Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Nord-Pas-de-Calais was an administrative region of northern France, bordering Belgium and the English Channel. It merged with Picardy to form Hauts-de-France in 2016.

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Hauts-de-France: A region in northern France formed in 2016 by merging Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. This successor region absorbed Nord-Pas-de-Calais when the administrative map changed.
Lille: A city in northern France near the Belgian border and the capital of the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. Lille served as the region’s administrative center and largest city.
Regional council of Nord-Pas-de-Calais: The elected assembly that governed the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region until its merger in 2016. It exercised regional powers before its responsibilities passed to the new region.
Coal mining in Nord-Pas-de-Calais: A major coal industry that shaped northern France from the eighteenth century until the last mine closed in 1990. Mining built the region’s industrial economy and settlement patterns before its decline.
Picardy (historical region): A historic region of northern France, distinct from the former administrative region of Picardy. Its historic identity differs from the administrative partner in the 2016 merger.
Picardy: A historic region of northern France and a former administrative region merged with Nord-Pas-de-Calais in 2016. Its administrative merger with Nord-Pas-de-Calais created Hauts-de-France.
Calais: A port city in northern France on the Strait of Dover, facing the English coast. Calais anchored the region’s Channel-facing coast and cross-border connections.
Eurostar: An international high-speed rail service linking London with destinations in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The Channel Tunnel connected the region’s rail network directly to Britain through Calais.
Industrial Revolution: A period of major technological and economic change beginning in Britain in the eighteenth century and spreading worldwide. Coal and textile industries brought the region into this wider transformation.
Wallonia: The predominantly French-speaking region of southern Belgium, bordering northern France. It shares a borderland setting but belongs to Belgium’s federal system.