The city is, moreover, the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese and of one of France's 30 nationwide académies (districts) of the Ministry of National Education.

Bordering communes include Maisons-Alfort, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Bonneuil-sur-Marne, Limeil-Brévannes, Valenton, Choisy-le-Roi and Alfortville.

The first documents referring to Créteil are from the Merovingian era, when it was known as Vicus Cristoilum' The name comes from the prefix crist and oilum.

In 1406, the place name "Créteil" makes its appearance after successive deformations from Cristoill (1278), Cristeuil, Cresteul then Creteuil.

The end of Louis XIV's reign was marked by a great food shortage throughout the whole of France after a terrible winter in 1709 that resulted in 69 recorded deaths in Créteil.

The bridge which spans the Marne between Créteil and Saint-Maur-des-Fossés was inaugurated on 9 April 1841, replacing an ancient ferry.

At the time Créteil was still mostly pastoral, some of which remains in the forested parkland of the riverside district on and around Ile Sainte-Catherine.

Once the groundwater was reached, forming deep ponds, the quarry was abandoned and allowed to fill with water.

The lake area is now a popular recreational site attracting fishermen, boaters, wind surfers, etc... 2 An immigrant is a person born in a foreign country not having French citizenship at birth.

Previously known as Université Paris 12 Val de Marne or Université Paris XII, the university serves more than 30,000 students and consists of seven units of formation and research (UFR), namely law, administration, literature, medicine, business & management, educational sciences and technological sciences.