Lens is commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. Population 36,800.

It belongs to the communauté d'agglomération of Lens-Liévin (Communaupole) which gathers 36 communes, that is to say 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.

The city is an industrial and mining centre and has a long history of coal mining. Surrounding the town are many large slag heaps . The city also supports a top-level football team, Racing Club de Lens.

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

East of Pas-de-Calais (Béthune, Lens, Hénin-Beaumont)

History

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

External link

• Agglomeration of Lens-Liévin: http://www.agglo-lenslievin.fr