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Home > Travel France > France Destinations > Dunkerque
Dunkerque
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.
Dunkerque is a harbor city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the department of Nord, 10 kilometers from the Belgian border. Population of the city as of 1999 census was 70,850 inhabitants. Its name is derived from Dutch duin and kerke. Till the middle of the 20th century the city was situated in the Dutch language area but today the local Dutch dialect still can be found but has been largely replaced by French.
Dunkerque was first mentioned in 1067 as Dunkerk. The area was much disputed between Spain, England, the Netherlands and France. In the Eighty Years War the port was the base of the infamous Dunkerqueer Raiders until the city was conquered by Louis XIII of France in 1646. Private shipping magnates operated whole privateer fleets to intercept Dutch merchants. It became definitively French when Charles II of England sold it to France for 40,000 pounds on 17 October 1662. During the reign of Louis XIV, a large number of commerce raiders had again their base at Dunkerque. Jean Bart was the most famous, known for attacking Dutch ships. The Man in the Iron Mask was also arrested in Dunkerque.
Nord is a departement in the north of France. In population terms, it is France's largest. Departement Nord. A city known for its historic myths and traditions, scenic beauty, luxurious hotels and cottages, Dunkerque is one of the favorite holiday destinations for most of the vacation lovers.
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