Lens, Pas-de-Calais
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Lens is commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. Population 36,800.
It belongs to the communauté d'agglomération of Lens-Liévin (Communaupole) which gathers 36 communes, that is to say 250,000 inhabitants.
Lens, along with Douai, forms the metropolitan area (in French: aire urbaine) of Douai-Lens, whose population at the 1999 census was 552,682.
The city is an industrial and mining centre and has a long history of coal mining. Surrounding the town are many large slag heaps. The city also supports a top-level football team, Racing Club de Lens.
Very close from there, the Vimy Memorial, is at Vimy Ridge.
History
Famous Lensois
- Émile Basly, trade unionist then mayor of the city, died there in 1928
- Maurice Garin, first winner of Tour de France, died there in 1957
External link
- Agglomeration of Lens-Liévin: http://www.agglo-lenslievin.frbg:Ланс