest in South America after Brazil , and the largest Spanish-speaking nation . The sovereign state is subdivided into twenty-three provinces ( Spanish : provincias , singular provincia ) and one autonomous city ( ciudad autónoma ) , Buenos Aires , which is the federal capital of the nation ( Spanish : Capital Federal ) as decided by Congress . The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions , but exist under a federal system . Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica , the Falkland Islands ( Spanish : Islas Malvinas ) , and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period . The Inca Empire expanded to the northwest of the country in Pre-Columbian times . The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century . Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776 . The declaration and fight for independence ( 1810-1818 ) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861 , culminating in the country 's reorganization as a federation of provinces with Buenos Aires as its capital city . The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability , with several waves of European immigration , mainly Italians and Spaniards , radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook ; 62.5% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry , and the Argentine culture has significant connections to the Italian culture .
Rio de Janeiro ( /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛəroʊ , - deɪ - , - də -/ ; Portuguese : [ ˈhi.u d ( ʒi ) ʒɐˈne ( j ) ɾu ] ( listen ) ; River of January ) , or simply Rio , is anchor to the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area and the second-most populous municipality in Brazil and the sixth-most populous in the Americas . Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil 's third-most populous state . Part of the city has been designated as a World Heritage Site , named Rio de Janeiro : Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea , by UNESCO on 1 July 2012 as a Cultural Landscape . Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese , the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro , a domain of the Portuguese Empire . Later , in 1763 , it became the capital of the State of Brazil , a state of the Portuguese Empire . In 1808 , when the Portuguese Royal Court transferred itself from Portugal to Brazil , Rio de Janeiro became the chosen seat of the court of Queen Maria I of Portugal , who subsequently , in 1815 , under the leadership of her son , the Prince Regent , and future King João VI of Portugal , raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom , within the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil , and Algarves . Rio stayed the capital of the pluricontinental Lusitanian monarchy until 1822 , when the War of Brazilian Independence began . This is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonising country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies . Rio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the independent monarchy , the Empire of Brazil , until 1889 , and then the capital of a republican Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to Brasília . Rio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal GDP in the country , and 30th largest in the world in 2008 , estimated at about R $ 343 billion ( nearly US $ 201 billion ) . It is headquarters to Brazilian oil , mining , and telecommunications companies , including two of the country 's major corporations - Petrobras and Vale - and Latin America 's largest telemedia conglomerate , Grupo Globo . The home of many universities and institutes , it is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil , accounting for 17% of national scientific output according to 2005 data .
Brazil ( Portuguese : Brasil ; Portuguese pronunciation : [ bɾaˈziw ] ) , [ nt 1 ] officially the Federative Republic of Brazil ( Portuguese : República Federativa do Brasil , listen ( help·info ) ) , is the largest country in both South America and Latin America . At 8.5 million square kilometers ( 3.2 million square miles ) and with over 211 million people , Brazil is the world 's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous . Its capital is Brasília , and its most populous city is São Paulo . The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states , the Federal District , and the 5,570 municipalities . It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas ; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations , due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east , Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers ( 4,655 mi ) . It borders all other countries in South America except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47.3% of the continent 's land area . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection . Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral , who claimed the area for the Portuguese Empire . Brazil remained a Portuguese colony until 1808 , when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . In 1815 , the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil and the Algarves .
São Paulo ( /ˌsaʊ ˈpaʊloʊ/ ; Portuguese pronunciation : [ sɐ̃w̃ ˈpawlu ] ( listen ) ) is a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil . The metropolis is an alpha global city ( as listed by the GaWC ) and the most populous city in Brazil , the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere , besides being the largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world . The municipality is also the world 's 12th largest city proper by population . The city is the capital of the surrounding state of São Paulo , the most populous and wealthiest state in Brazil . It exerts strong international influences in commerce , finance , arts and entertainment . The name of the city honors the Apostle , Saint Paul of Tarsus . The city 's metropolitan area , the Greater São Paulo , ranks as the most populous in Brazil and the 12th most populous on Earth . The process of conurbation between the metropolitan areas located around the Greater São Paulo ( Campinas , Santos , Sorocaba and the Paraíba Valley ) created the São Paulo Macrometropolis , a megalopolis with more than 30 million inhabitants , one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world . Having the largest economy by GDP in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere , the city is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange . Paulista Avenue is the economic core of São Paulo . The city has the 11th largest GDP in the world , representing alone 10.7% of all Brazilian GDP and 36% of the production of goods and services in the state of São Paulo , being home to 63% of established multinationals in Brazil , and has been responsible for 28% of the national scientific production in 2005 . The metropolis is also home to several of the tallest skyscrapers in Brazil , including the Mirante do Vale , Edifício Itália , Banespa , North Tower and many others .
The Pontifical Xavierian University ( in Spanish Pontificia Universidad Javeriana ) is a private higher education institution founded in 1623 . It is one of the oldest , most traditional , and prestigious Colombian universities , directed by the Society of Jesus , with its main facilities in Bogotá and a second campus in Cali . La Javeriana , as it is known by its students , has traditionally educated the Colombian elite . It is one of the 33 universities entrusted to the Society of Jesus in Latin America and one of 167 around the world . [ citation needed ] The Javeriana University in Bogotá has 18 schools comprising 61 departments and 181 academic programs catering to areas of knowledge , giving the university its multidisciplinary nature . It has 45 buildings in 445 acres ( 1.80 km2 ) . The Javeriana University in Cali offers 18 schools in four faculties . It is located in Pance , Cali [ es ] . Its Law School recently received a high-quality accreditation by Resolution 6808 6 August 2010 , of the Ministry of National Education . The campus in Cali has sectional divisions of the Bolsa de Valores de Colombia ( BVC ) , Temple University 's Fox School of Business , and others . [ citation needed ] The University is one of the twelve universities in Colombia having a high-quality institutional accreditation , granted to it for eight years by Resolution 1320 , 12 June 2003 , of the Ministry of National Education . The university has 21 undergraduate programs with high-quality accreditation , and eight programs in advanced stages of the accreditation process .
Bogotá ( /ˌboʊɡəˈtɑː/ , also UK : /ˌbɒɡ-/ , US : /ˈboʊɡətɑː/ , Spanish : [ boɣoˈta ] ( listen ) ) , officially Bogotá , Distrito Capital , abbreviated Bogotá , D.C. , and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá between 1991 and 2000 , is the capital and largest city of Colombia , administered as the Capital District , as well as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca . Bogotá is a territorial entity of the first order , with the same administrative status as the departments of Colombia . It is the political , economic , administrative and industrial center of the country . Bogotá was founded as the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada on August 6 , 1538 , by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada after a harsh expedition into the Andes conquering the Muisca . The Muisca were the indigenous inhabitants of the region , and they called the place of the foundation Thybzaca or Old Town . The name of Bogotá corresponds to the Spanish pronunciation of the Muisca Bacatá ( or Mueketá ) which was the name of a neighboring settlement located between the modern towns of Funza and Cota . There are different opinions about the meaning of the word Bacatá , the most accepted being that it means walling of the farmland in the Chibcha language . Another popular translation argues that it means The Lady of the Andes . Further , the word 'Andes ' in the Aymara language means shining mountain , thus rendering the full lexical signification of Bogotá as The Lady of the shining mountain ( notice , however , that the language of the Muisca people was not Aymara but Chibcha ) . Others suggest that Bacatá was the name of the Muisca cacique who governed the land before the Spaniards arrived . Jiménez de Quesada gave the settlement the name of Our Lady of Hope but the Spanish crown gave it the name of Santafé ( Holy Faith ) in 1540 when it was appointed as a city . Santafé became the seat of the government of the Spanish Royal Audiencia of the New Kingdom of Granada ( created in 1550 ) , and then after 1717 it was the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada .
Colombia ( /kəˈlʌmbiə/ ( listen ) kə-LUM-bee-ə , /-ˈlɒm-/ -⁠LOM- ; Spanish : [ koˈlombja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Colombia ( Spanish : República de Colombia ( help·info ) ) , [ Note 1 ] is a country largely situated in the north of South America , with land and territories in North America . Colombia is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea , the northwest by Panama , the south by both Ecuador and Peru , the east by Venezuela , the southeast by Brazil , and the west by the Pacific . It comprises thirty-two departments , with the capital in Bogotá . Colombia is ethnically and linguistically diverse , with its rich cultural heritage reflecting influences by various Amerindian civilizations , European settlement , forced African labor , and immigration from Europe and the greater Middle East . Urban centres are concentrated in the Andean highlands and the Caribbean coast . Colombia has been inhabited by various American Indian peoples since at least 12,000 BCE , including the Muisca , Quimbaya , and the Tairona . Spaniards arrived in 1499 and by the mid-16th century annexed part of the region , establishing the New Kingdom of Granada , with Santafé de Bogotá as its capital . Independence from Spain was achieved in 1819 , but by 1830 the Gran Colombia Federation was dissolved , with what is now Colombia and Panama emerging as the Republic of New Granada . The new sovereign state experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation ( 1858 ) , and then the United States of Colombia ( 1863 ) , before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886 . Panama seceded in 1903 , leading to Colombia 's present borders . Beginning in the 1960s , the country suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict and political violence , both of which escalated in the 1990s . Since 2005 , there has been significant improvement in security , stability , and rule of law .
St. Peters Pontifical Seminary also known as St. Peter 's Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology or simply as St. Peter 's Pontifical Seminary/Institute is a Roman Catholic major seminary located in Bangalore , India . After the Suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1773 , the Carnatic , Madura and Mysore Missions were entrusted to the Paris Foreign Missions Society . These missionaries started a Seminary under the name Grand Seminaire in 1778 , at Ulgarpet , in the outskirts Pondicherry . Rev . Fr . Busson , a former Jesuit , acted as the first Rector of this Seminary . Fr . Magny took charge after him for 40 years . In 1788 that the first ordination took place . At the end of 40 years of Rectorship , Fr . Magny could count 13 ordained priests among the students . In 1790 , the Seminary was transferred to Pondicherry at , what is now Petit Seminaire Higher Secondary School .
Bangalore , officially known as Bengaluru ( [ ˈbeŋɡəɭuːɾu ] ( listen ) ) , is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka . It has a population of over ten million , making it a megacity and the third-most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration in India . It is located in southern India , on the Deccan Plateau at an elevation of over 900 m ( 3,000 ft ) above sea level , which is the highest among India 's major cities . Its multi-ethnic , multi-religious , and cosmopolitan character is reflected by its more than 1000 Hindu temples , 400 mosques , 100 churches , 40 Jain Basadis , three Sikh gurdwaras , two Buddhist viharas and one Parsi fire temple located in an area of 741 km² of the metropolis . The religious places are further represented by the proposed Chabad of the Jewish community . The numerous Bahá'ís have a society called the Bahá ' í Centre . In 1537 CE , Kempé Gowdā - a feudal ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire - established a mud fort considered to be the foundation of modern Bengaluru and its oldest areas , or petes , which exist to the present day . After the fall of Vijayanagar empire in 16th century , the Mughals sold Bangalore to Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar ( 1673-1704 ) , the then ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore for three lakh rupees . When Haider Ali seized control of the Kingdom of Mysore , the administration of Bangalore passed into his hands . It was captured by the British East India Company after victory in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War ( 1799 ) , who returned administrative control of the city to the Maharaja of Mysore . The old city developed in the dominions of the Maharaja of Mysore and was made capital of the Princely State of Mysore , which existed as a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj . In 1809 , the British shifted their cantonment to Bangalore , outside the old city , and a town grew up around it , which was governed as part of British India .
India ( Hindi : Bhārat ) , officially the Republic of India ( Hindi : Bhārat Gaṇarājya ) , is a country in South Asia . It is the seventh-largest country by area , the second-most populous country , and the most populous democracy in the world . Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south , the Arabian Sea on the southwest , and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast , it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west ; [ e ] China , Nepal , and Bhutan to the north ; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east . In the Indian Ocean , India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives ; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia . Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago . Their long occupation , initially in varying forms of isolation as hunter-gatherers , has made the region highly diverse , second only to Africa in human genetic diversity . Settled life emerged on the subcontinent in the western margins of the Indus river basin 9,000 years ago , evolving gradually into the Indus Valley Civilisation of the third millennium BCE . By 1200 BCE , an archaic form of Sanskrit , an Indo-European language , had diffused into India from the northwest , unfolding as the language of the Rigveda , and recording the dawning of Hinduism in India . The Dravidian languages of India were supplanted in the northern regions . By 400 BCE , stratification and exclusion by caste had emerged within Hinduism , and Buddhism and Jainism had arisen , proclaiming social orders unlinked to heredity . Early political consolidations gave rise to the loose-knit Maurya and Gupta Empires based in the Ganges Basin . Their collective era was suffused with wide-ranging creativity , but also marked by the declining status of women , and the incorporation of untouchability into an organised system of belief .
Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram is an ecclesiastical institution of higher learning established by the Syrian Catholic congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate ( CMI ) for Catholic education , as an independent institute empowered to grant degrees , including Doctorates in Philosophy and Theology . Located in Bengaluru , India , it is a pontifical athenaeum with degree-granting authority validated by the Vatican .
Sagesse High School , Mary Mother of Wisdom is a private , Catholic co-educational school located in the suburb of Ain Saadeh , Matn District , Lebanon ( 30 minute drive from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport ) . Sagesse High School operates under the supervision of the General Secretariat of Catholic Schools in Lebanon as well as being a member of the La Sagesse institution of the archdiocese of Beirut , and is internationally accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools as of 2009 . Sagesse High School is also the first IB World School in the country , offering the International Baccalaureate since 1995 .
Beirut ( /beɪˈruːt/ bay-ROOT ; Arabic : بيروت , romanized : Bayrūt ; French : Beyrouth ) is the capital and largest city of Lebanon . No recent population census has been conducted , but 2007 estimates ranged from slightly more than 1 million to 2.2 million as part of Greater Beirut , which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region and the fifteenth-largest in the Arab world . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon 's Mediterranean coast , Beirut is an important regional seaport . It is one of the oldest cities in the world , having been inhabited by Amer for more than 5,000 years . The first historical mention of Beirut is found in the Amarna letters from the New Kingdom of Egypt , which date to the 15th century BC . Beirut is Lebanon 's seat of government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy , with most banks and corporations based in its Central District , Badaro , Rue Verdun , Hamra , Ryad el Soloh street , and Achrafieh . Following the destructive Lebanese Civil War , Beirut 's cultural landscape underwent major reconstruction . Identified and graded for accountancy , advertising , banking , finance and law , Beirut is ranked as a Beta World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network .
Lebanon ( /ˈlɛbənɒn/ ( listen ) ; Arabic : لبنان , romanized : Lubnān , Lebanese Arabic pronunciation : [ lɪbˈneːn ] ) , officially known as the Lebanese Republic [ nb 3 ] ( Arabic : الجمهورية اللبنانية , romanized : al-Jumhūrīyah al-Lubnānīyah , Lebanese Arabic pronunciation : [ elˈʒʊmhuːrɪjje lˈlɪbneːnɪjje ] ; French : République libanaise ) , is a country in Western Asia . It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south , while Cyprus is west across the Mediterranean Sea . Lebanon 's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland facilitated its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity . At just 10,452 km2 ( 4,036 mi2 ) , it is the smallest recognized sovereign state on the mainland Asian continent . [ nb 4 ] The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than seven thousand years , predating recorded history . Lebanon was the home of the Canaanites/Phoenicians and their kingdoms , a maritime culture that flourished for almost three thousand years ( c. 3200-539 BC ) . In 64 BC , the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire , and eventually became one of the Empire 's leading centers of Christianity . In the Mount Lebanon range a monastic tradition known as the Maronite Church was established . As the Arab Muslims conquered the region , the Maronites held onto their religion and identity . However , a new religious group , the Druze , established themselves in Mount Lebanon as well , generating a religious divide that has lasted for centuries . During the Crusades , the Maronites re-established contact with the Roman Catholic Church and asserted their communion with Rome . The ties they established with the Latins have influenced the region into the modern era .
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas , The Catholic University of the Philippines , or simply the University of Santo Tomas ( UST ) , is a private , Roman Catholic research university in Manila , Philippines . Founded on April 28 , 1611 by Miguel de Benavides , Archbishop of Manila , it has the oldest extant university charter in the Philippines and in Asia , and is one of the world 's largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus . The university is run by the Order of Preachers . UST is the only university to have been visited by three popes four times : once by Pope Paul VI on November 28 , 1970 , twice by Pope John Paul II on February 18 , 1981 and January 13 , 1995 , and once by Pope Francis on January 18 , 2015 . The patron of the university is St. Thomas Aquinas , while St. Catherine of Alexandria is the patroness . The university is composed of several autonomous faculties , colleges , schools and institutes , each conferring undergraduate , graduate and postgraduate degrees , and the basic education units . Several degree programs have been accredited by the Commission on Higher Education ( CHED ) as Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development . Moreover , it was awarded with an Institutional Accreditation by the CHED through the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines . In December 2013 , the university was recognized to have the highest number of accredited programs in the country by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities ' Commission on Accreditation ( PACUCOA ) . Prominent Thomasians include saints , Filipino presidents , heroes , artists , scientists , professionals , and religious figures , who have figured prominently in the history of the Philippines . The athletic teams are the Growling Tigers , who are members of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and are consistent winners of the Overall Championship . The university campus is listed as one of the most viable sites in the Philippines to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List , while the Archives of the University of Santo Tomas is listed as one of the most viable documentary heritage to be included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme .
Manila ( /məˈnɪlə/ ; Tagalog : Maynilà , pronounced [ majˈnilaʔ ] ) , officially the City of Manila ( Tagalog : Lungsod ng Maynilà [ luŋˈsod nɐŋ majˈnilaʔ ] ) , is the capital of the Philippines and a highly urbanized city . It is the most densely populated city proper in the world as of 2018 . It was the first chartered city by virtue of the Philippine Commission Act 183 on July 31 , 1901 and gained autonomy with the passage of Republic Act No . 409 or the Revised Charter of the City of Manila on June 18 , 1949 . Manila , alongside Mexico City and Madrid are considered the world 's original set of Global Cities due to Manila 's commercial networks being the first to traverse the Pacific Ocean , thus connecting Asia with the Spanish Americas , marking the first time in world history when an uninterrupted chain of trade routes circled the planet . Manila is also the second most natural disaster-afflicted capital city in the world next to Tokyo , yet it is simultaneously among the most populous and fastest growing cities in Southeast Asia . The Spanish city of Manila was founded on June 24 , 1571 , by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi . The date is regarded as the city 's official founding date ; however , a settlement has already existed dating back as far as 1258 . Manila was also the seat of power for most of the country 's colonial rulers . It is home to many historic sites , some of which were built during the 16th century . Manila has many of the Philippines ' firsts , including the first university ( 1590 ) , light station ( 1642 ) , lighthouse tower ( 1846 ) , water system ( 1878 ) , hotel ( 1889 ) , electricity ( 1895 ) , oceanarium ( 1913 ) , stock exchange ( 1927 ) , flyover ( 1930s ) , zoo ( 1959 ) , pedestrian underpass ( 1960 ) , science high school ( 1963 ) , city-run university ( 1965 ) , city-run hospital ( 1969 ) , and rapid transit system ( 1984 ; also considered as the first rapid transit system in Southeast Asia ) . The term Manila is commonly used to refer to the whole metropolitan area , the greater metropolitan area or the city proper .
The Philippines ( /ˈfɪləpiːnz/ ( listen ) ; Filipino : Pilipinas [ ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs ] or Filipinas [ ˌfɪlɪˈpinɐs ] ) , officially the Republic of the Philippines ( Filipino : Republika ng Pilipinas ) , [ a ] is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia . Situated in the western Pacific Ocean , it consists of about 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south : Luzon , Visayas and Mindanao . The capital city of the Philippines is Manila and the most populous city is Quezon City , both part of Metro Manila . Bounded by the South China Sea on the west , the Philippine Sea on the east and the Celebes Sea on the southwest , the Philippines shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north , Japan to the northeast , Vietnam to the west , Palau to the east , and Malaysia and Indonesia to the south . The Philippines ' location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator makes the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons , but also endows it with abundant natural resources and some of the world 's greatest biodiversity . The Philippines is the world 's 5th largest island country with an area of 300,000 km2 ( 120,000 sq mi ) . As of 2015 , it had a population of at least 100 million . As of January 2018 [ update ] , it is the eighth-most populated country in Asia and the 12th most populated country in the world . Approximately 10 million additional Filipinos lived overseas , comprising one of the world 's largest diasporas . Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands . In prehistoric times , Negritos were some of the archipelago 's earliest inhabitants . They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples .
The Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenA ( in English : Catholic University of Leuven ) , B abbreviated KU Leuven , is a research university in the Dutch-speaking town of Leuven in Flanders , Belgium , founded in 1834 in Mechelen as the Catholic University of Belgium and moved its seat to the town of Leuven in 1835 where it changed its name to Catholic University of Leuven . KU Leuven considers itself to be the continuation of the Studium Generale Lovaniense established in 1425 and suppressed in 1797 under French rule . It conducts teaching , research , and services in the natural sciences , engineering , humanities , medicine , law , and social sciences . KU Leuven consistently ranks among the top 100 universities in the world by five major ranking tables . As of 2020 , it ranks 85th according the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities , 52th according the CWTS Leiden Ranking , 45th globally according to Times Higher Education , 56th according U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking and 80th according QS World University Rankings . For four consecutive years starting in 2016 , Thomson Reuters ranked KU Leuven as Europe 's most innovative university , with its researchers having filed more patents than any other university in Europe ; its patents are also the most cited by external academics . A number of its programs rank within the top 100 in the world according to QS World University Rankings by Subject . In addition to its main campus in Leuven , it has satellite campuses in Kortrijk , Antwerp , Ghent , Bruges , Ostend , Geel , Diepenbeek , Aalst , Sint-Katelijne-Waver , and in Belgium 's capital Brussels . KU Leuven is the largest university in Belgium and the Low Countries . In 2017-18 , more than 58,000 students were enrolled . Its primary language of instruction is Dutch , although several programs are taught in English , particularly graduate degrees . The old University of Leuven was founded at the center of the historic town of Leuven in 1425 , making it Belgium 's first university .
Leuven ( /ˈlɜːvən/ , Dutch : [ ˈløːvə ( n ) ] ( listen ) ) or Louvain ( /luːˈvæ̃/ , also US : /luːˈveɪn/ , French : [ luvɛ̃ ] ; German : Löwen [ ˈløːvn̩ ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium . It is located about 25 kilometres ( 16 miles ) east of Brussels . The municipality itself comprises the historic city and the former neighbouring municipalities of Heverlee , Kessel-Lo , a part of Korbeek-Lo , Wilsele and Wijgmaal . It is the eighth largest city in Belgium and the fourth in Flanders with more than 100,244 inhabitants . KU Leuven , Belgium 's largest university , has its flagship campus in Leuven , which has been a university city since 1425 . This makes it the oldest university city in the Low Countries . The city is also known for being the headquarters of Anheuser-Busch InBev , the world 's largest beer brewer and sixth-largest fast-moving consumer goods company .
Belgium , [ A ] officially the Kingdom of Belgium , is a country in Western Europe . It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north , Germany to the east , Luxembourg to the southeast , France to the southwest , and the North Sea to the northwest . It covers an area of 30,689 km2 ( 11,849 sq mi ) and has a population of more than 11.5 million , making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe , with a density of 376 per square kilometre ( 970/sq mi ) . The capital and largest city is Brussels ; other major cities are Antwerp , Ghent , Charleroi and Liège . The sovereign state is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system . Its institutional organization is complex and is structured on both regional and linguistic grounds . It is divided into three highly autonomous regions : the Flemish Region in the north , Wallonia in the south , and the Brussels-Capital Region . Brussels is the smallest and most densely populated region , as well as the richest region in terms of GDP per capita . Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or communities : the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community , which constitutes about 60 percent of the population , and the French-speaking Community , which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians . A small German-speaking Community , numbering around one percent , exists in the East Cantons . The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual ( French and Dutch ) , although French is the dominant language . Belgium 's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance , made up of six different governments .
The Université catholique de Louvain ( also known as the Catholic University of Louvain , the English translation of its French name , and the University of Louvain , its official English name ) is Belgium 's largest French-speaking university . It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve , which was expressly built to house the university , and Brussels , Charleroi , Mons , Tournai and Namur . Since September 2018 , the university has used the branding UCLouvain , replacing the acronym UCL , following a merger with Saint-Louis University , Brussels . The original University of Louvain ( Universitas Lovaniensis ) was founded at the centre of the historic town of Leuven ( or Louvain ) in 1425 , making it the first university in Belgium and the Low Countries . After being closed in 1797 during the Napoleonic period , the Catholic University of Leuven was re-founded in 1834 , and is frequently , but controversially , identified as a continuation of the older institution.AB In 1968 the Catholic University of Leuven split into the Dutch-language Katholieke Universiteit Leuven , which stayed in Leuven , and the French-language Université catholique de Louvain , which moved to Louvain-la-Neuve in Wallonia , 30 km southeast of Brussels . Since the 15th century , Leuven/Louvain , as it is still often called , has been a major contributor to the development of Catholic theology . The UCLouvain is often ranked among the world 's top 50 institutions for the study of philosophy and top 20 institutions for theology and religious studies. , , ,
Louvain-la-Neuve ( French pronunciation : ​ [ lu.vɛ̃.la.nœv ] , French for New Leuven ) is a planned city in the municipality of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve , Belgium , situated 30 km southeast of Brussels , in the French-speaking part of the country . The city was built to house the Université catholique de Louvain ( UCLouvain ) which owns its entire territory ; following the linguistic quarrels that took place in Belgium during the 1960s , and Flemish claims of discrimination at the Catholic University of Leuven , the institution was split into the Dutch language Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven which remained in Leuven , and the Université catholique de Louvain . To a great extent , it still lives following the rhythms of the university that is its raison d'être . However , with the construction of L'Esplanade shopping complex , the Aula Magna exhibition centre and auditorium , a large cinema complex , and five museums , it is beginning to grow beyond its academic roots .
Brno ( /ˈbɜːrnoʊ/ BUR-noh , Czech : [ ˈbr̩no ] ( listen ) ; German : Brünn [ bʁʏn ] ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of Czechia . Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers , Brno has about 400,000 inhabitants , making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic after the capital , Prague . Its metropolitan area has around 1,183,207 inhabitants . Brno is the centre of the Czech judiciary , with the seats of the Constitutional Court , the Supreme Court , the Supreme Administrative Court , and the Supreme Public Prosecutor 's Office , and a number of state authorities , including the Ombudsman , and the Office for the Protection of Competition . Brno is also an important centre of higher education , with 33 faculties belonging to 13 institutes of higher education and about 89,000 students . Brno Exhibition Centre ranks among the largest exhibition centres in Europe . The complex opened in 1928 and established the tradition of large exhibitions and trade fairs held in Brno . Brno hosts motorbike and other races on the Masaryk Circuit , a tradition established in 1930 , in which the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious races . Another cultural tradition is an international fireworks competition , Ignis Brunensis , that attracts tens of thousands of daily visitors . The most visited sights of the city include the Špilberk castle and fortress and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Petrov hill , two medieval buildings that dominate the cityscape and are often depicted as its traditional symbols . The other large preserved castle near the city is Veveří Castle by Brno Reservoir . Another architectural monument of Brno is the functionalist Villa Tugendhat which has been included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites .
The Czech Republic ( /ˈtʃɛk -/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česká republika [ ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpublɪka ] ( listen ) ) , also known by its short-form name , Czechia ( /ˈtʃɛkiə/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česko [ ˈtʃɛsko ] ( listen ) ) , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Poland to the northeast , Slovakia to the southeast , Austria to the south , and Germany to the west . The Czech Republic is a landlocked country with a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,866 square kilometers ( 30,450 sq mi ) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate . It is a unitary parliamentary republic , with 10.7 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Prague , with 1.3 million residents ; other major cities are Brno , Ostrava , Olomouc and Pilsen . The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia , Moravia , and Czech Silesia . The Czech state was formed in the late ninth century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire . In 1002 , the duchy was formally recognized as an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire along with the Kingdom of Germany , the Kingdom of Burgundy , the Kingdom of Italy ; and became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 , reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century . Prague was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th and 17th century . The Protestant Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century led to the Hussite Wars , the first of many conflicts with the Catholic Church . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy . The Protestant Bohemian Revolt ( 1618-20 ) against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years ' War . After the Battle of the White Mountain , the Habsburgs consolidated their rule , eradicated Protestantism , reimposed Catholicism , and adopted a policy of gradual Germanization .
The Institut Catholique de Paris ( ICP ) , known in English as the Catholic University of Paris ( and in Latin as Universitas catholica Parisiensis ) , is a private university located in Paris , France .
Paris ( French pronunciation : ​ [ paʁi ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and most populous city of France , with a population of 2,148,271 residents ( official estimate , 1 January 2020 ) in an area of 105 square kilometres ( 41 square miles ) . Since the 17th century , Paris has been one of Europe 's major centres of finance , diplomacy , commerce , fashion , science and the arts . The City of Paris is the centre and seat of government of the Île-de-France , or Paris Region , which has an estimated official 2020 population of 12,278,210 , or about 18 percent of the population of France . The Paris Region had a GDP of €709 billion ( $ 808 billion ) in 2017 . According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey in 2018 , Paris was the second most expensive city in the world , after Singapore , and ahead of Zürich , Hong Kong , Oslo and Geneva . Another source ranked Paris as most expensive , on a par with Singapore and Hong Kong , in 2018 . The city is a major railway , highway and air-transport hub served by two international airports : Paris-Charles de Gaulle ( the second busiest airport in Europe ) and Paris-Orly . Opened in 1900 , the city 's subway system , the Paris Métro , serves 5.23 million passengers daily ; it is the second busiest metro system in Europe after the Moscow Metro . Gare du Nord is the 24th busiest railway station in the world , but the first located outside Japan , with 262 million passengers in 2015 . Paris is especially known for its museums and architectural landmarks : the Louvre was among most visited art museums in the world in 2019 , with 9.6 million visitors . The Musée d'Orsay , Musée Marmottan Monet , and Musée de l'Orangerie are noted for their collections of French Impressionist art , the Pompidou Centre Musée National d'Art Moderne has the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe , and the Musée Rodin and Musée Picasso exhibit the works of the two noted Parisians . The historical district along the Seine in the city centre is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site , and popular landmarks in the city centre included the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris , now closed for renovation after the 15 April 2019 fire .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
The University of Strasbourg ( French : Université de Strasbourg , Unistra or UDS ) in Strasbourg , Alsace , France , is a university in France with over 52,000 students and almost 3,300 researchers . The French university traces its history to the earlier German-language Universität Straßburg , which was founded in 1538 , and was divided in the 1970s into three separate institutions : Louis Pasteur University , Marc Bloch University , and Robert Schuman University . On 1 January 2009 , the fusion of these three universities reconstituted a united University of Strasbourg . With as many as 19 Nobel laureates , and two Fields Medal winners , the university is ranked among the best in the League of European Research Universities .
Strasbourg ( UK : /ˈstræzbɜːrɡ/ , US : /ˈstræs- , ˈstrɑːsbʊərɡ , ˈstrɑːzbʊərɡ , -bɜːrɡ , strɑːzˈbʊər/ , French : [ stʁazbuʁ , stʁasbuʁ ] ( listen ) ; Bas Rhin Alsatian : Strossburi [ ˈʃd̥ʁɔːsb̥uʁi ] ( listen ) , Haut Rhin Alsatian : Strossburig [ ˈʃd̥ʁɔːsb̥uʁiɡ̊ ] ( listen ) ; German : Straßburg [ ˈʃtʁaːsbʊʁk ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and largest city of the Grand Est region of France and is the official seat of the European Parliament . Located at the border with Germany in the historic region of Alsace , it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin department . In 2017 , the city proper had 280,966 inhabitants and both the Eurométropole de Strasbourg ( Greater Strasbourg ) and the Arrondissement of Strasbourg had 494,089 inhabitants . Strasbourg 's metropolitan area had a population of 785,839 in 2016 ( not counting the section across the border in Germany ) , making it the ninth-largest metro area in France and home to 13% of the Grand Est region 's inhabitants . The transnational Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau had a population of 958,421 inhabitants . Strasbourg is one of the de facto three main capitals of the European Union ( alongside Brussels and Luxembourg ) , as it is the seat of several European institutions , such as the Council of Europe ( with its European Court of Human Rights , its European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines most commonly known in French as Pharmacopée Européenne its European Audiovisual Observatory ) , the Eurocorps , as well as the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman of the European Union . Together with Basel ( Bank for International Settlements ) , Geneva ( United Nations headquarters in Europe ) and New York City ( United Nations world headquarters ) , Strasbourg is among the few cities in the world not being a state capital and hosting international organisations of the first order . The city is the seat of many non-European international institutions such as the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine and the International Institute of Human Rights . It is the second city in France in terms of international congress and symposia , after Paris . Strasbourg 's historic city centre , the Grande Île ( Grand Island ) , was classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988 , the first time such an honour was placed on an entire city centre . Strasbourg is immersed in Franco-German culture and although violently disputed throughout history , has been a cultural bridge between France and Germany for centuries , especially through the University of Strasbourg , currently the second-largest in France , and the coexistence of Catholic and Protestant culture . It is also home to the largest Islamic place of worship in France , the Strasbourg Grand Mosque .
The Institut Catholique de Toulouse ( or ICT ) is a Catholic university in Toulouse , France . The Catholic Institute of Toulouse ( ICT ) is a private institution of higher education including the humanities and social sciences , law and theology , as well as polytechnics . Located in the historic center of Toulouse , in buildings constructed between the fourteenth and eighteenth century , the Institute is shared between the various faculties and institutes . It has three auditoriums , a library , a chapel , numerous rooms , research laboratories , an archaeological and historical museums . Located on the site of the old house where Saint Dominic lived . The school shared its name with an ancient Catholic University of Toulouse , which St Dominic helped found in 1229 with Saint Thomas Aquinas , whose tomb lies the church of the Jacobins . An 1880 law forced private schools to stop using the name University , the university has been known since as the Catholic Institute of Toulouse . The Catholic Institute of Toulouse is one of five universities founded by the bishops of France . The Catholic Institute of Toulouse is a member of the International Federation of Catholic Universities , which includes 200 Catholic universities across the world and is one of 5 French Catholic institutes , including with Angers , Lille , Lyon and Paris . On December 18 , 2008 , French government officials and the Vatican signed a decree in Paris regarding the recognition of diplomas , which entered into force on April 16 , 2009 entered into force . The university 's qualifications , certificates and diplomas have been recognized around the world .
Toulouse ( /tuːˈluːz/ , too-LOOZ ; French : [ tuluz ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Tolosa [ tuˈluzo ] ; Latin : Tolosa ) is the capital of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the region of Occitanie . The city is on the banks of the River Garonne , 150 kilometres ( 93 miles ) from the Mediterranean Sea , 230 km ( 143 mi ) from the Atlantic Ocean and 680 km ( 420 mi ) from Paris . It is the fourth-largest city in France , with 466,297 inhabitants as of January 2014 . In France , Toulouse is called the Pink City ( La Ville Rose ) . The Toulouse Metro area , with 1,312,304 inhabitants as of 2014 , is France 's fourth-largest metropolitan area , after Paris , Lyon and Marseille , and ahead of Lille and Bordeaux . Toulouse is the centre of the European aerospace industry , with the headquarters of Airbus ( formerly EADS ) , the SPOT satellite system , ATR and the Aerospace Valley . It also hosts the European headquarters of Intel and CNES 's Toulouse Space Centre ( CST ) , the largest space centre in Europe . Thales Alenia Space , ATR , SAFRAN , Liebherr-Aerospace and Airbus Defence and Space also have a significant presence in Toulouse . The University of Toulouse is one of the oldest in Europe ( founded in 1229 ) and , with more than 103,000 students , it is the fourth-largest university campus in France , after the universities of Paris , Lyon and Lille . The air route between Toulouse-Blagnac and Paris Orly is the busiest in Europe , transporting 2.4 million passengers in 2014 . According to the rankings of L'Express and Challenges , Toulouse is the most dynamic French city . The city was the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom in the 5th century and the capital of the province of Languedoc in the Late Middle Ages and early modern period ( provinces were abolished during the French Revolution ) , making it the unofficial capital of the cultural region of Occitania ( Southern France ) .