Commune of Dunkirk
Dunkerque
Location
Coordinates	51°02′18″N, 02°22′39″E
Administration
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas de Calais
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Dunkirk
Canton	Chief town of 2 cantons
Intercommunality	Dunkerque grand littoral
Mayor	Michel Delebarre (2001–2008)
Statistics
Elevation	0 m–17 m (avg. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, Nord-Pas de Calais (French Nord-Pas de Calais; Dutch Noord-Nauw van Kales) is one of the 26 regions of France. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Nord (North is a department in the far north of France. It is the country's most populated department The 100 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The arrondissement of Dunkirk is an arrondissement of France located in the Nord department, in the Nord-Pas de Calais region The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. 4 m)
Land area¹	37. 34 km²
Population² (1999)	70,850
- Density	1,897/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	59183/ 59140 - 59240 - 59640
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0. As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume The INSEE code is a numerical indexing code used by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE to identify various entities including communes Postal codes were introduced in France in 1972, when La Poste introduced automated sorting. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. C D E

Dunkirk (French: Dunkerque, pronounced [dœ̃kɛʀk] or [dɛ̃kɛʀk]; Dutch: Duinkerke (help·info);) is a harbour city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the department of Nord, 10 kilometres (6 mi) from the Belgian border. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Nord (North is a department in the far north of France. It is the country's most populated department A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Population of the city (commune) at the 1999 census was 70,850 inhabitants (71,300 inhabitants as of February 2004 estimates). Population of the whole metropolitan area (aire urbaine) was 265,974 inhabitants at the 1999 census. The aire urbaine is an INSEE (the national statistics office of France statistical region comprising a Couronne périurbaine commuter belt around a contiguous

Its name is derived from West Flemish "dun(e)" (dune) and "kerke" (church). West Flemish (West Flemish Vlaemsch/Vlaams, Dutch: West-Vlaams, French: Flamand occidental) is a group of Dutch dialects spoken in In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes. Until the middle of the 20th century the city was situated in the Dutch language area; today the local Dutch dialect (West Flemish) still can be found but has been largely replaced by French. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname West Flemish (West Flemish Vlaemsch/Vlaams, Dutch: West-Vlaams, French: Flamand occidental) is a group of Dutch dialects spoken in French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people

Administration

Location of Dunkirk in the arrondissement of Dunkirk.

The commune has grown substantially by absorbing several neighbouring communes:

• 1970: Merger with Malo-les-Bains (which had been created by being detached from Dunkirk in 1881)
• 1972: Fusion with Petite-Synthe and Rosendaël (the latter had been created by being detached from Téteghem in 1856)
• 1980: Fusion-association with Mardyck (which became an associated commune, with a population of 372 in 1999)
• 1980: A large part of Petite-Synthe is detached from Dunkirk and included into Grande-Synthe
• 2003: Project of fusion with Saint-Pol-sur-Mer (commune created by its territory being detached from Petite-Synthe in 1877). Petite-Synthe is a former commune of the Nord département in northern France. Téteghem is a Town and commune in the Nord département of northern France. In France associated communes (communes associées were created by the Commune Merger Act of July 16 1971 (also called the Marcellin Act) Grande-Synthe is a commune of the Nord département and Nord-Pas de Calais region in northern France. Saint-Pol-sur-Mer is a commune in the département of Nord and the Nord-Pas de Calais region of France On December 19, 2003, the municipal councils of Dunkirk and Saint-Pol-sur-Mer decided in favour of a fusion-association, which would create a new entity with a population of 94,187. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The prefect requested a referendum, although this procedure was not mandatory (it became mandatory on January 1, 2005). A prefect (préfet in France is the State's representative in a department or region. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The referendum took place on December 5, 2004, actually covering 3 communes: Dunkerque, Saint-Pol-sur-Mer and Fort-Mardyck. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Fort-Mardyck (Fort-Mardijk is a French village and commune of the Nord department within the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region Although the yes won with 54 % of the votes, it did not gather 25% of the potential electorate, as required by the law. The prefect rejected the fusion proposal as a consequence.

Dunkirk's seafront

History

Dunkirk was first mentioned in 1067 as Dunkerk (Dutch: “Church of the Dune” or Dune Church). Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The area was much disputed between Spain, England, the Netherlands and France. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In the Eighty Years' War the port was the base of the infamous Dunkirkers: private shipowners (reders in Dutch) operated whole privateer fleets to intercept merchants from countries hostile to the Spanish Habsburgs. The Dutch Revolt, Eighty Years' War or the Revolt of the Netherlands (1568—1648 was the revolt of the Seventeen Provinces in the Low Countries During the Dutch Revolt ( 1568 - 1648) the Dunkirkers or Dunkirk Privateers, were warships in the service of the Spanish Empire operating A privateer was a private Warship authorized by a country's Government by Letters of marque to attack foreign shipping The Dunkirkers briefly lost their home port, as the city was conquered by the French in 1646 but recaptured by the Habsburgs in 1652. In 1657, as a result of war between Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth and the Kingdom of Spain, it was captured by English forces, and was awarded to England in the peace the following year. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known The Commonwealth of England was the Republican government which ruled first England (including Wales) and then Ireland and Scotland It became definitively French when Charles II of England sold it to France for £320,000^[1] on 17 October 1662. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost During the reign of Louis XIV, a large number of commerce raiders had again their base at Dunkirk; Jean Bart was the most famous, known for attacking Dutch ships. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Commerce raiding is to destroy the logistics (supplies of an enemy on the open sea rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a Blockade against them This is about the historical sailor For others see Jean Bart (disambiguation. The Man in the Iron Mask was also arrested in Dunkirk. The Man in the Iron Mask (French L'Homme au Masque de Fer (died November 1703 was a prisoner who was held in a number of jails including the Bastille

Dunkirk in World War II

Main articles: Battle of Dunkirk and Dunkirk evacuation

Map of Dunkirk surroundings, during Allied re-taking of the zone in 1944

In May 1940 during the battle of France, the British Expeditionary Force in France aiding the French, were cut off from the rest of the French Army by the German advance. The Battle of Dunkirk was the defense and evacuation of the British and Allied forces that had been separated from the main body of the French defenses by the German advance The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo by the British was the Evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries The British Expeditionary Force ( BEF) was the British army sent to the Western Front in France and Belgium on the outbreak of Encircled by the Germans they retreated to the area around the port of Dunkirk. The German land forces could have easily destroyed the British expeditionary force, especially when many of the British troops, in their haste to withdraw, had left behind their heavy equipment. For some unexplained and still unknown reason, Adolf Hitler ordered the German army to stop the attack, favouring bombardment by the Luftwaffe. Some say it was because Hitler was still hopeful of establishing diplomatic peace with Britain and was still trying to avoid a full-fledged war, while others contest that the unfavourable terrain (which was not suited to armoured vehicles) and a strategic German desire to retain strength for future operations was the real explanation. This lull in the action gave the British a few days to evacuate by sea. Winston Churchill ordered any ship or boat available, large or small, to pick up the stranded soldiers, and 338,226 men (including 120,000 French soldiers) were evacuated - the miracle of Dunkirk, as Churchill called it. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 It took over 900 vessels to evacuate the Allied forces. More than 40,000 vehicles as well as massive amounts of other military equipment and supplies were left behind; their value being less than that of trained fighting men. The British evacuation of Dunkirk through the English Channel was codenamed Operation Dynamo. The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo by the British was the Evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk

The city was again contested in 1944, and the Second Canadian Division attempted to liberate the city in September, as Allied forces surged northeast after their victory in the Battle of Normandy. The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was an Infantry Division of the First Canadian Army, mobilized on 1 September 1939 during the Second World German forces refused to relinquish their control of the city, which had been converted into a fortress, and the garrison there was "masked" by Allied troops, notably 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade. The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade Group (Československá samostatná obrněná brigáda was an armored unit of expatriate Czechs organized and equipped by The fortress under command of German Admiral Friedrich Frisius eventually unconditionally surrendered to the commander of the Czechoslovak forces, Brigade General Alois Liška, on May 9, 1945. Brigade General is a rank used in many armies to denote the lowest rank of general corresponding to command of a brigade Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar ^[2]

During the German occupation, Dunkirk was largely destroyed by allied bombings.

Postwar Dunkirk

Carnival in Dunkirk

On 14 December 2002, the Norwegian auto carrier Tricolor collided with the Bahamian-registered Kariba and sank off Dunkirk harbour, causing a hazard to navigation in the English Channel. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size MV Tricolor was a 50000 tonne Norwegian -flagged vehicle carrier built in 1987, notable for having been involved in three English Channel The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and

Economy

Dunkirk has the third largest harbour in France, after those of Le Havre and Marseille. Le Havre is a city in the northwest region of France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it outlets into the Bay of the Seine Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ It is also an industrial city, heavily dependent on the steel, food processing, oil refining, ship building and chemical industries. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw Ingredients into Food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by An oil refinery is an industrial Process plant where Crude oil is processed and refined into more useful Petroleum products, such as Gasoline See also Shipbuilding (song. Shipbuilding is the construction of Ships It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious"

Tourist attractions

• The Musée Portuaire hosts exhibits images about the history and presence of the port.
• The Musée des Beaux-Arts has a large collection of Flemish, Italian and French paintings and sculptures.
• The Carnival of Dunkirk

Miscellaneous

Transport

Dunkirk has a ferry connection with Dover in England. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

Sport

• USL Dunkerque, French football club, currently playing in the CFA. USL Dunkerque (Union Sportive du Littoral de Dunkerque is a French football club based in the commune of Dunkirk. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The Championnat de France Amateurs is a French football competition the equivalent of the fourth division below the Championnat National.
• The Quatre Jours de Dunkerque (or Four Days of Dunkirk) is an important elite professional road bicycle racing event. The Four Days of Dunkirk (Quatre Jours de Dunkerque is Road bicycle race around the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France. Road bicycle racing is a popular Bicycle racing Sport held on roads (following the Geography of the area using Racing bicycles The
• Stage 2 of the 2007 Tour de France departed from Dunkirk. The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from July 7 to July 29 2007

Twin towns

Dunkirk is twinned with:

• Krefeld, Germany since 15 June 1974
• Redcar, United Kingdom since April 12, 1976
• Gaza, Palestine
• Riga, Latvia since 1960
• Rostock, Germany since 1960
• Vitória, Brazil since unknown date
• Corumbá, Brazil since unknown date

Dunkirk has cooperation agreements with:

• Dartford district, United Kingdom since March 1988
• Thanet district, United Kingdom since June 18, 1993

External links

• City council website (French)
• Tourist office website
• Dunkerque in Old Postcards
• Visit Dunkirk and French Flanders

References