Geography of Nimes
Nîmes, France, the administrative seat of Gard Department. It is in southern France about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Marseille. Nîmes is a market center in a prosperous rural area. It manufactures shoes, hosiery, clothing, rugs, and metal goods. Its wine trade is important. An ancient Roman amphitheater here is still used. The Maison Carrée, a beautiful little Roman temple, is a museum for antiquities. The Tour Magne (Great Tower), also built by the Romans, is 95 feet (29 m) high but was originally much taller. About 14 miles (23 km) to the northwest is the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct over the Gard River.
Nîmes was originally a Gallic town. By the beginning of the Christian Era it was a Roman colony, called Nemausus. The city came under French rule in 1229. In the 16th century Nîmes became a Protestant center.
Population: 128,549.