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Marseille, (English alt. Marseilles — French: pronounced or locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha in classical norm or Marsiho in Mistralian norm — Latin: Massilia) is the second-largest city of France and forms the third-largest metropolitan area, with 1,516,340 inhabitants at the 1999 census (Paris and Lyon are larger). Located in the former province of Provence and on the Mediterranean Sea, it is France's largest commercial port. It is considered the Provençal capital, one of the Occitan capitals of Occitania. Marseille is also the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région, as well as the préfecture (capital) of the Bouches-du-Rhône département.