Anzin

Anzin
Sainte Barbe
Coat of arms
Anzin
Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region Anzin
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardy
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Valenciennes
Canton	Anzin
Intercommunality	Valenciennes Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Pierre-Michel Bernard
Area1	3.64 km2 (1.41 sq mi)
Population (2009)2	13,646
• Density	3,700/km2 (9,700/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	59014 / 59410
Elevation	18–95 m (59–312 ft) (avg. 15 m or 49 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Anzin is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It lies on the Scheldt, 1-½ miles northwest of Valenciennes, of which it is a suburb.

History

Anzin was once the centre of important coal mines of the Valenciennes basin belonging to the Anzin Company, the formation of which dates to 1717. The commune's first coal layer of the area in 1734. The company of the mines of Anzin (Compagnie des mines d'Anzin) was created in 1757. In 1884 these mines were visited by Émile Zola, who based his novel Germinal upon his observations. At the beginning of twentieth century, the metallurgical industries of the place were extensive, and included iron and copper founding and the manufacture of steam-engines, machinery, chain-cables and a great variety of heavy iron goods. There were also glass-works and breweries.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1699	248	—
1731	221	−10.9%
1793	2,982	+1249.3%
1800	3,096	+3.8%
1806	3,338	+7.8%
1821	3,863	+15.7%
1831	4,255	+10.1%
1836	4,182	−1.7%
1841	4,191	+0.2%
1846	4,422	+5.5%
1851	5,006	+13.2%
1856	5,855	+17.0%
1861	6,305	+7.7%
1866	7,283	+15.5%
1872	7,990	+9.7%
1876	9,009	+12.8%
1881	10,043	+11.5%
1886	10,656	+6.1%
1891	11,538	+8.3%
1896	12,768	+10.7%
1901	14,444	+13.1%
1906	14,387	−0.4%
1911	14,439	+0.4%
1921	13,790	−4.5%
1926	15,300	+10.9%
1931	16,090	+5.2%
1936	14,804	−8.0%
1946	14,235	−3.8%
1954	15,658	+10.0%
1962	16,275	+3.9%
1968	15,634	−3.9%
1975	14,866	−4.9%
1982	14,602	−1.8%
1990	14,064	−3.7%
1999	14,058	−0.0%
2006	14,051	−0.0%
2009	13,646	−2.9%

Popular culture

Bertrand Tavernier directed his film Ça commence aujourd'hui in Anzin in 1999.

See also

• Communes of the Nord department

Twin cities

• Tunisia: Masakin

References

• INSEE commune file
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 
• See Reed G. Geiger, The Anzin Coal Company, 1830-1833. Univ of Delaware Press, 1974.