Lens, Pas-de-Calais

Lens (French pronunciation: [lɑ̃s] ( listen)) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais depairtment in northren Fraunce. It is ane o Fraunce's muckle Picarde ceeties alang wi Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, an Douai.

Metropolitan aurie

Lens belangs tae the intercommunality o Lens-Liévin, which consists o 36 communes, wi a total population o 250,000. Lens, alang wi Douai, forms the metropolitan aurie o Douai-Lens, whose population at the 1999 census wis 552,682.

Economy

Lens is an industrial ceety an haes a lang history o coal minin. Surroondin the toun are mony muckle slag heaps, evidence o ower a hunder years o minin, which came tae an end in the 1960s.

The ceety supports a top-level fitbaa team, Racing Club de Lens.

History

In the 1520s, Lens wis pairt o the Spainyie Netherlands, an anerlie passed back tae Fraunce in 1659.

In 1849, coal wis discovered in Lens, leadin tae the expansion o the ceety, becomin an important industrial center.

At Vimy, a sma toun vera close tae Lens, are the Vimy Memorial an Vimy Ridge.

Frae 2012, Lens will an aa be the location o the Louvre-Lens.

Notable fowk

• Émile Basly, trade unionist then mayor o the city, dee'd there in 1928
• Maurice Garin, first winner o Tour de France, dee'd there in 1957
• Jamila M'Barek, Coontess o Shaftesbury, born there in c. 1961

Gallery

• 
  East o Pas-de-Calais (Béthune, Lens, Hénin-Beaumont)
• 
  Lens kirk
• 
  Main shoppin destrict

See an aa

• Stade Félix Bollaert
• Communes o the Pas-de-Calais depairtment

References

• INSEE commune file

Freemit airtins

• Offeecial wabsteid (in French)
• Communauté d'Agglomeration o Lens-Liévin (in French)