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Among English speakers it is usually known as simply Frankfurt, but Germans call it by its full name so as to distinguish it from another Frankfurt in Germany, Frankfurt an der Oder. It was once called Frankfort-on-Main in English, a direct translation of Frankfurt am Main.
The three pillars of Frankfurt's economy are finance, trade fairs, and transport; it is the transport hub of Germany. Frankfurt has been Germany's financial capital for centuries. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is Germany's largest, the site of 85% of Germany's turnover in stocks, and one of the world's biggest. Frankfurt is also the home of the European Central Bank and the German Bundesbank, as well as a large number of commercial banks, notably Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank and Commerzbank . Many large trade fairs also call Frankfurt home, notably Messe Frankfurt.
During WWII, Frankfurt was heavily bombed, though the city quickly recovered.
Frankfurt is often called "Bankfurt" or "Mainhattan" (derived from the local Main River). It is one of only three European cities that have a significant number of high-rise skyscraperTaipei 101, the world's tallest skyscraper by roof height on high rise. What is the chief characteristic of the tall office building? It is lofty. It must be tall. The force and power of altitude must be in it, the glory and pride of exaltation must be ins. With 9 skyscrapers taller than 150 meters (492 feet) in 2004, Frankfurt is second behind ParisEiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital and largest city of France. The city is built on an arc of the River Seine, and is thus divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to ( La DéfenseLa Defense is a district of high-rise offices, apartment blocks and shopping complexes over part of the communes of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux (all in the Hauts-de-Seine departement , to the west of Paris. It is named for a statue, La Defense de Par and MontparnasseMontparnasse Tower, which at 209m was the tallest building in Western Europe when it was built. Montparnasse is an area of Paris, in France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centered on the intersection of the Boulevard de Montparnasse and the Bouleva: 12 skyscrapers taller than 150 meters, not counting the Eiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower French: La tour Eiffel is the most recognizable landmark in Paris and is known worldwide as a symbol of France. Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, it is a premier tourist destination, with over 5. 5 million visitors per year. The n), but ahead of LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri ( Canary WharfCanary Wharf in Tower Hamlets, London, United Kingdom, is a large business development on the Isle of Dogs centred on the old West India Docks. Rivalling London's traditional financial centre, The Square Mile, Canary Wharf contains the UK's three tallest and CityThe City of London often referred to as just the City or as the Square Mile (from its area) (but never referred to simply as London forms the historic and financial centre of Greater London. Although the City was for centuries synonymous with London, the: 8 skyscrapers taller than 150 meters). The city of Frankfurt contains the tallest skyscraper in Europe, the Commerzbank Tower. In Germany, only Frankfurt and Düsseldorf have high-rise skyscrapers.
Frankfurt is renowned for its finance industry, on a par with London and Paris, as well as for its central location in Western Europe, surrounded by the most populous areas of Europe. It has a first-class infrastructure and a major international airport: Frankfurt International Airport. It is the second or third-busiest in Europe, depending on the data used. Passenger traffic at in 2003 was 48,351,664, second in Europe behind London Heathrow Airport (63,487,136), almost in a tie with Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (48,220,436).
Frankfurt has a huge number of institutions, among them its university, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, as well as a number of museums, most of them lined up along the Main river on the Museumsufer (museum shore) and a large botanical garden, the Palmengarten. The best known museums are the Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie, called Städel, and the Naturmuseum Senckenberg. The Museum für moderne Kunst (Museum of Modern Art) and Schirn Kunsthalle (Schirn Art Galery) are also notable.