is a ''
Département '' in northern
France named after
The Strait Which It Borders .
Pas-de-Calais was one of the original 83 ''départements'' created during the
French Revolution on
March 4 ,
1790 . It was created from parts of the
Former Provinces of
Boulonnais ,
Ponthieu and
Artois .
Some of the costliest battles of
World War I were fought here. The
Vimy Memorial commemorates the
Battle Of Vimy Ridge and is
Canada 's most important memorial to its fallen soldiers.
The Pas-de-Calais was also the target of
Operation Fortitude during
World War II , which was an
Allied plan to deceive
The Germans that the
Invasion Of Europe was to occur here, rather than in
Normandy .
Pas-de-Calais is in the current ''région'' of
Nord-Pas-de-Calais and is surrounded by the ''départments'' of
Nord and
Somme and the
English Channel and the
North Sea .
Its principal towns are, on the coast, Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, and in Artois,
Lens ,
Liévin ,
Arras , and
Saint-Omer .
The principal rivers are the following:
The economy of the ''département'' was long dependent on
Mining , primarily the
Coal Mine s. However, since
World War II , the economy has become more diversified.
The inhabitants of the ''département'' are called ''Pas-de-Calaisiens''.
Pas-de-Calais is one of the most heavily populated ''départements'' of France, and yet it has no large cities.
Calais has only just over 100,000 inhabitants, followed closely by Boulogne-sur-Mer and St.-Omer. The remaining population is primarily concentrated along the border with the ''département'' of Nord in the mining district, where a string of small towns constitutes an urban area with a population of about 1.2 million. The center and south of the ''département'' are more rural, but still quite heavily populated, with many villages and small towns.
Although the department saw some of the heaviest fighting of World War I, its population rebounded quickly after both world wars. However, many of the mining towns have seen dramatic decreases in population, some up to half of their population.
Although the Pas-de-Calais is one of the most populous ''département'' of France, it had no university until 1992.
