Douvrin

Douvrin
Douvrin
Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region Douvrin
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardy
Department	Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement	Béthune
Canton	Douvrin
Intercommunality	communauté d'agglomération de l'Artois
Government
• Mayor (2010–2014)	Jean-Michel Dupont (???)
Area1	9.58 km2 (3.70 sq mi)
Population (2005)2	5,265
• Density	550/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	62276 / 62138
Elevation	19–32 m (62–105 ft) (avg. 25 m or 82 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.

Douvrin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.

Geography

An ex-coalmining town some 10 miles (16.1 km) east of Béthune and 15 miles (24.1 km) southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D165, the D163 and the N47 roads. Since the mid-1960s, farming and light industry have replaced coal mining as the principle occupations.

History

First recorded in the eleventh century, the town has been known by several variations of the name: Doverin (in 1098), Dovring (in 1120), Dovrin (in 1149), Dovrign (in 1218), Douvringnum (in 1229), Douvrin (in the fifteenth century) and also as Douvrain (in 1652).
The town suffered considerable damage during World War I.
Coal mining was the main livelihood here for around 100 years, from the mid-nineteenth century until the 1960s when the reserves became uneconomic. Since 1969, Française de Mécanique, part of PSA Peugeot Citroen has produced motor-car engines at the plant immediately north of the commune. Over 3,400 people work here, producing 7000 units a week.

Population

Historical population of Douvrin

Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2005
Population	4350	4659	4736	4415	5442	5431	5265
From the year 1962 on: No double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.

Places of interest

• The church of Sacre-Coeur, rebuilt, as was most of the town, after World War I.

See also

• Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

References

• INSEE commune file

External links

• Official Douvrin website (French)
• Douvrin on the Quid website (French)