La Défense is a major business district located in the Greater Paris metropolitan area within the Île-de-France region. It is situated at the western end of the historic axis of the French capital.
The district serves as a primary hub for corporate activity, housing 3,500,000 square metres (38,000,000 sq ft) of office space. It contains the headquarters of numerous major French and foreign multinationals, along with the Paris Bourse (Euronext) and the European Banking Authority.