Calais tourist information
Calais is a city in northern France The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in North America, the Caribbean, South America, the western and southern Indian Ocean, the northern and southern Pacific Ocean, and Antarctica ..... Click the link for more information. , located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. They are subdivided into 342 arrondissements. Départements are also found in Côte d'Ivoire. Administrative role Each département is administered by a Conseil Général elected for six years, and its executive is, since 1982 headed by the president of that council (formerly it was headed by the préfet'). ..... Click the link for more information. of Pas-de-Calais Pas-de-Calais alais|Details]] Information Number 62 Region Nord-Pas-de-Calais Prefecture Arras Subprefectures Béthune Boulogne-sur-Mer Calais Lens Montreuil-sur-Mer Saint-Omer Population - Total (1999) - Density Ranked 5th 1,441,568 216 /km² Area 6,671 km²; Arrondissements 7 Cantons 77 Communes 894 President of the general council Roland Huguet Location ..... Click the link for more information. , of which it is a sous-préfecture Subprefecture is an administrative level that is below prefecture or province. AlbaniaThere are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is subdivided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. Examples: District of Korçë, District of Sarandë Burkina FasoExamples: Djibasso Subprefecture ChadExamples: N'Gouri Subprefecture, Chari-Baguirmi Prefecture, and Massakory Subprefecture. ..... Click the link for more information. . It has a population of about 80,000 people. It overlooks the Strait of Dover The Strait of Dover (Fr. pas de Calais) is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel, just 33 kilometers wide between Dover and Calais, and is considered by some to be the busiest shipping lane in the world. The Channel Tunnel passes under it. It is at the end of the English Channel where it reaches the North Sea. It separates northern France from southeast England; the closest cities on both sides are Calais and Dover respectively. ..... Click the link for more information. , the narrowest point in the English Channel The English Channel is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. In French it is called La Manche ("the sleeve"). It is about 350 miles long and at its widest is 240 km (150 miles). The Strait of Dover is the narrowest point, only 34 km (21 miles), from Dover to Cape Gris-Nez. The Channel Islands lie in the Channel, close to the French side. The Ile d'Ouessant marks the western end of the Channel. ..... Click the link for more information. , which is only 21 miles (34 km) wide here, and is the closest French town to England England (In detail) ( In detail ) Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capital's coordinates 51° 30' N, 0° 10' W Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK ..... Click the link for more information. . The white cliffs of Dover The white cliffs of Dover, immortalized in popular song and verse (by Blur and others), are cliffs facing the Strait of Dover near the major port town of Dover, England, in the county of Kent. The cliff face, which reaches up to 350 feet high, owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk (pure white lime) accentuated by streaks of black flint. The cliffs trace their origins to the ..... Click the link for more information. can easily be seen on a clear day. The old part of the town, Calais proper (or Calais-Nord), is situated on an artificial island surrounded by canals and harbours. The modern part of the town, St-Pierre, lies to the south and southeast.
Calais was beseigned and captured by King Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312–21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English Kings of mediæval times. His reign began when his father was deposed on 25 January 1327, and lasted until his death. It was marked by an expansion of English territory. Edward, the son of Edward II and Isabella, was born in Windsor Castle. In 1320, he was created Earl of Chester. In 1325, his father ceded the Duchy of Aquitaine to him, and he was sent to France along with his mother to meet the French King Charles IV. ..... Click the link for more information. in 1347 Years: 1344 1345 1346 - 1347 - 1348 1349 1350 Decades: 1310s 1320s 1330s - 1340s - 1350s 1360s 1370s Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Events The Black Death ravages Europe (1347-1351) Births Deaths ..... Click the link for more information. , after a siege of eleven months. The angry king demanded reprisals against the town's citizens for holding out for so long and ordered that the town's population be killed en masse. He agreed to spare them on the condition that six of the principal citizens would come to him, bareheaded and barefooted and with ropes around their necks, and give themselves up to die. When they came, he ordered that they should be executed, but he pardoned A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. It is granted by a sovereign power, such as a monarch. Clemency is an associated term which is the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime itself. The act of clemency is a reprieve. Today, pardons and reprieves are granted in many countries when individuals may have been wrongly convicted of a crime or have demonstrated that they have fulfilled their debt to society. ..... Click the link for more information. them when his queen, Philippa of Hainault Philippa of Hainault (24 June 1311 - August 14, 1369) was the Queen consort of Edward III of England. Philippa was born in Flanders, the daughter of William III, Count of Hainaut and second cousin of Edward III. She married Edward on January 24, 1328, at York Minster. They had thirteen children, including five sons who lived into adulthood and whose rivalry would eventually bring about the long-running civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. ..... Click the link for more information. , begged him to spare their lives. He drove out most of the French, however, and settled the town with people from England, so that it might serve as a gateway to France. In 1360 Years: 1357 1358 1359 - 1360 - 1361 1362 1363 Decades: 1330s 1340s 1350s - 1360s - 1370s 1380s 1390s Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Events Treaty of Brétigny King Valdemar Atterdag of Denmark seizes Scania (from 1658 a Swedish province). Births Nuno Alvares Pereira, Portuguese general ..... Click the link for more information. the Treaty of Brétigny The Treaty of Brétigny, concluded on May 8 1360, between Edward III of England and John II of France, marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War (1337 - 1453). The Treaty of Brétigny (a village near Chartres) marked the high water of English hegemony in France, in the wake of the battle of Poitiers (September 19. 1356), in which John was taken prisoner. The ensuing conflicts in Paris between Stephen Marcel and the Dauphin (later Charles V of France, and the outbreak of the peasant revolt called the Jacquerie, weakened French bargaining power. ..... Click the link for more information. assigned Guines Guînes is a chief town of canton of northern France, in the département of Pas-de-Calais, arrondissement of Calais. Population (1999): 5,289 inhabitants for the commune and 14,577 inhabitants for the canton. History Guînes was the capital of the county. The town of Guînes, formerly capital of a county which was not without reputation in the history, is located on the declivity of the plate which separates it Boulonnais du Calaisis, at the edge of the marshy plain, perfectly cleansed today, which extends to the shore from the sea. ..... Click the link for more information. , Marck and Calais - collectively the "Pale of Calais" - to English rule in perpetuity, but this was only informally and partially implemented.
The town came to be called the "brightest jewel in the English crown" due to its great importance as the gateway for the tin, lead, cloth and wool trades (or "staples"). Its customs revenues amounted at times to a third of the English government's revenue, with wool being the most important element by far. Out of its population of about 12,000 people, as many as 5,400 were recorded as having been connected with the wool trade. The governorship or Captaincy of Calais was a lucrative and highly prized public office; the famous Dick Whittington Dick Whittington is a character in British pantomime, very loosely based on the real-life Richard Whittington. There are several versions of the traditional story, which tells how Dick, a boy from a poor family, sets out for London to make his fortune, accompanied by his cat. At first he meets with little success, and is tempted to return home. However, on his way out of the city, he hears the Bow Bells of London ringing, and believes they are sending him a message. A traditional rhyme is associated with this episode, as follows: ..... Click the link for more information. was simultaneously Lord Mayor of London The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayor of the City of London and head of the Corporation of London. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London governs a much larger area known as Greater London. Within the City of London, the Lord Mayor has precedence over all other individuals except the Sovereign him or herself. ..... Click the link for more information. and Mayor of the Staple in 1407 Years: 1404 1405 1406 - 1407 - 1408 1409 1410 Decades: 1370s 1380s 1390s - 1400s - 1410s 1420s 1430s Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century Events November 20 - A solemn truce between John, Duke of Burgundy and Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans is agreed under the auspicies of John, Duke of Berry. November 24 - Duke of Orleans assassinated - war breaks out again between Burgundians and followers of Orleans First banks in Italy
The city's proximity to England has made it a major port for centuries. It is the principal ferry crossing point between England and France, with the vast majority of cross-Channel being made between Dover and Calais. The French end of the Channel Tunnel is also situated in the vicinity of Calais, in Sangatte some 4 miles (6 km) to the west of the town.
Calais aerial map
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