Lens is a commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département.

Metropolitan area

Lens belongs to the communauté d'agglomération of Lens-Liévin (Communaupole) which gathers 36 communes, with a total population of 250,000 inhabitants.

Lens, along with Douai, forms the metropolitan area (in French: aire urbaine) of Douai-Lens, whose population at the 1999 census was 552,682.

Economy

The city is an industrial and mining centre and has a long history of coal mining. Surrounding the town are many large slag heaps.

Miscellaneous

The city supports a top-level football team, Racing Club de Lens.

Very close from there, the Vimy Memorial, is at Vimy Ridge.

Lens will also be from 2009 the location of the Louvre-Lens.

Famous Lensois

• Émile Basly, trade unionist then mayor of the city, died there in 1928
• Maurice Garin, first winner of Tour de France, died there in 1957

See also

• Stade Félix Bollaert

External links

• Town council website (in French)
• Communauté d'Agglomeration of Lens-Liévin

Lens

Ланс | Lens (Pas-de-Calais) | Lens (Pas-de-Calais) | Lens (Passo di Calais) | ランス (パ＝ド＝カレー県) | Lens (Pas-de-Calais) | Lens, Franţa | Lens, Frankrike