Calais

Calais

a port in N France, on the Strait of Dover: the nearest French port to England; belonged to England 1347--1558. Pop.: 77 333 (1999)

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Calais

 

a city and port in northern France, on the Strait of Dover. Administrative center of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Population, 75, 000 (1968).

Calais is a transportation center of international importance, through which passes maritime passenger traffic to Dover in Great Britain. It is also a fishing and commercial center. There are metallurgical, ship-repair, electrotechnical, and chemical enterprises in the city. Calais also produces its traditional lace, tulle, and embroidery.

The city grew out of a fishing village in the late ninth and the tenth century. In the 13th century it was fortified by the Count of Boulogne. From the 13th century it played a significant role in the trade between France and England. In 1347, during the Hundred Years’ War, Calais was captured by the English after a lengthy siege; it remained a stronghold of the English in their later struggle against France. In 1558, Calais was captured by the Duke of Guise and reunited with France. The Cateau-Cam-bresis Peace of 1559 confirmed Calais as French.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.