Boulogne-sur-Mer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is on Boulogne-sur-Mer. For other places called Boulogne, see Boulogne.

Coordinates: 50°43′35″N 1°36′53″E / 50.7263888889, 1.61472222222

Commune of Boulogne-Sur-Mer

Law Court of Boulogne-sur-Mer
Location
Boulogne-sur-Mer (France)
Boulogne-sur-Mer
Administration
Country France
Region Nord-Pas de Calais
Department Pas-de-Calais
(sous-préfecture)
Arrondissement Boulogne-sur-Mer
Canton Chief town of 3 cantons
Intercommunality Boulogne Côte d'Opale
Mayor Frédéric Cuvillier
(2001-2008)
Statistics
Land area¹ 8.42 km²
Population²
(1999)		 44,859
 - Density 5,327.7/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
Postal code 62200
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: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.
France

Boulogne-sur-Mer (Bonen in Dutch) is a city in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. It is located by the English Channel.

Population of the city (commune) at the 1999 census was 44,859 inhabitants, whereas the whole metropolitan area (aire urbaine) had 135,116 inhabitants.

Contents

[edit] Name

The name Boulogne was recorded for the first time during the Roman Empire as Bononia, a derivative of the Celtic word bona (meaning "foundation", "settlement", "citadel"). This derivation is also found in the name of the Italian city of Bologna.

[edit] History

The cathedral of Boulogne towers over the city.
The cathedral of Boulogne towers over the city.

[edit] Origin of the city

Originally named Gesoriacum and probably also to be identified with Portus Itius, by the 4th century Boulogne was known to the Romans as Bononia and served as the major port connecting the rest of the empire to Britain. The emperor Claudius used this town as his base for the Roman invasion of Britain, in AD 43, and until 296 it was the base of the Classis Britannica.

[edit] Middle ages

In the Middle Ages it was the centre of a namesake county. The area was fought over by the French and the English. In 1550, The Peace of Boulogne ended the war of England with Scotland and France. France bought back Boulogne for 400,000 crowns.

[edit] The Napoleonic period

In the 19th century the Cathedral of Notre Dame was reconstructed by the priest Benoit Haffreingue after he received a call from God to reconstruct the town's ruined basilica. During the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon amassed La Grande Armée in Boulogne to invade the United Kingdom in 1805. However, his plans were halted by other European matters and the supremacy of the Royal Navy.

[edit] The two world wars

[edit] Post war to present

[edit] Economy

Boulogne-sur-Mer is the most important fishing port in France. 7,000 inhabitants derive part or all of their livelihoods from fishing.

IFREMER (the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) and the Pasteur Institute are located in Boulogne Port.

Certain brands, including Crown and Findus, are based in Boulogne.

[edit] Media

  • Radio : Radio 6, France Bleu Nord, Virgin Radio Côte d'Opale.
  • Television : France 3 Côte d'Opale
  • Print : La Voix du Nord (édition de Boulogne sur Mer), La Semaine dans le Boulonnais, Touzazimut.

[edit] Miscellaneous

The Beffroi of Boulogne a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Beffroi of Boulogne a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Open in 1991, Nausicaä - The French National Sea Centre is a Science Centre entirely dedicated to the relationship between Mankind and the Sea. Aquaria, exhibitions on the marine fauna, and the exploitation and management of marine resources (fisheries, aquaculture, coastal planning, maritime transport, exploitation of energies and mineral, tourism...). Its goal is to incite the general public to discover and to love the Sea, while raising its awareness on the need for a good management of marine resources.

In the year 1905 the First Esperanto Universal Congress was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer. L. L. Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto, was among the attendees. In the year 2005 there was held a great anniversary meeting with more than 500 attendees.

[edit] Administration

Liste of majors
Duration Name Party Particularities
2008-2014 Frédéric Cuvillier PS Deputy
2004-2008 Frédéric Cuvillier PS Deputy
1996-2004 Guy Lengagne PS Deputy
1989-1996 Jean Muselet Conservative
1977-1989 Guy Lengagne PS Deputy, Minister
1945-1977 Henri Henneguelle PS
Past mayors are unknow.

[edit] Population

The Castle and museum of Boulogne.
The Castle and museum of Boulogne.
Demographic evolution of Boulogne-sur-Mer between 1936 and 2006
1936 1954 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006

52 371

 34 885 49 283 49 288 48 440 47 653 43 678 44 859 43 700

[edit] Transport

[edit] Road

  • Metropolitan bus lines are operated by TCRB
  • Coach lines to Calais and Dunkerque
  • By A16 Motorway

[edit] Rail

  • The main railway station is Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city.
  • Boulogne-Tintelleries is used for regional transit, located near from university and center town

[edit] Water

[edit] Air

  • The nearest airport is Le Touquet International (30km)
TCRB buses network.
TCRB buses network.

[edit] Education

The Saint-Louis site of University of the opal coast.
The Saint-Louis site of University of the opal coast.

Boulogne sur Mer is famous for having one of the oldest summer universities for people who would like to learn French.

The University of the Opal Coast opened on Boulogne site in 1991 the main building is Saint-Louis. 6 major subjects can be studied : Languages, French Literature, Sport, Law, History and Economy. The ULCO is situated in the town centre, at about 5 minutes from the Boulogne Tintelleries train station. Before it became the college, the site was the former St. Louis Hospital. The front entrance of the old hospital still remains as an architectural feature.

[edit] University

[edit] Public primary and secondary

  • High Schools : Lycée Edouard Branly, Auguste Marriette, Giraux Sannier, Cazin (proffesional).
  • College : College Langevin, Angelier, Daunou.

[edit] Private primary and secondary

  • High Schools : Lycée Nazareth, Haffreingue, Saint-Joseph (proffesional).
  • College : College Godefroy de Bouillon, Haffreingue, Nazareth, Saint-Joseph.xc

[edit] Entertainment

There is one theatre, the Théatre Monsigny and two cinemas.

[edit] Health

Two Health centers are located in Boulogne. The public Hospital Duchenne and the private Clinique de la côte d'opale

[edit] Sports

[edit] Football

[edit] Basketball

  • Stade Olympique Maritime Boulonnais (Nationale 1)
  • ESSM (Pro B) located in Le-Portel.

[edit] Others Sports

  • Aviron Boulonnais, produce many olympic medals for france

[edit] Culture

  • The museum of Boulogne has got the second largest egyptian collection after the Louvre in France.
  • La Casa San Martin is currently a museum where José de San Martin the leader of independance struggle in Argentina died in 1850, from 1930 to 1967 this house was the consulate of Argentina in France.
  • Nausicaä, the French national sealife center.

[edit] Food

  • Welsh Rarebit
  • Sandwich américain
  • Kipper

[edit] Language

Many people in Boulogne speak French with an accent influenced by the Picard language.

[edit] Born in Boulogne-sur-Mer

[edit] Other famous people associated with Boulogne

The Colonne de la Grande Armée marks the event that Napoleon gather 200,000 soldiers near Boulogne for a proposed invasion of England
The Colonne de la Grande Armée marks the event that Napoleon gather 200,000 soldiers near Boulogne for a proposed invasion of England

[edit] Twin towns

Boulogne-sur-Mer is twinned with:

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: