Le Blanc-Mesnil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Commune of Le Blanc-Mesnil | |
| Location | |
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| Paris and inner ring départements | |
| Coordinates | |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Région | Île-de-France |
| Département | Seine-Saint-Denis |
| Arrondissement | Le Raincy |
| Intercommunality | none as of 2005 |
| Statistics | |
| Land area¹ | 8.05 km² |
| Population² (July 1, 2004 estimate) (March 8, 1999 census) |
51,200 46,936 |
| - Density (2004) | 6,360/km² |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 93007/ 93150 |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| ² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel). | |
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Le Blanc-Mesnil is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 12.6 km. (7.8 miles) from the center of Paris.
Le Blanc-Mesnil is twinned with Sandwell in the English West Midlands
[edit] Name
The name Le Blanc-Mesnil was recorded for the first time in the 11th century as Mansionile Blaun. This name is a compound of Medieval Latin Mansionile, meaning "little houses", from Latin mansio (accusative mansionem), and of Germanic (Old Frankish) blanch, blaun, meaning "glossy, shining, white", which gave French blanc ("white") and English blank.
The name is interpreted by some as a reference to the houses of Le Blanc-Mesnil which were whitened due to the flour dust coming from the windmills located there in ancient times. One researcher, however, thinks that blanc had also the meaning of "free" in Old French, and so the name would mean "free mesnil, free village", perhaps because the villagers had been freed from serfdom. None of these interpretations is certain.
[edit] Transport
Le Blanc-Mesnil is served by Le Blanc-Mesnil station on Paris RER line B.
[edit] External links
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