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Home > Travel France > France Destinations > Douai
Douai
France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and comprises various overseas islands and territories which are located in other regions. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. At 674,843 square kilometres, France is the world's 40th-largest country after Myanmar. France is a member of The European Union and Paris is the capital of this nation. The sole official language of France is French. Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, migrations, and invasions.
Douai is a town and commune in the north of France in the department of Nord, of which it is a sous-prefecture. Located on the river Scarpe some 40 kilometers from Lille and 25 kilometers from Arras, Douai is home to one of the region's most impressive belfries. The population of the metropolitan area, including Lens, was 552,682 in 1999.
Construction on Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry started in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80-meter high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying German forces, which intended to melt them down for the metal. They were reinstalled after repairs in 1924, but 47 of them were replaced in 1954 to obtain a better sound. The substantial Porte de Valenciennes town gate, a reminder of the town's past military importance, was built in 1453.
The main industries in the town are in the chemical and metal engineering sectors. Renault has a huge vehicle assembly plant near the town, which has produced many well known Renault vehicles, such as the R14, R11, R19, and the Megane and Scenic of today. Its site probably corresponds to that a 4th century Roman fortress known as Duacum. The town became a flourishing textile market centre during the Middle Ages under the Counts of Flanders. In 1668 it was ceded to France. Due its various places of interest is one of the most visited places. It is one of the most visited countries. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origins back to prehistoric times.
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