Somain, Nord

Somain

Coat of arms
Somain

Coordinates: 50°21′30″N 3°16′52″E / 50.3583°N 3.2811°E / 50.3583; 3.2811Coordinates: 50°21′30″N 3°16′52″E / 50.3583°N 3.2811°E / 50.3583; 3.2811
Country France
Region Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie
Department Nord
Arrondissement Douai
Canton Marchiennes
Intercommunality Cœur d'Ostrevent
Government
 • Mayor (1977–2014) Jean-Claude Quennesson
Area1 12.32 km2 (4.76 sq mi)
Population (1999)2 12,013
 • Density 980/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 59574 / 59490
Elevation 16–48 m (52–157 ft)
(avg. 32 m or 105 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Somain is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The former commune of Villers-Campeau was absorbed by Somain in 1947. The town was known for its extensive mining industry.

Mining

Most nearby mines were operated by either the Aniche Mining Company or the Anzin Mining Company.

The Renaissance mine was the first mine. It was opened in the south of the town in 1839. It was soon followed by the St Louis mine, which opened in 1843, and was located a few hundred yards south of the Renaissance mine. The Renaissance mine closed in 1890, and the St Louis mine in 1925.

In 1856, the Anzin Mining Company opened the Casimir Périer mine in the South East of the town, near Fenain and Abscon. Coal extraction ceased at the Casimir Périer mine in 1935, but the mine remained open to allow access to another local pit, the Saint Mark mine.

The Aniche mining company opened the De Sessavalle mine in 1902. The mine closed in 1970.

Saint Louis Mine around 1910.
Fénelon mine around 1900.
Brickyard owned by the Aniche Mining Company around 1930.

Transport

Somain was previously served by the following rail lines: Somain - Péruwelz, Aubigny-au-Bac - Somain, Somain - Halluin via Orchies, Somain - Douai (Nord), and Somain - Douai (Sud).

Politics

Since 1912, the town has had the following mayors:

Education

Primary Schools

There are various primary schools in Somain:

Colleges

Somain has three colleges:

There are plans to renovate Collège Victor-Hugo to meet HQE standards.

Lycées

There are two lycées in Somain:

See also

Twin towns

Famous people from Somain

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Somain.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, December 13, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.