Name[edit]
Nord-Pas-de-Calais combines the names of the constituent departments of Nord (literally 'North', the
northernmost department of France) and Pas-de-Calais ('Strait of Calais', the French name of the
Strait of Dover). The regional council, however, spells the name Nord-Pas de Calais.
[3]
The northern part of the region was historically a part of the County of Flanders, with Douai as its
[4]
capital. Those who wish to evidence the historical links the region has with Belgium and the
Netherlands prefer to call this region the French Low Countries, which also means French
Netherlands in French (French: Pays-Bas français; Dutch: Franse Nederlanden or Franse Lage
Landen). Other alternative names are Région Flandre(s)-Artois, Hauts-de-France, ('Upper France')
and Picardie-du-Nord ('Northern Picardy').
History[edit]
Liane in Pas-de-Calais
Inhabited since prehistoric times, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region has always been a strategic (and
hence one of the most fought-over) region in Europe. French President Charles de Gaulle, who was
born in Lille, called the region a "fatal avenue" through which invading armies repeatedly passed.
Over the centuries, it was conquered in turn by the Celtic Belgae, the Romans, the Germanic
Franks, England, the Spanish and Austrian Netherlands, and the Dutch Republic. After the final
French annexation in the early 18th century, much of the region was again occupied by Germany
during the First and Second World Wars.
During the 4th and 5th centuries, the Roman practice of co-opting Germanic tribes to provide military
and defense services along the route from Boulogne to Cologne created a Germanic–Romance
linguistic border in the region that persisted until the 8th century. By the 9th century, most inhabitants
north of Lille spoke a dialect of Middle Dutch, while the inhabitants to the south spoke a variety of
Romance dialects. This linguistic border is still evident today in the place names of the region.
Beginning in the 9th century, the linguistic border began a steady move to north and the east. By the
end of the 13th century, the linguistic border had shifted to the river Lys in the south and
Cap-Griz-Nez in the west.
[5]
Winter at Cap Blanc Nez
During the Middle Ages, the Pas-de-Calais department comprised County of Boulogne and the
County of Artois, while the Nord department was mostly made up of the southern portions of the
County of Flanders and the County of Hainaut. Boulogne, Artois, and Flanders were fiefs of the
French crown, while Hainaut and after 1493 Flanders were within the Holy Roman Empire. Calais
was an English possession from 1347 to 1558, when it was recovered by the French throne. In the
15th century, all of the territories, except Calais, were united under the rule of the Dukes of
Burgundy, along with other territories in northern France and areas in what is now Belgium,
Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. With the death of the Burgundian duke Charles the Bold in 1477,
the Boulonnais and Artois were seized by the French crown, while Flanders and Hainaut were
inherited by Charles's daughter Marie. Shortly thereafter, in 1492, Artois was ceded back to Marie's
son Philip the Handsome, as part of an attempt to keep Philip's father, Emperor Maximilian I, neutral
in French King Charles VIII's prospective invasion of Italy.
Douai
Thus, most of the territories of what is now Nord-Pas-de-Calais were reunited to the Burgundian
inheritance, which had passed through Marie's marriage to the House of Habsburg. These territories
formed an integral part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands as they were defined during
the reign of Philip's son, Emperor Charles V, and passed to Charles's son, Philip II of Spain. During
the Italian Wars much of the conflict between France and Spain occurred in the region. When the
Netherlands revolted against Spanish rule, beginning in 1566, the territories in what is now
Nord-Pas-de-Calais were those most loyal to the throne, and proved the base from which the Duke
of Parma was able to bring the whole southern part of the Netherlands back under Spanish control.
It was also a base for Spanish support of French Catholics in the French Wars of Religion.
Bog of Vred, natural reserve
During the wars between France and Spain in the 17th century (1635 –1659, 1667–68, 1672–78,
1688–97), these territories became the principal seat of conflict between the two states and French
control over the area was gradually established. Beginning with the annexation of Artois in 1659,
most of the current Nord department territory had been acquired by the time of the Treaty of
Nijmegen in 1678. The current borders were mostly established by the time of the Treaty of Ryswick
in 1697.
The area, previously divided among the French provinces of Flanders, Artois, and Picardy, was
divided into its two present departments following the French Revolution of 1789. Under Napoleon,
the French boundary was extended to include all of Flanders and present-day Belgium until the
Congress of Vienna in 1815 restored the original French boundary.
During the 19th century, the region underwent major industrialisation and became one of the leading
industrial regions of France, second only to Alsace-Lorraine. Nord-Pas-de-Calais was barely
touched by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870; the war actually helped it to cement its leading role in
French industry due to the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. However, it suffered catastrophic
damage in the two World Wars of the 20th century.
Lens
World War I[edit]
When the First World War started, the region became a strategic target for the Allies and the Central
Powers, mostly because of the coal and mining resources. When the German troops launched their
attack from Belgium, the region was one of the first to fall under German occupation. Nevertheless,
when the Allies stopped Germany at the Battle of Marne, the front moved back to the area and
stabilized near Arras. During the next four years, the region was split in two: the German holding the
French Flanders and Cambrai area, the Allied controlling Arras and the Area of Lens. Nevertheless,
the combat did not stop, each side wanting the total control of the area.
Canadian National Vimy Memorial near Arras
The Nord pas de Calais was one of the main theaters of the conflict, with many battles occurring
between 1914 and 1918, including the Battle of Vimy Ridge assault during the Battle of Arras (1917),
the Battle of Artois, Battle of Loos and the Battle of Cambrai. By the time the region was finally
liberated by the Canadian Expeditionary Forces, the entire country was devastated and Arras had
been 90% destroyed. Currently, there are 650 military cemeteries throughout the Nord-Pas-de
Calais, mostly British and Canadian, as well as large memorials such as the Canadian National Vimy
Memorial and Notre Dame de Lorette, the world's largest French military cemetery.
[6]
World War II[edit]
During the occupation of France, it was attached to the Military Administration in Belgium and
Northern France, ruled from the Wehrmacht kommandantur in Brussels. The Nord-Pas-de-Calais
region was used for vengeance weapon installations, including extensive V-1 "ski sites" that
launched attacks on England and massive bunkers for the V-2 rocket and V-3 cannon. Operation
Crossbow counteroffensive bombing by the Allies devastated many of the region's towns. Although
most of the region was liberated in September 1944, Dunkirk was the last French town to be freed
from German occupation (on 9 May 1945).
Postwar period[edit]
Presidents of Nord-Pas-de-Calais
President
Pierre Mauroy
Party
PS
Term
1974-1981
Noël Josèphe
PS
1981-1992
Marie-Christine
Blandin
Gre
en
1992-1998
Michel Delebarre
PS
1998-2001
Daniel Percheron
PS
2001-
Since the war, the region has suffered from severe economic difficulties (see Economy below) but
has benefited from the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the growth in cross-Channel traffic in
general.
Demographics[edit]
See also: French Flemish
While the region is predominantly French-speaking, it also has two significant minority language
communities: the western Flemings, whose presence is evident in the many Dutch place names in
the area and who speak West Flemish, a dialect of Dutch (perhaps 20,000 inhabitants of
Nord-Pas-de-Calais use Flemish daily and an estimated 40,000 use it occasionally, both primarily in
[7]
and around the arrondissement of Dunkirk ); and the Picards, who speak the Picard language, or
Ch'ti (speakers, "chitimi", have been working to revive the nearly-extinct regional speech since the
1980s). Although neighbouring Belgium currently recognizes and fosters both Picard and Dutch, and
a few city-level governments within Nord-Pas-de-Calais have introduced initiatives to encourage
both languages,
[citation needed]
the national French government maintains a policy of linguistic unity
and generally ignores both languages,
[8]
as it does with other regional languages in France.
The region's ethnic diversity has been affected by repeated waves of immigrant workers from
abroad: Belgians and Welsh before 1910; Poles and Italians in the 1920s and 1930s; Eastern
[9]
European groups and Germans since 1945; and North Africans and Portuguese since 1960; and
large cities like Lille, Calais, and Boulogne-sur-Mer are home to sizable communities of British,
Dutch, Scandinavian, Greek and Balkans, Sub-Saharan African, and Latin American immigrants and
their descendants.
[citation needed]
The French state has sought to boost the region's relatively neglected culture. In 2004, it was
announced that a branch of the Louvre would be opened in the city of Lens. For decades, the
Nord-Pas-de-Calais has been viewed as a conservative region when compared culturally to the rest
[citation needed]
of France,
but recently the region has at times displayed left-wing tendencies. In the
early 2000s, the leftist Green Party won the largest number of votes to nearly carry a majority in
regional and local representation. The Greens managed to attract many conservative voters from
[citation needed]
small towns and farmers moved by the Greens' commitment to boosting agri-industry.
The region's religious profile is representative of France as a whole, with the majority being Roman
Catholic. Other Christian groups are found in the region: Protestants have a few churches. North
Africans have introduced Islam to the region, and small but growing communities of Buddhists have
been established in recent years. Prior to World War II, around 4,000 Jews lived in
Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
years.
[10]
A small Jewish community remains active as it has been for hundreds of
Economy[edit]
General data[edit]
In 2014, the Nord-Pas de Calais GDP reached €140 billion making it the 4th biggest French
economy, although this figure has to be put in the context of the large population of the region. The
region was only in 16th place out of 24 for GDP per capita in 2014 with €34,422.
The unemployment rate is higher than the national average. About 11% of the population was
unemployed in 2014, particularly people aged between 18 and 25.
The economy is essentially led by the service sector, which employs 75% of the working population,
followed by manufacturing (23%) and agriculture (2%).
Agriculture and fishing[edit]
Due to its location close to the North Sea, the Nord-Pas de Calais region has a strong fishing
industry.
The Boulogne-sur-Mer harbor is the biggest French port in terms of capacity with more than 150
boats. 45,000 tons of fish were traded there in 2012. The harbor is also a leading European seafood
[11]
processing center with 380,000 tons of shellfish, fish and seaweed traded every year.
companies are present in the port.
Some 140
The agricultural sector comprises 13,800 farm businesses using 820,000 hectares (2,000,000 acres)
of farmland. The temperate climate as well as great fertility makes the region a leading production
[12]
center.
The Nord-Pas de Calais region supplied 26.1 million tons of wheat (approximately 7% of
the national production) and a third of the French potato production.
Industry[edit]
The region's industry was originally focused on coal and textile production, and was one of the
cradles of the Industrial Revolution on the continent. After the end of the Second World War, migrant
workers from all over Europe came to the region, making up for population losses due to the war. In
the 1970s, the leading coal and textile industries began to fade away and unemployment rates
increased rapidly. The region started a process of restructuring which still continues today.
Nowadays, the manufacturing sector is led by the automobile industry.
Automobile industry[edit]
In the 1970s, the sector represented a small part of the working population. Some 40 years later, it is
the main industry in the region, employing 55,000 people. In terms of productivity, the Nord-Pas de
Calais region is ranked second nationwide and is one of the main export areas.
Three main worldwide car manufacturers operate plants in the region: Toyota produce the Yaris in
[13]
[14]
Valenciennes,
Renault build the Scénic in Douai,
and PSA Peugeot Citroën operate a plant in
Lieu-Saint-Amand where Peugeot 807, Citroën C8, Fiat Scudo, Peugeot Expert and Citroën Jumpy
[15]
are fabricated.
In addition, automotive equipment manufacturers such as Faurecia employ 6,200
workers in the region. Small-scale manufacturers have also been based in the region, such as
microcar manufacturers ERAD, Savel, and Secma.
Nord-Pas de Calais is the second main region for the automotive industry in France after Île de
France (Paris region). The sector trade fair, the Forum on European Automotive Industry in Lille
[16]
Region (FEAL),
takes place biennially to showcase the industry of the region and its importance
for France and Europe.
Food industry[edit]
The food industry in Nord-Pas de Calais draws on the agricultural sector of the region. By income,
this is the most important industry of the region due to strong exports (€3.2bn in 2006). More than
27,000 employees were employed in the sector in 2007. Many global corporations such as McCain
Foods, Roquette Freres, Bonduelle, Pasquier or Boulangeries Paul are present in the Nord-Pas de
[17]
Calais region.
Services[edit]
Mulliez Family[edit]
The services sector of the Nord-Pas de Calais region is dominated by the multi-billionaire Mulliez
family, who own the main superstore chains of the region, some of which are known worldwide:
Auchan, Decathlon or Leroy Merlin as well as the Flunch restaurant chain. The family also holds a
stake in 3 Suisses, Norauto and many other companies.
Transport Infrastructures[edit]
A map of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region from the early 1920s, showing the road and railway network of that
time.
As most of its population is urbanized, the region has a dense and complex transport system of
highways, railways, airport and seaports.
Highways[edit]
Nine highways are passing through the region; most of them are free:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
A1 between Lille and Paris
A2 towards Brussels
A16 Between Dunkirk and Paris
A21 between Bouvignies and Pecquencourt
A22 between Lille and Ghent
A23 between Lesquin and Valenciennes
A25 between Dunkirk and Lille
A26 between Calais and Troyes
A27 between Lille and Tournai
Railways[edit]
Eurotunnel[edit]
Since 1994, the Nord-Pas de Calais region is linked to the United Kingdom by the Eurotunnel. The
structure comprises three tunnels (one single-track railway tunnel each way and a service road
tunnel for maintenance and emergency use) and has the longest undersea tunnel section of the
[18]
world (38 kilometres (24 mi)).
The whole structure is 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and connects
Coquelles, France with Folkestone, UK. Between its official opening and 2012, 300 million
[19]
passengers have crossed the English Channel aboard Eurostar trains.
In addition to Eurostar
services, the tunnel is used by trains carrying road vehicles, branded as Le Shuttle, as well as freight
trains.
TER-Nord[edit]
The TER-Nord is the regional rail network operated by the SNCF. It links the major cities and
villages throughout Nord-Pas de Calais. The network is controlled by the Conseil régional.
Air transportation[edit]
The main airport of Nord-Pas de Calais is Lesquin Airport near Lille. Originally a regional hub, the
airport now has several international routes to destinations in Europe and the Maghreb.
Inland and International freight transport[edit]
Dunkirk harbour[edit]
Dunkirk Harbour is one of the biggest seaports of France. It is the third-largest port nationally in
terms of total volume but first in fruit and copper imports. A terminal able to handle LNG carriers is
[20]
built by Total.
Canal Seine-Nord[edit]
The Canal Seine-Nord is a future high-capacity canal between the Seine and Arleux in order to
connect the former to the other northern canals in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. It is due
to open in 2016. The project has attracted controversy mostly because of its huge cost (€4.6bn).
[21]
Sports and culture[edit]
Training base for the Olympics[edit]
Before London 2012, the region had been chosen by the Organising Committee as a training base
for the participating delegations. During the months ahead of the Olympics, several countries sent
their athletes to the region in order to prepare for the competitions. Among the teams training in
Nord-Pas de Calais were the UK Gymnastics team in Arques, the New Zealand Rowing team in
Gravelines and France's national basketball and handball teams.
Sports in Nord-Pas de Calais[edit]
Football is the most developed sport of the region. More than 145,000 players are members of a
football club. Four clubs have professional status and play at the highest levels: Lille OSC and RC
Lens in Ligue 1 and Valenciennes FC in Ligue 2 and USBCO in the Championnat National. Arras
Football's ladies play in Division 1.
Major communities[edit]
Lille, the largest city in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Allotments in Tourcoing (Nord), France. In the background, the church Notre-Dame de la Marlière
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Lille and surrounding area is home to over 1.5 million inhabitants.
Arras
Boulogne
Calais
Cambrai
Douai
Dunkirk
Lens
Liévin
Marcq-en-Barœul
Maubeuge
Roubaix
Saint-Omer
Tourcoing
Valenciennes
Villeneuve d'Ascq
Wattrelos
Education[edit]
The regional education system of the Académie de Lille includes one million pupils and students.
Higher education and research are supported within the Community of Universities and Institutions
(COMUE) Lille Nord de France - (University of Lille).
Name
Nord-Pas-de-Calais combines the names of the constituent departments of Nord (literally
'North', the northernmost department of France) and Pas-de-Calais ('Strait of Calais', the French
name of the Strait of Dover). The regional council, however, spells the name Nord-Pas de
Calais.[3]
The northern part of the region was historically a part of the County of Flanders, with Douai as
its capital. Those[4] who wish to evidence the historical links the region has with Belgium and
the Netherlands prefer to call this region the French Low Countries, which also means French
Netherlands in French (French: Pays-Bas français; Dutch: Franse Nederlanden or Franse Lage
Landen). Other alternative names are Région Flandre(s)-Artois, Hauts-de-France, ('Upper
France') and Picardie-du-Nord ('Northern Picardy').
History
See also: History of Nord-Pas-de-Calais [fr]
Liane in Pas-de-Calais
Inhabited since prehistoric times, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region has always been a strategic
(and hence one of the most fought-over) region in Europe. French President Charles de Gaulle,
who was born in Lille, called the region a "fatal avenue" through which invading armies
repeatedly passed. Over the centuries, it was conquered in turn by the Celtic Belgae, the
Romans, the Germanic Franks, England, the Spanish and Austrian Netherlands, and the Dutch
Republic. After the final French annexation in the early 18th century, much of the region was
again occupied by Germany during the First and Second World Wars.
During the 4th and 5th centuries, the Roman practice of co-opting Germanic tribes to provide
military and defense services along the route from Boulogne to Cologne created a
Germanic–Romance linguistic border in the region that persisted until the 8th century. By the 9th
century, most inhabitants north of Lille spoke a dialect of Middle Dutch, while the inhabitants to
the south spoke a variety of Romance dialects. This linguistic border is still evident today in the
place names of the region. Beginning in the 9th century, the linguistic border began a steady
move to north and the east. By the end of the 13th century, the linguistic border had shifted to
the river Lys in the south and Cap-Griz-Nez in the west.[5]
Winter at Cap Blanc Nez
During the Middle Ages, the Pas-de-Calais department comprised County of Boulogne and the
County of Artois, while the Nord department was mostly made up of the southern portions of the
County of Flanders and the County of Hainaut. Boulogne, Artois, and Flanders were fiefs of the
French crown, while Hainaut and after 1493 Flanders were within the Holy Roman Empire.
Calais was an English possession from 1347 to 1558, when it was recovered by the French
throne. In the 15th century, all of the territories, except Calais, were united under the rule of the
Dukes of Burgundy, along with other territories in northern France and areas in what is now
Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. With the death of the Burgundian duke Charles the
Bold in 1477, the Boulonnais and Artois were seized by the French crown, while Flanders and
Hainaut were inherited by Charles's daughter Marie. Shortly thereafter, in 1492, Artois was
ceded back to Marie's son Philip the Handsome, as part of an attempt to keep Philip's father,
Emperor Maximilian I, neutral in French King Charles VIII's prospective invasion of Italy.
Douai
Thus, most of the territories of what is now Nord-Pas-de-Calais were reunited to the Burgundian
inheritance, which had passed through Marie's marriage to the House of Habsburg. These
territories formed an integral part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands as they were
defined during the reign of Philip's son, Emperor Charles V, and passed to Charles's son, Philip
II of Spain. During the Italian Wars much of the conflict between France and Spain occurred in
the region. When the Netherlands revolted against Spanish rule, beginning in 1566, the
territories in what is now Nord-Pas-de-Calais were those most loyal to the throne, and proved
the base from which the Duke of Parma was able to bring the whole southern part of the
Netherlands back under Spanish control. It was also a base for Spanish support of French
Catholics in the French Wars of Religion.
Bog of Vred, natural reserve
During the wars between France and Spain in the 17th century (1635 –1659, 1667–68,
1672–78, 1688–97), these territories became the principal seat of conflict between the two
states and French control over the area was gradually established. Beginning with the
annexation of Artois in 1659, most of the current Nord department territory had been acquired
by the time of the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678. The current borders were mostly established by
the time of the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697.
The area, previously divided among the French provinces of Flanders, Artois, and Picardy, was
divided into its two present departments following the French Revolution of 1789. Under
Napoleon, the French boundary was extended to include all of Flanders and present-day
Belgium until the Congress of Vienna in 1815 restored the original French boundary.
During the 19th century, the region underwent major industrialisation and became one of the
leading industrial regions of France, second only to Alsace-Lorraine. Nord-Pas-de-Calais was
barely touched by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870; the war actually helped it to cement its
leading role in French industry due to the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. However, it
suffered catastrophic damage in the two World Wars of the 20th century.
Lens
World War I
When the First World War started, the region became a strategic target for the Allies and the
Central Powers, mostly because of the coal and mining resources. When the German troops
launched their attack from Belgium, the region was one of the first to fall under German
occupation. Nevertheless, when the Allies stopped Germany at the Battle of Marne, the front
moved back to the area and stabilized near Arras. During the next four years, the region was
split in two: the German holding the French Flanders and Cambrai area, the Allied controlling
Arras and the Area of Lens. Nevertheless, the combat did not stop, each side wanting the total
control of the area.
Canadian National Vimy Memorial near Arras
The Nord pas de Calais was one of the main theaters of the conflict, with many battles occurring
between 1914 and 1918, including the Battle of Vimy Ridge assault during the Battle of Arras
(1917), the Battle of Artois, Battle of Loos and the Battle of Cambrai. By the time the region was
finally liberated by the Canadian Expeditionary Forces, the entire country was devastated and
Arras had been 90% destroyed. Currently, there are 650 military cemeteries throughout the
Nord-Pas-de Calais, mostly British and Canadian, as well as large memorials such as the
Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Notre Dame de Lorette, the world's largest French
military cemetery.[6]
World War II
During the occupation of France, it was attached to the Military Administration in Belgium and
Northern France, ruled from the Wehrmacht kommandantur in Brussels. The
Nord-Pas-de-Calais region was used for vengeance weapon installations, including extensive
V-1 "ski sites" that launched attacks on England and massive bunkers for the V-2 rocket and V-3
cannon. Operation Crossbow counteroffensive bombing by the Allies devastated many of the
region's towns. Although most of the region was liberated in September 1944, Dunkirk was the
last French town to be freed from German occupation (on 9 May 1945).
Postwar period
Presidents of Nord-Pas-de-Calais
President
Party Term
Pierre Mauroy
PS
1974-1981
Noël Josèphe
PS
1981-1992
Marie-Christine Blandin
Green 1992-1998
Michel Delebarre
PS
1998-2001
Daniel Percheron
PS
2001Since the war, the region has suffered from severe economic difficulties (see Economy below)
but has benefited from the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the growth in cross-Channel
traffic in general.
Demographics
See also: French Flemish
While the region is predominantly French-speaking, it also has two significant minority language
communities: the western Flemings, whose presence is evident in the many Dutch place names
in the area and who speak West Flemish, a dialect of Dutch (perhaps 20,000 inhabitants of
Nord-Pas-de-Calais use Flemish daily and an estimated 40,000 use it occasionally, both
primarily in and around the arrondissement of Dunkirk[7]); and the Picards, who speak the
Picard language, or Ch'ti (speakers, "chitimi", have been working to revive the nearly-extinct
regional speech since the 1980s). Although neighbouring Belgium currently recognizes and
fosters both Picard and Dutch, and a few city-level governments within Nord-Pas-de-Calais
have introduced initiatives to encourage both languages,[citation needed] the national French
government maintains a policy of linguistic unity and generally ignores both languages,[8] as it
does with other regional languages in France.
The region's ethnic diversity has been affected by repeated waves of immigrant workers from
abroad: Belgians and Welsh before 1910; Poles and Italians in the 1920s and 1930s; Eastern
European groups and Germans since 1945; and North Africans and Portuguese since 1960;[9]
and large cities like Lille, Calais, and Boulogne-sur-Mer are home to sizable communities of
British, Dutch, Scandinavian, Greek and Balkans, Sub-Saharan African, and Latin American
immigrants and their descendants.[citation needed]
The French state has sought to boost the region's relatively neglected culture. In 2004, it was
announced that a branch of the Louvre would be opened in the city of Lens. For decades, the
Nord-Pas-de-Calais has been viewed as a conservative region when compared culturally to the
rest of France,[citation needed] but recently the region has at times displayed left-wing
tendencies. In the early 2000s, the leftist Green Party won the largest number of votes to nearly
carry a majority in regional and local representation. The Greens managed to attract many
conservative voters from small towns and farmers moved by the Greens' commitment to
boosting agri-industry.[citation needed]
The region's religious profile is representative of France as a whole, with the majority being
Roman Catholic. Other Christian groups are found in the region: Protestants have a few
churches. North Africans have introduced Islam to the region, and small but growing
communities of Buddhists have been established in recent years. Prior to World War II, around
4,000 Jews lived in Nord-Pas-de-Calais.[10] A small Jewish community remains active as it has
been for hundreds of years.
Economy
General data
In 2014, the Nord-Pas de Calais GDP reached €140 billion making it the 4th biggest French
economy, although this figure has to be put in the context of the large population of the region.
The region was only in 16th place out of 24 for GDP per capita in 2014 with €34,422.
The unemployment rate is higher than the national average. About 11% of the population was
unemployed in 2014, particularly people aged between 18 and 25.
The economy is essentially led by the service sector, which employs 75% of the working
population, followed by manufacturing (23%) and agriculture (2%).
Agriculture and fishing
Due to its location close to the North Sea, the Nord-Pas de Calais region has a strong fishing
industry.
The Boulogne-sur-Mer harbor is the biggest French port in terms of capacity with more than 150
boats. 45,000 tons of fish were traded there in 2012. The harbor is also a leading European
seafood processing center with 380,000 tons of shellfish, fish and seaweed traded every
year.[11] Some 140 companies are present in the port.
The agricultural sector comprises 13,800 farm businesses using 820,000 hectares (2,000,000
acres) of farmland. The temperate climate as well as great fertility makes the region a leading
production center.[12] The Nord-Pas de Calais region supplied 26.1 million tons of wheat
(approximately 7% of the national production) and a third of the French potato production.
Industry
The region's industry was originally focused on coal and textile production, and was one of the
cradles of the Industrial Revolution on the continent. After the end of the Second World War,
migrant workers from all over Europe came to the region, making up for population losses due
to the war. In the 1970s, the leading coal and textile industries began to fade away and
unemployment rates increased rapidly. The region started a process of restructuring which still
continues today. Nowadays, the manufacturing sector is led by the automobile industry.
Automobile industry
In the 1970s, the sector represented a small part of the working population. Some 40 years
later, it is the main industry in the region, employing 55,000 people. In terms of productivity, the
Nord-Pas de Calais region is ranked second nationwide and is one of the main export areas.
Three main worldwide car manufacturers operate plants in the region: Toyota produce the Yaris
in Valenciennes,[13] Renault build the Scénic in Douai,[14] and PSA Peugeot Citroën operate a
plant in Lieu-Saint-Amand where Peugeot 807, Citroën C8, Fiat Scudo, Peugeot Expert and
Citroën Jumpy are fabricated.[15] In addition, automotive equipment manufacturers such as
Faurecia employ 6,200 workers in the region. Small-scale manufacturers have also been based
in the region, such as microcar manufacturers ERAD, Savel, and Secma.
Nord-Pas de Calais is the second main region for the automotive industry in France after Île de
France (Paris region). The sector trade fair, the Forum on European Automotive Industry in Lille
Region (FEAL),[16] takes place biennially to showcase the industry of the region and its
importance for France and Europe.
Food industry
The food industry in Nord-Pas de Calais draws on the agricultural sector of the region. By
income, this is the most important industry of the region due to strong exports (€3.2bn in 2006).
More than 27,000 employees were employed in the sector in 2007. Many global corporations
such as McCain Foods, Roquette Freres, Bonduelle, Pasquier or Boulangeries Paul are present
in the Nord-Pas de Calais region.[17]
Services
Mulliez Family
The services sector of the Nord-Pas de Calais region is dominated by the multi-billionaire
Mulliez family, who own the main superstore chains of the region, some of which are known
worldwide: Auchan, Decathlon or Leroy Merlin as well as the Flunch restaurant chain. The
family also holds a stake in 3 Suisses, Norauto and many other companies.
Transport Infrastructures
A map of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region from the early 1920s, showing the road and railway
network of that time.
As most of its population is urbanized, the region has a dense and complex transport system of
highways, railways, airport and seaports.
Highways
Nine highways are passing through the region; most of them are free:
A1 between Lille and Paris
A2 towards Brussels
A16 Between Dunkirk and Paris
A21 between Bouvignies and Pecquencourt
A22 between Lille and Ghent
A23 between Lesquin and Valenciennes
A25 between Dunkirk and Lille
A26 between Calais and Troyes
A27 between Lille and Tournai
Railways
Eurotunnel
Since 1994, the Nord-Pas de Calais region is linked to the United Kingdom by the Eurotunnel.
The structure comprises three tunnels (one single-track railway tunnel each way and a service
road tunnel for maintenance and emergency use) and has the longest undersea tunnel section
of the world (38 kilometres (24 mi)).[18] The whole structure is 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and
connects Coquelles, France with Folkestone, UK. Between its official opening and 2012, 300
million passengers have crossed the English Channel aboard Eurostar trains.[19] In addition to
Eurostar services, the tunnel is used by trains carrying road vehicles, branded as Le Shuttle, as
well as freight trains.
TER-Nord
The TER-Nord is the regional rail network operated by the SNCF. It links the major cities and
villages throughout Nord-Pas de Calais. The network is controlled by the Conseil régional.
Air transportation
The main airport of Nord-Pas de Calais is Lesquin Airport near Lille. Originally a regional hub,
the airport now has several international routes to destinations in Europe and the Maghreb.
Inland and International freight transport
Dunkirk harbour
Dunkirk Harbour is one of the biggest seaports of France. It is the third-largest port nationally in
terms of total volume but first in fruit and copper imports. A terminal able to handle LNG carriers
is built by Total.[20]
Canal Seine-Nord
The Canal Seine-Nord is a future high-capacity canal between the Seine and Arleux in order to
connect the former to the other northern canals in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. It is
due to open in 2016. The project has attracted controversy mostly because of its huge cost
(€4.6bn).[21]
Sports and culture
Training base for the Olympics
Before London 2012, the region had been chosen by the Organising Committee as a training
base for the participating delegations. During the months ahead of the Olympics, several
countries sent their athletes to the region in order to prepare for the competitions. Among the
teams training in Nord-Pas de Calais were the UK Gymnastics team in Arques, the New
Zealand Rowing team in Gravelines and France's national basketball and handball teams.
Sports in Nord-Pas de Calais
Football is the most developed sport of the region. More than 145,000 players are members of a
football club. Four clubs have professional status and play at the highest levels: Lille OSC and
RC Lens in Ligue 1 and Valenciennes FC in Ligue 2 and USBCO in the Championnat National.
Arras Football's ladies play in Division 1.
Major communities
Lille, the largest city in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Allotments in Tourcoing (Nord), France. In the background, the church Notre-Dame de la
Marlière
Lille and surrounding area is home to over 1.5 million inhabitants.
Arras
Boulogne
Calais
Cambrai
Douai
Dunkirk
Lens
Liévin
Marcq-en-Barœul
Maubeuge
Roubaix
Saint-Omer
Tourcoing
Valenciennes
Villeneuve d'Ascq
Wattrelos
Education
The regional education system of the Académie de Lille includes one million pupils and
students. Higher education and research are supported within the Community of Universities
and Institutions (COMUE) Lille Nord de France - (University of Lille).