Pas-de-Calais

Pas-de-Calais is a d�partement of northern France created in 1790 out of the former provinces of the coastal Boulonnais[?] and Artois to the east, and now constituting along with the neighbouring d�partement of Nord the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

The Pas-de-Calais has 1.44 million inhabitants in an area of 6670 sq. km.

Pr�fecture (the departmental seat of administration): Arras.

Sous-pr�fectures: B�thune, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Calais, Lens, Montreuil[?], Saint Omer.

Its principal towns are, on the coast, Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, and in Artois, Lens, Arras and Saint-Omer.

Here, some of the costliest battles of World War I were fought. At Vimy Ridge is Canada's most important memorial to its fallen soldiers.