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Pas-de-Calais is a département in northern France named after the strait which it borders.
History Pas-de-Calais was one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Boulonnais, Ponthieu and Artois.
Some of the costliest battles of World War I were fought here. At Vimy Ridge is Canada's most important memorial to its fallen soldiers.
The Pas-de-Calais was also the subject of Operation Fortitude during World War II, which was an Allied plan to deceive OKW that the invasion of Europe was to occur here, rather than in Normandy.
Geography Pas-de-Calais is in the current region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and is surrounded by the departments of Nord and Somme and the English Channel and the North Sea.
Its principal towns are, on the coast, Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, and in Artois, Lens, Liévin, Arras, and Saint-Omer.
The principal rivers are the following:
- Authie
- Canche
- Temoise
- Liane
- Sensée
- Scarpe
- Deule
- Lys
- Aa
Economy The economy of the department was long dependent on mining, primarily the coal mines. However, since World War II, the economy has become more diversified.
Demographics The inhabitants of the department are called Pas-de-Calaisiens.
Pas-de-Calais is one of the most heavily populated departments of France, and yet it has no large cities. Calais has only just over 100,000 inhabitants, followed closely by Boulogne-sur-Mer and St.-Omer. The remaining population is primarily concentrated along the border with the department of Nord in the mining district, where a string of small towns constitutes an urban area with a population of about 1.2 million. The center and south of the department are more rural, but still quite heavily populated, with many villages and small towns.
Although the department saw some of the heaviest fighting of World War I, its population rebounded quickly after both world wars. However, many of the mining towns have seen dramatic decreases in population, some up to half of their population.
Culture Although the Pas-de-Calais is one of the most populous departments of France, it had no university until 1992.
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