121-567: Nord-Pas-de-Calais ( French pronunciation: [nɔʁ pɑ d(ə) kalɛ] ); Picard : Nord-Pas-Calés ); is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Hauts-de-France . It consisted of the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais . Nord-Pas-de-Calais borders the English Channel (west), the North Sea (northwest), Belgium (north and east) and Picardy (south). Until
242-562: A Proto-Celtic ethnic name *Bolgoi could be interpreted as "the people who swell (particularly with anger/battle fury)". In Caesar's usage, Belgium is a geographical subregion comprising the Bellovaci , Ambiani , Atrebates , and Veromandui . These four communities are widely thought to have been the original Belgae in Gaul. Julius Caesar describes Gaul at the time of his conquests (58–51 BC) as divided into three parts, inhabited by
363-627: A branch of the Belgae settled in Ireland around the 5th century BC , later becoming the historical Iverni (Érainn) and their offshoots. He believes the memory of Belgae settlers was preserved in medieval Irish legend as the Fir Bolg . O'Rahilly's theory has been challenged by historians and archaeologists, and is no longer accepted. Fintan O'Toole suggested the Keshcarrigan Bowl
484-419: A concept of statehood; instead, fiefdoms were private domains. After Clovis's death, his kingdom was divided among his sons, leading to dynastic struggles, notably between queens Brunehaut and Frédégonde . Around 630 AD, during Dagobert's reign, significant Christianization efforts began with the establishment of numerous monasteries, such as Marchiennes , Condé, and Maroilles . These monasteries, supported by
605-512: A distinctive literary tradition. The Ch'ti language was re-popularised by the 2008 French comedy film Welcome to the Sticks ( French : Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis ; French pronunciation: [bjɛ̃vny ʃe le ʃti] ) which broke nearly every box office record in France and earned over $ 245,000,000 worldwide on an 11 million euro budget. The first person plural often appears in spoken Picard in
726-725: A group of tribes within the Belgic alliance as the "Germani", distinguishing them from their neighbours. The most important of these tribes in relation to Caesar's campaigns were the Eburones . The other way he used the term was to refer to those related tribes east of the Rhine, who were not Celtic. So the Germani among the Belgae are called, based on Caesar's account, the Germani cisrhenani , to distinguish them from other Germani living east of
847-528: A large confederation of tribes living in northern Gaul , between the English Channel , the west bank of the Rhine , and the northern bank of the river Seine , from at least the third century BC. They were discussed in depth by Julius Caesar in his account of his wars in Gaul. Some peoples in southern Britain were also called Belgae and had apparently moved from the continent. T. F. O'Rahilly believed that some had moved further west and he equated them with
968-523: A large number are unique to Picard—principally terms relating to mining or farming . Here are several typical phrases in Picard, accompanied by French and English translations: Cardinal numbers in Picard from 1 to 20 are as follows: Picard is not taught in French schools (apart from a few one-off and isolated courses) and is generally only spoken among friends or family members. It has nevertheless been
1089-483: A majority in regional and local representation. The Greens managed to attract many conservative voters from small towns and farmers moved by the Greens' commitment to boosting agri-industry. The region's religious profile is representative of France as a whole, with the majority being Roman Catholic . Other Christian groups are found in the region: Protestants have a few churches. North Africans have introduced Islam to
1210-583: A process of restructuring which still continues today. Nowadays, the manufacturing sector is led by the automobile industry . Picard language Picard ( / ˈ p ɪ k ɑːr d / , also US : / p ɪ ˈ k ɑːr d , ˈ p ɪ k ər d / , French: [pikaʁ] ) is a langue d'oïl of the Romance language family spoken in the northernmost of France and parts of Hainaut province in Belgium. Administratively, this area
1331-721: A severe outbreak in Calais in 1348. Northern France, described by Jean-Clément Martin as the "aborted Vendée ," was notably hostile to the French Revolution. The local peasants, deeply affected by the king's execution in January 1793, resisted the new revolutionary order. Liberty trees were cut down in the Cambrai district, and parishioners refused sacraments from constitutional priests. In villages like Morbecque , peasants rebelled against conscription and faced persecution by
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#17327728162451452-553: A shield, made his way to the front line, and quickly organised his forces. The two Roman legions guarding the baggage train at the rear finally arrived and helped to turn the tide of the battle. Caesar says the Nervii were almost annihilated in the battle, and is effusive in his tribute to their bravery, calling them "heroes" (for more details see Battle of the Sabis ). The Atuatuci, who were marching to their aid, turned back on hearing of
1573-470: A situation opposing Celtic and Germanic in Belgium, in a territory slightly more to the south than the early medieval Romance -Germanic language border", but van Durme accepts that Germanic did not block "Celticisation coming from the south" so "both phenomena were simultaneous and interfering". The medieval Gesta Treverorum compiled by monks of Trier claims that the Belgae were descendants of Trebeta , an otherwise unattested legendary founder of Trier,
1694-690: A tribe called the Tungri living where the Germani cisrhenani had lived, and he also stated that they had once been called the Germani (although Caesar had claimed to have wiped out the name of the main tribe, the Eburones). Other tribes that may have been included among the Belgae in some contexts were the Leuci , Treveri and Mediomatrici . Posidonius includes the Armoricani , as well. Caesar conquered
1815-624: A variety of very closely related dialects. It is difficult to list them all accurately in the absence of specific studies on the dialectal variations, but these varieties can probably provisionally be distinguished: Amiénois, Vimeu-Ponthieu, Vermandois, Thiérache, Beauvaisis, "chtimi" (Bassin Minier, Lille ), dialects in other regions near Lille (Roubaix, Tourcoing, Mouscron, Comines), "rouchi" ( Valenciennois ) and Tournaisis, Borain, Artésien rural, Boulonnais. The varieties are defined by specific phonetic, morphological and lexical traits and sometimes by
1936-401: Is Calais , which serves as a major continental economic/transportation hub with Dover of Great Britain 42 kilometres (26 mi) away; this makes Nord-Pas-de-Calais the closest continental European connection to the island of Great Britain. Other major towns include Valenciennes , Lens , Douai , Béthune , Dunkirk , Maubeuge , Boulogne , Arras , Cambrai and Saint-Omer . The region
2057-740: Is an onomatopoeia created based on the frequent use of the /ʃ/ ( ch- ) phoneme and of the /ʃti/ ( chti ) sound in Picard: " ch'ti " means the one, as in the sentence " ch'est chti qui a fait cha" ( he is the one who has done that), for instance. Belgium's French Community gave full official recognition to Picard as a regional language along with Walloon , Gaumais ( Lorraine ), Champenois ( Champagne ) and Lorraine German in its 1990 decree. The French government has not followed suit and has not recognized Picard as an official regional language (in line with its policy of linguistic unity, which allows for only one official language in France, as per
2178-623: Is divided between the French Hauts-de-France region and the Belgian Wallonia along the border between both countries due to its traditional core being the districts of Tournai and Mons ( Walloon Picardy ). The language or dialect is referred to by different names, as residents of Picardy call it simply Picard , but in the more populated region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais it is called Ch'ti or Ch'timi (sometimes written as Chti or Chtimi ). This
2299-507: Is featured in numerous films, including Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis . Nord-Pas-de-Calais combines the names of the constituent departments of Nord (literally 'North', the northernmost department of France ) and Pas-de-Calais ('Strait of Calais', the French name of the Strait of Dover ). The regional council, however, spells the name Nord-Pas de Calais . The northern part of the region
2420-742: Is now Nord-Pas-de-Calais were reunited to the Burgundian inheritance, which had passed through Marie's marriage to the House of Habsburg . These territories formed an integral part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands as they were defined during the reign of Philip's son, Emperor Charles V , and passed to Charles's son, Philip II of Spain . During the Italian Wars much of the conflict between France and Spain occurred in
2541-544: Is now the Nord département into two parts: one under what would become France and the other under the Holy Roman Empire . This new border marked a significant shift in territorial and political dynamics in the region. In the early Middle Ages , the feudal system shaped the region's political landscape. The County of Flanders emerged in the late 9th century as a semi-autonomous entity with regular insubordination to
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#17327728162452662-626: Is one of the langues d'oïl and belongs to the Gallo - Roman family of languages. It consists of all the varieties used for writing ( Latin : scriptae ) in the north of France from before 1000 (in the south of France at that time the Occitan language was used). Often, the langues d'oïl are referred to simply as Old French . Picard is phonetically quite different from the North-central langues d'oïl , which evolved into modern French. Among
2783-441: Is similar to that of French. It is undoubtedly the easiest for French speakers to understand but can also contribute the stereotype that Picard is only a corruption of French rather than a language in its own right. Various spelling methods have been proposed since the 1960s to offset the disadvantage and to give Picard a visual identity that is distinct from French. There is now a consensus, at least between universities, in favor of
2904-469: Is the area that makes up Romance Flanders , around the metropolis of Lille and Douai , and northeast Artois around Béthune and Lens . Picard is also named Rouchi around Valenciennes , Roubaignot around Roubaix , or simply patois in general French. In 1998, Picard native speakers amounted to 700,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom were elderly people (aged 65 and over). Since its daily use had drastically declined, Picard
3025-657: The 3rd and 5th centuries. In 406, a frozen Rhine allowed a flood of barbarian groups, including the Franks and Germans driven by the Huns, to invade, ultimately leading to the collapse of the remaining Roman authority in the region. During the Merovingian period, the Salian Franks initially maintained their pagan beliefs, unlike other Germanic tribes who converted to Arianism . Clovis's conversion to Nicene Christianity
3146-564: The Aquitani in the southwest, the Gauls in the biggest central part, who in their own language were called Celtae , and the Belgae in the north. Each of these three parts, he says, differed in terms of customs, laws and language. He noted that the Belgae, were "the bravest, because they are furthest from the civilization and refinement of [our] Province, and merchants least frequently resort to them, and import those things which tend to effeminate
3267-719: The Atrebates , Caesar's former ally, fled to Britain after participating in Vercingetorix 's rebellion and either joined or established a British branch of his tribe. Based on the development of imagery on coins, by the time of the Roman conquest , some of the tribes of south-eastern Britain likely were ruled by a Belgic nobility and were culturally influenced by them. The later civitas (administrative division) of Roman Britain had towns including Portus Adurni ( Portchester ) and Clausentum ( Southampton ). The civitas capital
3388-744: The Battle of Marne , the front moved back to the area and stabilized near Arras . During the next four years, the region was split in two: the German holding the French Flanders and Cambrai area, the Allied controlling Arras and the Area of Lens. Nevertheless, the combat did not stop, each side wanting the total control of the area. The Nord pas de Calais was one of the main theaters of the conflict, with many battles occurring between 1914 and 1918, including
3509-589: The Battle of Vimy Ridge assault during the Battle of Arras (1917) , the Battle of Artois , Battle of Loos and the Battle of Cambrai . By the time the region was finally liberated by the Canadian Expeditionary Forces, the entire country was devastated and Arras had been 90% destroyed. Currently, there are 650 military cemeteries throughout the Nord-Pas-de Calais, mostly British and Canadian, as well as large memorials such as
3630-511: The Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Notre Dame de Lorette , the world's largest French military cemetery. After the war, the industrial region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais was devastated, and in 1919 was classified as a red or yellow zone for around two-thirds of its surface area. The reconstruction movement made massive use of immigration, particularly from Poland , to compensate for the decline in population due to
3751-582: The Dutch adjective gebelgd "very angry" (weak perfect participle of the verb belgen "to become angry") and verbolgen "being angry" (strong perfect participle of obsolete verbelgen "to make angry"), as well as the Old English verb belgan , "to be angry" (from Proto-Germanic *balgiz ), derived ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *bhelgh- ("to swell, bulge, billow"). Thus,
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3872-588: The Dutch Republic . After the final French annexation in the early 18th century, much of the region was again occupied by Germany during the First and Second World Wars. During the 4th and 5th centuries, the Roman practice of co-opting Germanic tribes to provide military and defense services along the route from Boulogne to Cologne created a Germanic – Romance linguistic border in the region that persisted until
3993-612: The English Channel into southern Britain in Caesar's time. Caesar asserts they had first crossed the channel as raiders, only later establishing themselves on the island. The precise extent of their conquests is unknown. After the Roman conquest of Great Britain, the civitas of the Belgae was bordered to the north by the British Atrebates , who were also a Belgic tribe, and to the east by the Regni , who were probably linked to
4114-504: The Fir Bolg in Ireland . The Roman province of Gallia Belgica was named after the continental Belgae. The term continued to be used in the region until the present day and is reflected in the name of the modern country of Belgium . The consensus among linguists is that the ethnic name Belgae probably comes from the Proto-Celtic root *belg- or *bolg- meaning "to swell (particularly with anger/battle fury/etc.)", cognate with
4235-739: The French Constitution ), but some reports have recognized Picard as a language distinct from French. A 1999 report by Bernard Cerquiglini, the director of the Institut national de la langue française (National Institute of the French Language) stated: The gap has continued to widen between French and the varieties of langues d'oïl , which today we would call "French dialects"; Franc-comtois , Walloon , Picard, Norman , Gallo , Poitevin , Saintongeais , Bourguignon-morvandiau , Lorrain must be accepted among
4356-767: The Front Populaire came to power in France in 1936, three deputies from the Nord were in government, including Roger Salengro . Factories went on strike en masse during the Matignon Accords . During the occupation of France , it was attached to the Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France , ruled from the Wehrmacht kommandantur in Brussels. The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region
4477-442: The Germani cisrhenani ) with no distinction of language intended. The east of the Rhine was not necessarily inhabited by Germanic speakers at this time. It has been remarked that Germanic speakers might have been no closer than the river Elbe in the time of Caesar. However, studies of place names, such as those of Maurits Gysseling , have been argued to show evidence of the pre-Roman presence of early Germanic languages throughout
4598-475: The Germani cisrhenani , and this is indeed also true of the tribes immediately over the Rhine at this time, such as the Tencteri and Usipetes . Surviving inscriptions also indicate that Gaulish was spoken in at least part of Belgic territory. The Romans were not precise in their ethnography of northern barbarians : by "Germanic", Caesar may simply have meant "originating east of the Rhine" (the homeland of
4719-517: The Holy Roman Empire . Calais was an English possession from 1347 to 1558, when it was recovered by the French throne. In the 15th century, all of the territories, except Calais, were united under the rule of the Dukes of Burgundy , along with other territories in northern France and areas in what is now Belgium , Luxembourg , and the Netherlands . With the death of the Burgundian duke Charles
4840-551: The Nord department made substantial efforts to rebuild and unify administratively and socially. However, after Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the region was occupied by British troops until November 1818. In the early 19th century, Northern France experienced significant economic development, propelled into the Industrial Revolution by several key factors. Napoleon's continental blockade against
4961-456: The North Sea , the Nord-Pas de Calais region has a strong fishing industry . The Boulogne-sur-Mer harbor is the biggest French port in terms of capacity with more than 150 boats. 45,000 tons of fish were traded there in 2012. The harbor is also a leading European seafood processing center with 380,000 tons of shellfish, fish and seaweed traded every year. Some 140 companies are present in
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5082-571: The 17th century, the history of the North was largely in common with the history of Belgium (the Celtics Belgians during Antiquity were a multitude of Celtic peoples from the north of Gaul ), that of a land that "for almost a thousand years served as a battlefield for all of Europe." The majority of the region was once part of the historical Southern Netherlands , but gradually became part of France between 1477 and 1678, particularly during
5203-488: The 19th century, the region underwent major industrialisation and became one of the leading industrial regions of France, second only to Alsace-Lorraine . Nord-Pas-de-Calais was barely touched by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870; the war actually helped it to cement its leading role in French industry due to the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. However, it suffered catastrophic damage in the two World Wars of
5324-878: The 20th century. The earliest evidence of man's presence in the region dates from the Pleistocene to the Middle Ages . Evidence of early human presence includes bifaces dating back to around 700,000 BC found in Wimereux and 500,000 BC in Quiévy . During the Pleistocene, human activity was intermittent due to the harsh climate caused by expanding Nordic glaciers. Occupation sites are noted from around 60,000 BC in Marcoing and 50,000–40,000 BC in Busigny and Hamel, with
5445-436: The 4th through the 1st centuries BC. The Belgae of this period do not appear to have drunk beer. Caesar's book Commentarii de Bello Gallico begins: "All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in ours Gauls, the third. All these differ from each other in language, customs and laws." However, many modern scholars believe that
5566-417: The 8th century. By the 9th century, most inhabitants north of Lille spoke a dialect of Middle Dutch, while the inhabitants to the south spoke a variety of Romance dialects. This linguistic border is still evident today in the place names of the region. Beginning in the 9th century, the linguistic border began a steady move to north and the east. By the end of the 13th century, the linguistic border had shifted to
5687-429: The Artois region to the French crown. The complex succession issues surrounding the County of Flanders led to a coalition against the King of France, involving the Emperor, the King of England, and the Count of Flanders , Ferrand of Portugal. The decisive Battle of Bouvines in 1214 saw Philippe Auguste emerge victorious, enabling him to implement administrative reforms to consolidate royal power. These changes, along with
5808-447: The Belgae as well. The arrival and spread of Aylesford-Swarling pottery across the southeastern corner of Britain has been related to the Belgic invasion since Arthur Evans published his excavation of Aylesford in 1890, which was then thought to show "the demonstrable reality of a Belgic invasion", according to Sir Barry Cunliffe , although more recent studies tend to downplay the role of migration in favour of increasing trade links;
5929-431: The Belgae decided to disband their combined force and return to their own lands. Caesar's informants advised him that whichever tribe Caesar attacked first, the others would come to their defence. They broke camp shortly before midnight. At daybreak, satisfied the retreat was not a trap, Caesar sent cavalry to harass the rear guard, followed by three legions. Many of the Belgae were killed in battle. Caesar next marched into
6050-405: The Belgae were a Celtic-speaking group. On the other hand, at least part of the Belgae may also have had significant cultural and historical connections to peoples east of the Rhine, including Germanic peoples , judging from archaeological, placename and textual evidence. It has also been argued based on placename studies that the older language of the area, though apparently Indo-European ,
6171-500: The Belgae, beginning in 57 BC. He writes that the Belgae were conspiring and arming themselves in response to his earlier conquests; to counter this threat, he raised two new legions and ordered his Gallic allies, the Aedui , to invade the territory of the Bellovaci , the largest and fiercest of the Belgae tribes. Wary of the numbers and bravery of the Belgae, Caesar initially avoided a pitched battle, resorting mainly to cavalry skirmishes to probe their strengths and weaknesses. Once he
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#17327728162456292-421: The Belgae. ) It seems that, whatever their ancestry, at least some of the Belgic tribes spoke a variety of Gaulish as their main language by Caesar's time, and all of them used such languages in at least some contexts. Luc van Durme summarizes competing evidence of Celtic and Germanic influence at the time of Caesar by saying that "one has to accept the rather remarkable conclusion that Caesar must have witnessed
6413-429: The Belgic area north of the Ardennes , where the Germani cisrhenani lived. The sound changes described by " Grimm's law " appear to have affected names with older forms, apparently already in the second century BC. Strong evidence for old Celtic placenames, though, is found in the Ardennes and to the south of them. According to Strabo , the country of the Belgae extended along the coast where 15 tribes were living from
6534-422: The Bold in 1477, the Boulonnais and Artois were seized by the French crown, while Flanders and Hainaut were inherited by Charles's daughter Marie . Shortly thereafter, in 1492, Artois was ceded back to Marie's son Philip the Handsome , as part of an attempt to keep Philip's father, Emperor Maximilian I , neutral in French King Charles VIII's prospective invasion of Italy. Thus, most of the territories of what
6655-464: The Brabant and Liège revolutions. France declared war on Austria in April 1792, leading to the destruction of cities like Lille , Dunkirk , and Valenciennes . Austrian armies occupied French Hainaut from 1793 to 1794 until the French revolutionary army conquered the region and annexed Belgium. The Terror further devastated the area, dismantling structures like the Saint-Amand abbey and depriving Cambrai of its cathedral and Gothic churches. Under Napoleon,
6776-430: The Frankish aristocracy, played crucial roles in land development and extending royal power. Coastal areas saw less interest from the Franks, with the first bishop, Audomar (Saint Omer), arriving only in the 6th century. The Treaty of Verdun in 843 divided Charlemagne's empire into three kingdoms, establishing the Scheldt River as the natural boundary between West Francia and Middle Francia . This division split what
6897-410: The French King, had economic ties with England, while the Count of Hainaut aligned with the Emperor, an English ally. Edward III's campaign in 1346 led to the protracted siege of Calais. The Hundred Years' War , while destructive, was overshadowed by devastating epidemics like the Black Death, which struck southern Hainaut in 1316, killing a third of the population, and reoccurred several times, including
7018-529: The French King. Similarly, the County of Hainaut took shape by the mid-11th century, with the Duchy of Brabant reflecting Flemish traditions. The influence of the Catholic Church also grew, with the Bishop of Cambrai becoming Count of Cambrésis. The importance of waterways led to the growth of towns such as Lille and Arras, which gained privileges and self-governance, especially in the 12th century when Arras became renowned for its cloth industry. In 1180, Isabelle de Hainaut's marriage to Philippe Auguste brought
7139-460: The Neolithic era left behind megalithic structures, such as dolmens and menhirs, which were likely used for religious purposes, though their exact functions remain unclear. During the Gallic War in 56 BC, Julius Caesar expanded his conquests toward the North Sea after defeating the Atrebates and Nervians at the Battle of Sabis. The Belgians, a collective of various tribes such as the Menapiens, Morins, Atrébates , and Nervians , had settled in
7260-487: The Nervii, Menapii and Morini, revolted again and wiped out fifteen cohorts, only to be put down by Caesar. The Belgae fought in the uprising of Vercingetorix in 52 BC. After their final subjugation, Caesar combined the three parts of Gaul, the territory of the Belgae, Celtae and Aquitani, into a single unwieldy province ( Gallia Comata , "long-haired Gaul") that was reorganized by the emperor Augustus into its traditional cultural divisions. The province of Gallia Belgica
7381-421: The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region has always been a strategic (and hence one of the most fought-over) region in Europe. French President Charles de Gaulle , who was born in Lille, called the region a "fatal avenue" through which invading armies repeatedly passed. Over the centuries, it was conquered in turn by the Celtic Belgae , the Romans , the Germanic Franks , England, the Spanish and Austrian Netherlands , and
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#17327728162457502-464: The Rhenus (Rhine) to the Liger (Loire). Strabo also says that "Augustus Caesar, when dividing the country into four parts, united the Keltae to the Narbonnaise; the Aquitani he preserved the same as Julius Caesar, but added thereto fourteen other nations of those who dwelt between the Garonne and the river Loire, and dividing the rest into two parts, the one extending to the upper districts of the Rhine ( Gallia Lugdunensis ) he made dependent upon Lugdunum,
7623-433: The Rhine in what he understood to be their homeland. However, the later historian Tacitus was informed that the name Germania was known to have changed in meaning: In other words, Tacitus understood that the collective name Germani had first been used in Gaul, for a specific people there with connections beyond the Rhine, the Tungri being the name of the people living where the Eburones had lived in later imperial times, and
7744-562: The Roman Augusta Treverorum , "Augusta of the Treveri ". Caesar names the following as Belgic tribes, which can be related to later Roman provinces: Southwest: possibly not in "Belgium": Northwest and considered remote by Romans: South, not in alliance against Rome: Caesar sometimes calls them Belgae, sometimes contrasts them with Belgae. Descendants of the Cimbri , living near Germani Cisrhenani : Possibly Belgae, later within Belgica I: Not Belgae, later in Germania Superior (still later Germania I): Later, Tacitus mentioned
7865-405: The Sticks , starring comedian Dany Boon , deals with Ch'ti language and culture and the perceptions of the region by outsiders, and it was the highest-grossing French film of all time at the box office in France until it was surpassed by The Intouchables . Today Picard is primarily a spoken language, but in the medieval period, there is a wealth of literary texts in Picard. However, Picard
7986-449: The United Kingdom forced the region to produce goods locally that had previously been imported, fostering the birth of industries such as sugar production. The introduction of British steam engines into spinning mills also accelerated production. Central areas rich in coal, from Béthune to Valenciennes, became crucial energy sources, further boosted by the protectionist policies of the Restoration era after Belgium's emergence in 1830. While
8107-571: The advent of regional television with the creation of Télé-Lille in 1950, the first regional television station in France. Despite technological advancements, the region faced economic challenges due to a lack of diversification. The Algerian War in the mid-20th century significantly impacted the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, home to a large population of Algerian immigrants. This led to social tensions and conflicts between French and Algerian communities, exacerbated by internal strife among Algerians supporting different nationalist movements. The war's impact
8228-400: The arrondissement of Dunkirk); and the Picards, who speak the Picard language , or Ch'ti (speakers, " chitimi ", have been working to revive the nearly-extinct regional speech since the 1980s). Although neighbouring Belgium currently recognizes and fosters both Picard and Dutch, and a few city-level governments within Nord-Pas-de-Calais have introduced initiatives to encourage both languages,
8349-403: The defeat and retreated to one stronghold, were put under siege, and soon surrendered and handed over their arms. However, the surrender was a ploy, and the Atuatuci, armed with weapons they had hidden, tried to break out during the night. The Romans had the advantage of position and killed 4,000. The rest, about 53,000, were sold into slavery. In 53 BC, the Eburones, led by Ambiorix , along with
8470-410: The development of a sophisticated road network known as the "Brunehaut causeways." This network facilitated trade within the empire, allowing for the import and export of various goods, including ceramics, pottery, wine, olive oil, linen cloth, and ham. Vici (hamlets) emerged along these routes, and many modern communes in the Scarpe and Escaut valleys trace their origins to Gallo-Roman settlements. By
8591-455: The end of the 1st century, Germanic tribes began encroaching on the region, leading to periods of pillaging and instability. The Franks crossed the Rhine in 253–254 and again between 259 and 263, followed by the Alamanni in 275. During brief periods of peace, new capitals like Tournai and Cambrai emerged, replacing older ones such as Cassel and Bavay. The region also saw the initial stages of Christianization, although it remained limited until
8712-538: The first Homo sapiens identified in Rouvroy . After the last Ice age , the region, now covered in forests, saw the emergence of hunter-gatherer societies using microliths for hunting. The Neolithic period marked the beginning of agriculture and animal husbandry, influenced by the Cerny and Michelsberg cultures. Evidence of trade and tool use from outside the region highlights interactions with other areas. Additionally,
8833-555: The forests and attacked the approaching Roman column at the river Sabis (previously thought to be the Sambre , but recently the Selle is thought to be more probable). Their attack was quick and unexpected. The element of surprise briefly left the Romans exposed. Some of the Romans did not have time to take the covers off their shields or to even put on their helmets. However, Caesar grabbed
8954-509: The form of the neutral third person in ; however, the written form prioritizes os (as in French, where on is used for nous ). On the other hand, the spelling of conjugated verbs will depend on the pronunciation, which varies within the Picard domain. For instance southern Picard would read il étoait / étoét while northern Picard would read il étot . This is noted as variants in the following: The majority of Picard words derive from Vulgar Latin . Many words are very similar to French, but
9075-402: The funerary practice of communities to the north and south. Around this same time, a characteristic form of enclosed sanctuary began to be built, and from the late 2nd through the mid 1st centuries BC, fortifications with a high earthen rampart and a wide, flat-bottomed ditch are concentrated there. The coinage of the Belgae in Gaul shows commonalities in design and distribution patterns from
9196-436: The industrial boom turned Northern France into an economic powerhouse for over a century, it brought severe hardships for the working class. Miners, as depicted in Émile Zola 's "Germinal," faced grueling conditions and meager wages, risking their health underground. Textile workers also endured harsh conditions. The 19th century added to their suffering with extreme weather events and five cholera epidemics between 1832 and 1866,
9317-465: The large population of the region. The region was only in 16th place out of 24 for GDP per capita in 2014 with €34,422. The unemployment rate is higher than the national average. About 11% of the population was unemployed in 2014, particularly people aged between 18 and 25. The economy is essentially led by the service sector , which employs 75% of the working population, followed by manufacturing (23%) and agriculture (2%). Due to its location close to
9438-640: The last of which claimed 10,584 lives in the Nord département alone. When the First World War started, the region became a strategic target for the Allies and the Central Powers , mostly because of the coal and mining resources. When the German troops launched their attack from Belgium, the region was one of the first to fall under German occupation. Nevertheless, when the Allies stopped Germany at
9559-597: The mind; and they are the nearest to the Germans, who dwell beyond the Rhine, with whom they are continually waging war". Ancient sources such as Caesar are not always clear about the things used to define ethnicity today. While Caesar or his sources described the Belgae as distinctly different from the Gauls, Strabo stated that the differences between the Celts (Gauls) and Belgae in countenance, language, politics and way of life
9680-715: The modern French form of chasser . Because of the proximity of Paris to the northernmost regions of France, French (that is, the languages that were spoken in and around Paris) greatly influenced Picard and vice versa. The closeness between Picard and French causes the former to not always be recognised as a language in its own right, but rather a "distortion of French" as it is often viewed. Despite being geographically and syntactically affiliated according to some linguists due to their inter-comprehensible morphosyntactic features, Picard in Picardy, Ch'timi and Rouchi still intrinsically maintain conspicuous discrepancies. Picard includes
9801-592: The most notable traits, the evolution in Picard towards palatalization is less marked than in the central langues d'oïl in which it is particularly striking; /k/ or /ɡ/ before /j/ , tonic /i/ and /e/ , as well as in front of tonic /a/ and /ɔ/ (from earlier *au ; the open /o/ of the French p o rte ) in central Old French but not in Picard: The effects of palatalization can be summarised as this: There are striking differences, such as Picard cachier ('to hunt') ~ Old French chacier , which later took
9922-743: The national French government maintains a policy of linguistic unity and generally ignores both languages, as it does with other regional languages in France. The region's ethnic diversity has been affected by repeated waves of immigrant workers from abroad: Belgians and Welsh before 1910; Poles and Italians in the 1920s and 1930s; Eastern European groups and Germans since 1945; and North Africans and Portuguese since 1960; and large cities like Lille, Calais, and Boulogne-sur-Mer are home to sizable communities of British, Dutch, Scandinavian, Greek and Balkans, Sub-Saharan African, and Latin American immigrants and their descendants. The French state has sought to boost
10043-599: The nationalization of companies in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region led to the formation of Houillères du Nord-Pas-de-Calais, with miners receiving special privileges. The steel industry also expanded, benefiting from modernization efforts funded by the Marshall Plan . By the early 1950s, Nord-Pas-de-Calais had regained its industrial strength, primarily in traditional sectors like textiles, coal, and steel, which were starting to decline. This period also marked
10164-676: The object of scholarly research at universities in Lille and Amiens , as well as at Indiana University . Since people are now able to move around France more easily than in past centuries, the different varieties of Picard are converging and becoming more similar. In its daily use, Picard is tending to lose its distinctive features and may be confused with regional French. At the same time, even though most Northerners can understand Picard today, fewer and fewer are able to speak it, and people who speak Picard as their first language are increasingly rare, particularly under 50. The 2008 film Welcome to
10285-473: The other [he assigned] to the Belgae ( Gallia Belgica )." Apart from the Germani, the report of Caesar seems to indicate that more of the Belgae had some Germanic ethnicity, but this is not necessarily what defines a tribe as Belgic. Edith Wightman proposed that Caesar can be read as treating only the southwestern Belgic tribes, the Suessiones, Viromandui and Ambiani and perhaps some of their neighbours, as
10406-403: The port. The agricultural sector comprises 13,800 farm businesses using 820,000 hectares (2,000,000 acres) of farmland. The temperate climate as well as great fertility makes the region a leading production center. The Nord-Pas de Calais region supplied 26.1 million tons of wheat (approximately 7% of the national production) and a third of the French potato production. The region's industry
10527-648: The question remains unclear. A large number of coins of the Ambiani dating to the mid-second century BC have been found in southern Britain and the remains of a possible Belgic fort have been unearthed in Kent. Within memory of Caesar's time, a king of the Suessiones (also referred to as Suaeuconi) called Diviciacus was not only the most powerful king of Belgic Gaul, but also ruled territory in Britain. Commius of
10648-409: The region between the 5th and 1st centuries BC . These tribes, described by Caesar , were not homogeneous and occupied different parts of the land. Settlements were mainly hamlets around farms, with few fortified camps like Etrun. The Roman invasion began in 57 BC , leading to significant battles, including a decisive one on the banks of the Sabis. Despite initial resistance, by 50 BC , Gaul-Belgium
10769-475: The region's relatively neglected culture. In 2004, it was announced that a branch of the Louvre would be opened in the city of Lens. For decades, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais has been viewed as a conservative region when compared culturally to the rest of France, but recently the region has at times displayed left-wing tendencies. In the early 2000s, the leftist Green Party won the largest number of votes to nearly carry
10890-406: The region, and small but growing communities of Buddhists have been established in recent years. Prior to World War II, around 4,000 Jews lived in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. A small Jewish community remains active as it has been for hundreds of years. In 2014, the Nord-Pas de Calais GDP reached €140 billion making it the 4th biggest French economy, although this figure has to be put in the context of
11011-522: The region. When the Netherlands revolted against Spanish rule , beginning in 1566, the territories in what is now Nord-Pas-de-Calais were those most loyal to the throne, and proved the base from which the Duke of Parma was able to bring the whole southern part of the Netherlands back under Spanish control. It was also a base for Spanish support of French Catholics in the French Wars of Religion . During
11132-565: The regional languages of France ; by placing them on the list [of French regional languages], they will be known from then on as langues d'oïl . Even if it has no official status as a language in France, Picard, along with all the other languages spoken in France, benefits from actions led by the Culture Minister's General Delegation for the French language and the languages of France ( la Délégation générale à la langue française et aux langues de France ). Picard, like French,
11253-503: The reign of king Louis XIV . The historical French provinces that preceded Nord-Pas-de-Calais are Artois , French Flanders , French Hainaut and (partially) Picardy (part of Hainaut and Flanders is in the Kingdom of Belgium ). These provincial designations are still frequently used by the inhabitants. The former administrative region was created in 1956 under the name "Nord" and maintained that name until 1972 when "Pas-de-Calais"
11374-589: The republican authorities. On September 29, 1789, the Constituent Assembly decided to reorganize France into departments of approximately 324 square leagues each. The northern provinces were to form four departments, but various projects clashed. Ultimately, the National Assembly decided in 1790 to create the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments. Douai was initially chosen as the prefecture of Nord due to Merlin de Douai's influence, but it
11495-586: The river Lys in the south and Cap-Griz-Nez in the west. During the Middle Ages, the Pas-de-Calais department comprised County of Boulogne and the County of Artois , while the Nord department was mostly made up of the southern portions of the County of Flanders and the County of Hainaut . Boulogne, Artois, and Flanders were fiefs of the French crown, while Hainaut and after 1493 Flanders were within
11616-511: The support of his successor Saint Louis, allowed the French monarchy to exert influence over Flanders and Hainaut. The early 13th century also saw significant religious expansion in these regions with the establishment of monasteries and beguinages, fostering religious movements like Rheno-Flemish mysticism. The 14th century brought the crisis of the late Middle Ages and rising tensions between France and England, particularly over Flanders, Guyenne, and Scotland. The Count of Flanders , though serving
11737-740: The territory of the Suessiones and besieged the town of Noviodunum ( Soissons ). Seeing the Romans' siege engines , the Suessiones surrendered, whereupon Caesar turned his attention to the Bellovaci, who had retreated into the fortress of Bratuspantium (between modern Amiens and Beauvais ). They quickly surrendered, as did the Ambiani. The Nervii , along with the Atrebates and Viromandui, decided to fight (the Atuatuci had also agreed to join them, but had not yet arrived). They concealed themselves in
11858-414: The third through the first centuries BC within this subregion, inhabited in the time of Caesar by Bellovaci, Ambiani, Atrebates, and Veromandui. From 250 BC onward, the disposal of the dead was primarily through cremation, with some inhumation practiced. Ceramics and brooches are typical grave goods, while items of feasting appear in wealthier graves. The absence of weapons distinguishes these burials from
11979-591: The time of the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697. The area, previously divided among the French provinces of Flanders , Artois, and Picardy , was divided into its two present departments following the French Revolution of 1789. Under Napoleon , the French boundary was extended to include all of Flanders and present-day Belgium until the Congress of Vienna in 1815 restored the original French boundary. During
12100-519: The transition highlighted the challenges of shifting from traditional industries to more diversified economic activities. While the region is predominantly French-speaking, it also has two significant minority language communities: the western Flemings , whose presence is evident in the many Dutch place names in the area and who speak West Flemish , a dialect of Dutch (perhaps 20,000 inhabitants of Nord-Pas-de-Calais use Flemish daily and an estimated 40,000 use it occasionally, both primarily in and around
12221-505: The true ethnic Belgae, as opposed to those in a political and military alliance with them. She reads Caesar as implying a "transition zone" of mixed ethnicity and ancestry for the Menapii , Nervii and Morini , all living in the northwest of the Belgic region, neighbours to the Germani cisrhenani in the northeast. (Caesar also mentions his allies the Remi being closest to the Celts amongst
12342-409: The war, and to adapt to the new legislation limiting the working day to eight hours. But the economic crisis of the 1930s soon prevented any real economic or cultural renaissance. It also led to downsizing, with recent immigrants the first to be affected. The region saw a breakthrough of the extreme right, including the "green shirts" among the peasants, which prompted left-wing movements to unite. When
12463-573: The war, the region has suffered from severe economic difficulties (see Economy below) but has benefited from the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the growth in cross-Channel traffic in general. Following World War II, France embarked on a significant recovery effort termed "Union sacrée," aiming to rebuild the nation under a managed economy. General de Gaulle 's speech in Lille emphasized the state's role in national economic development. In 1946,
12584-452: The wars between France and Spain in the 17th century ( 1635 – 1659 , 1667–68 , 1672–78 , 1688–97 ), these territories became the principal seat of conflict between the two states and French control over the area was gradually established. Beginning with the annexation of Artois in 1659, most of the current Nord department territory had been acquired by the time of the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678. The current borders were mostly established by
12705-548: The written form known as Feller-Carton (based on the Walloon spelling system, which was developed by Jules Feller , and adapted for Picard by Professor Fernand Carton ). Picard, although primarily a spoken language, has a body of written literature: poetry, songs (" P'tit quinquin " for example), comic books, etc. A number of dictionaries and patois guides also exist (for French speakers): Belgae The Belgae ( / ˈ b ɛ l dʒ iː , ˈ b ɛ l ɡ aɪ / ) were
12826-554: Was a small one, unlike the difference between the Aquitanians and Celts. The fact that the Belgae were living in Gaul means that in one sense they were Gauls. This may be Caesar's meaning when he says "The Belgae have the same method of attacking a fortress as the rest of the Gauls". Inconsistently, Caesar in Bello Gallico , II.4 also contrasted them with Gauls: So Caesar used the word "Germani" in two ways. He described
12947-410: Was added. This remained unchanged until its dissolution in 2016. With its 330.8 people per km on just over 12,414 km, it is a densely populated region, having some 4.1 million inhabitants, 7% of France's total population, making it the fourth most populous region in the country, 83% of whom live in urban communities. Its administrative centre and largest city is Lille . The second largest city
13068-447: Was at Venta Belgarum ( Winchester ), which was built on top of an Iron Age oppidum (this was itself built on the site of two earlier abandoned hillforts ); Winchester remains Hampshire's county town to this day. In addition to Venta Belgarum, the ancient geographer Ptolemy lists Aquae Calidae ( Bath ) and Iscalis as poleis of the Belgae. In his theory of Ireland's prehistory, T. F. O'Rahilly suggested in 1946 that
13189-473: Was bounded on its east by the Rhine and extended all the way from the North Sea to Lake Constance ( Lacus Brigantinus ), including parts of what is now western Switzerland, with its capital at the city of the Remi (Reims). Under Diocletian , Belgica Prima (capital Augusta Trevirorum, Trier ) and Belgica Secunda (capital Reims ) formed part of the diocese of Gaul. The Belgae had made their way across
13310-582: Was conquered and remained under military occupation until 27 BC . Following their victory, the Romans implemented policies of pacification and Romanization, transforming the region administratively and economically. They established numerous cities, incorporating ancient Celtic tribes into the prosperous Roman province of Belgium . Key cities included Bagacum Nerviorum (Bavay), Namur (Aduatuca), Castellum Menapiorum (Cassel), Nemetocenna (Arras), and Tervanna (Thérouanne). The region flourished through agriculture, particularly sheep breeding and wheat cultivation, and
13431-531: Was declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) a "severely endangered language ". However, as of 2023, the Picard language was listed as “vulnerable” by UNESCO. The word ch'ti , chtimi or ch'timi to designate the Picard language was invented during the First World War by Poilus from non-Picard speaking areas to refer to their brothers in arms from Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais . It
13552-503: Was felt through numerous violent incidents, including attacks and street shootings, resulting in significant casualties and social unrest. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Nord-Pas-de-Calais experienced a gradual decline in coal mining, textiles, and steel industries, resulting in substantial job losses. The government attempted to revitalize the region's economy by promoting the automotive industry and attracting plastics companies, which created new employment opportunities. Despite these efforts,
13673-611: Was historically a part of the County of Flanders , with Lille as its capital. Those who wish to evidence the historical links the region has with Belgium and the Netherlands prefer to call this region the French Low Countries , which also means French Netherlands in French (French: Pays-Bas français ; Dutch: Franse Nederlanden or Franse Lage Landen ). Other alternative names are Région Flandre(s)-Artois , Hauts-de-France , ('Upper France') and Picardie-du-Nord ('Northern Picardy '). Inhabited since prehistoric times,
13794-500: Was later adopted as a collective name for the non-Celtic peoples beyond the Rhine, the other, better-known way that Caesar used the term. The cultural cohesion of Belgium as Caesar sketched it is suggested by the maintaining of these borders, more or less, in administrative divisions ( pagi ) mapped out later by the Romans and still evident in the parishes of the Carolingian era . Archaeology suggests cultural continuities from
13915-472: Was later moved to Lille by the First Consul on 3 Thermidor IX. The Nord department consisted of eight districts: Bergues , Hazebrouck , Lille , Douai , Cambray , Valenciennes , Le Quesnoy , and Avesnes , while Pas-de-Calais comprised Arras, Bapaume, Béthune, Boulogne, Calais, Montreuil, Saint-Omer, and Saint-Pol. The Franco-Austrian War saw Northern France as a significant battleground following
14036-525: Was not Celtic (see Nordwestblock ) and that Celtic, though influential amongst the elite, might never have been the main language of the part of the Belgic area north of the Ardennes. For example, Maurits Gysseling suggested that prior to Celtic and Germanic influences the Belgae may have comprised a distinct Indo-European branch, termed Belgian . However, most of the Belgic tribal and personal names recorded are identifiably Gaulish , including those of
14157-458: Was not able to compete with French and was slowly reduced to the status of a regional language. A more recent body of Picard literature, written during the last two centuries, also exists. Modern written Picard is generally a transcription of the spoken language. For that reason, words are often spelled in a variety of different ways (in the same way that English and French were before they were standardized). One system of spelling for Picard words
14278-547: Was originally focused on coal and textile production, and was one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution on the continent. After the end of the Second World War, migrant workers from all over Europe came to the region, making up for population losses due to the war. In the 1970s, the leading coal and textile industries began to fade away and unemployment rates increased rapidly. The region started
14399-464: Was satisfied his troops were a match for them, he made camp on a low hill protected by a marsh at the front and the river Aisne behind, near Bibrax (between modern Laon and Reims ) in the territory of the Remi. The Belgae attacked over the river, but were repulsed after a fierce battle. Realising they could not dislodge the Romans and aware of the approach of the Aedui into the lands of the Bellovaci,
14520-462: Was significant as it aligned with the remaining Roman Empire's religion, providing sacred legitimacy. This period saw a renewal of urbanization and the establishment of ecclesiastical authorities. Vaast became bishop of Arras and Cambrai early in the century. By 511, however, the region was not sufficiently Christianized to be represented at the Council of Orleans . The Merovingians did not have
14641-537: Was used for vengeance weapon installations, including extensive V-1 "ski sites" that launched attacks on England and massive bunkers for the V-2 rocket and V-3 cannon . Operation Crossbow counteroffensive bombing by the Allies devastated many of the region's towns. Although most of the region was liberated in September 1944, Dunkirk was the last French town to be freed from German occupation (on 9 May 1945). Since
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