Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (; , ; ), or simply Aix (; medieval Occitan "Aics"), is a city-commune in the south of France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix numbers approximately 143,000. Its inhabitants are called "Aixois" or, less commonly, "Aquisextains". Aix ("Aquae Sextiae") was founded in 123 BC by the Roman consul Sextius Calvinus, who gave his name to its springs, following the destruction of the nearby Gallic oppidum at Entremont. In 102 BC its
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur an urban population of 1,005,230, making it the fifth-most populous city in France. The absolute majority of the population speaks French and there are many minority languages. According to the 1999 Census, 4.39 % (or 197.820 people) spoke English and 2.63% (or 118.512 people) spoke Italian with their relatives, friends or peers. Other minority languages were Spanish (2.38%, 107.247 people), Arabic (2.22%, 100.037 people), Provençal (2.20% or 99.136 people) and Corsican (0.58% or 26.135 people). According to a 2009 study, nearly 40% of all newborns in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in 2007 had at least one parent of an immigrant background, mostly