Courrières
Encyclopedia
Courrières is a commune
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
.
, at the junction of the D46 and D919 roads and next to the A1 autoroute. The Lens canal and the canalized Deule
river forms threequarters of the borders of the commune.
which resulted in 1,099 deaths on 10 March 1906. All the regions' coalmines were closed by 1970.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
An ex-coalmining commune, now a light industrial and farming town, situated some 7 miles (11.3 km) northeast of LensLens, Pas-de-Calais
Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
, at the junction of the D46 and D919 roads and next to the A1 autoroute. The Lens canal and the canalized Deule
Deûle
The Deûle is a river of northern France which is currently channeled for the main part of its course . The upstream part is still partly free-flowing and is known as the Souchez...
river forms threequarters of the borders of the commune.
Nearest communes
- HarnesHarnesHarnes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Harnes is an ex-coalmining and light industrial town situated some northeast of Lens, at the junction of the D162e and the D39...
(west) - EstevellesEstevellesEstevelles is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated some northeast of Lens, near the junction of the D164e and the D917...
(northwest) - CarvinCarvinThis article refers to a French commune. For the guitar manufacturer see Carvin Corporation. For the late New Orleans political consultant see Jim Carvin.Carvin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France....
(north) - OigniesOigniesOignies is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Oignies is a former coalmining town, nowadays a light industrial town, northeast of Lens, at the junction of the D46 and the D160 roads...
(east) - DourgesDourgesDourges is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:An ex-coalmining commune, now a light industrial and farming town, situated some east of Lens, at junction 17 of the A21 and the A1 autoroutes...
(southeast) - Montigny-en-GohelleMontigny-en-GohelleMontigny-en-Gohelle is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Montigny-en-Gohelle is former coalmining town, nowadays a light industrial and dormitory town, east of Lens, on the D46, D39e and the N43 roads...
History
The history of the area remains marked by the mining disasterCourrières mine disaster
The Courrières mine disaster, Europe's worst mining accident, caused the death of 1,099 miners in Northern France on 10 March 1906. This disaster was surpassed only by the Benxihu Colliery accident in China on April 26, 1942, which killed 1,549 miners...
which resulted in 1,099 deaths on 10 March 1906. All the regions' coalmines were closed by 1970.
Population
Notable people
- Jules Adolphe Aimé Louis BretonJules Adolphe Aimé Louis BretonJules Adolphe Aimé Louis Breton was a 19th-century French Realist painter. His paintings are heavily influenced by the French countryside and his absorption of traditional methods of painting helped make Jules Breton one of the primary transmitters of the beauty and idyllic vision of rural...
, painter - Catherine PlewinskiCatherine PlewinskiCatherine Plewinski is a former freestyle and butterfly swimmer from France, who won two bronze medals at the Summer Olympics. She first did so in Seoul at the 1988 Summer Olympics in the 100 m freestyle...
, swimmer - Eric SikoraÉric SikoraÉric Sikora is a former footballer from France. He spent his whole career at RC Lens. He is of Polish descent.-External links:* *...
, footballer
Places of interest
- The sports centre Centre Sportif.
- A forest north of Courrières.
- The church of St.Piat, dating from the sixteenth century.
- The Commonwealth War Graves CommissionCommonwealth War Graves CommissionThe Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
cemetery.