Dunkirk

Dunkirk (French: Dunkerque, pronounced: [dœ̃kɛʀk] or [dɛ̃kɛʀk]; Dutch: Duinkerke [ˈdœynkɛrkə]  ( listen); French Flemish: [ˈdyŋkarkə]( listen)) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It lies 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the Belgian border. The population of the city (commune) at the 1999 census was 70,850 inhabitants (71,300 inhabitants as per February 2004 estimates). The population of the metropolitan area was 265,974 inhabitan... more

Dunkirk (French: Dunkerque, pronounced: [dœ̃kɛʀk] or [dɛ̃kɛʀk]; Dutch: Duinkerke [ˈdœynkɛrkə]  ( listen); French Flemish: [ˈdyŋkarkə]( listen)) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It lies 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the Belgian border. The population of the city (commune) at the 1999 census was 70,850 inhabitants (71,300 inhabitants as per February 2004 estimates). The population of the metropolitan area was 265,974 inhabitants as per the 1999 census. Its name is derived from West Flemish "dun(e)" (dune) and "kerke" (church). Until the middle of the 20th century the city was situated in the Dutch language area; today the local Dutch dialect (West Flemish) can still be found but has been largely replaced by French. Dunkirk was first mentioned in 1067 as Dunkerk (Dutch: “Church of the Dune” or "Dune Church"). The area was much disputed between Spain, England, the Netherlands and France. At the beginning of the Eighty Years' War, Dunkirk was briefly in the hands of... less