Dunkirk

Dunkirk (, pronounced  or ; ) is a harbour city in the northernmost part of France, 10 km (6 mi) from the Belgian border.

The population of the whole metropolitan area was of 265,974 at the 1999 census. 

Until the middle of the 20th century the city was in the Dutch language area; today the local Dutch dialect still can be heard but has largely given way to French.

 History 
Dunkirk was first mentioned in 1067 as Dunkerk (). 

In World War II, heavy fighting took place around Dunkirk during the German invasion in 1940 (Battle of Dunkirk), but a lull in the action unexpectedly allowed a large number of French and British soldiers to escape to England. The British evacuation of Dunkirk through the English Channel was codenamed Operation Dynamo. 
During the war, Dunkirk was largely destroyed by bombing.

 Postwar Dunkirk 

On 14 December 2002, the Norwegian auto carrier Tricolor collided with the Bahamian-registered Kariba and sank off Dunkirk harbour, causing a hazard to navigation in the English Channel.

 Communes 
Since 9 December 2010, the former communes of Fort-Mardyck and Saint-Pol-sur-Mer were merged into the commune of Dunkirk.La Voix du Nord  8 December 2010INSEE

 Economy 
Dunkirk has the third largest harbour in France, after those of Le Havre and Marseille. It is also an industrial city, heavily dependent on the steel, food processing, oil refining, ship building and chemical industries.

 Tourist attractions 

 The Musée Portuaire hosts exhibits images about the history and presence of the port.
 The Musée des Beaux-Arts has a large collection of Flemish, Italian and French paintings and sculptures.
 The Carnival of Dunkirk

 Miscellaneous 
 Transport 

Dunkirk has a ferry connection with Dover in England.

 Twin towns 

Dunkirk is twinned with:
  Krefeld, Germany since June 15, 1974
  Middlesbrough, United Kingdom since April 12, 1976

Dunkirk has cooperation agreements with:
 Dartford district, United Kingdom since March 1988
 Thanet district, United Kingdom since June 18, 1993

 References 

 Other websites 

 City council website 
 Tourist office website


Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea