Hauts-de-France

Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie
Region of France
Country  France
Prefecture Lille
Departments
5
Government
 • President Xavier Bertrand (The Republicans)
Area
 • Total 31,813 km2 (12,283 sq mi)
Population (2012)
 • Total 5,973,098
 • Density 190/km2 (490/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Website www.nordpasdecalaispicardie.fr

Hauts-de-France[1] (French pronunciation: ​[o d(ə) fʁɑ̃s], translates to "Upper France" or "the heights of France" in English), officially still Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, is a new Region of France created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2014 by the merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and Picardy. The new region came into existence on 1 January 2016, after the regional elections in December 2015.[2]

The region covers an area of more than 31,813 km2 (12,283 sq mi), and with a population of 5,973,098.[3]

Toponymy

The region's interim name Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie was a hyphenated placename, created by hyphenating the merged regions' names—Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Picardie—in alphabetical order.[4]

On 14 March 2016, well ahead of the 1 July deadline, the Regional council decided on Hauts-de-France as the region's permanent name,[1] now to be confirmed by the Conseil d'Etat by 1 October 2016.[4]

Geography

Map of the new region with its five départements, colored according to the historical provinces as they existed until 1790.

The region borders Belgium to the northeast, the English Channel to the northwest, as well as the French regions of Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine to the southeast, Île-de-France to the south, and Normandy to the southwest.

Major communities

Amiens
  1. Lille (227,560; region prefecture)
  2. Amiens (133,448)
  3. Roubaix (94,713)
  4. Tourcoing (91,923)
  5. Dunkirk (90,995)
  6. Calais (72,589)
  7. Villeneuve-d'Ascq (62,308)
  8. Saint-Quentin (55,978)
  9. Beauvais (54,289)
  10. Valenciennes (42,989)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Regional council votes for "Hauts-de-France", [[La Voix du Nord (daily)|]], 14 March 2016
  2. ↑ "La carte à 13 régions définitivement adoptée" (in French). Le Monde. Agence France-Presse. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Insee - Populations légales 2012 - Populations légales 2012 des régions". Insee. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 Loi n° 2015-29 du 16 janvier 2015 relative à la délimitation des régions, aux élections régionales et départementales et modifiant le calendrier électoral (in French)

External links

Coordinates: 49°55′14″N 2°42′11″E / 49.9206°N 2.7030°E / 49.9206; 2.7030

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