Pas-de-Calais is on the English Channel in the north east of France.
Its principal towns are Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, Lens, Lievin, Arras, and Saint-Omer.
Pas-de-Calais is one of the most heavily populated departments of France, and yet it has no large cities. Calais has only about 80,000 inhabitants, followed closely by Boulogne-sur-Mer and Arras.
The remaining population is primarily in the small former mining towns.
The centre and south of the department are more rural, but still quite heavily populated, with many villages and small towns.
Some of the costliest battles of World War I were fought here. A memorial commemorates the Battle of Vimy Ridge and is the most important memorial of Canada to its fallen soldiers.
Eurotunnel which connects France and England by train has its entrance near Calais. The trains can take both passengers and vehicles.
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