Lille 50116 225971933 2008-07-16T07:30:06Z Michellecrisp 3965697 {{otheruses}} {{French commune |native_name= Ville de Lille |common_name= Lille |image = [[Image:Place du Général de Gaulle, Lille.JPG|250px]] |caption = Place du Général de Gaulle, also known as 'Grand'Place' |image_flag= lille2.svg |image_flag_size= 125px |image_coat_of_arms= Blason Lille 3D.png |image_coat_of_arms_size = 80px |flag_legend= New city flag |Coat_of_arms_legend= Traditional coat of arms |city_motto= &ndash; |image_map = France_jms.png |x = 152 |y = 22 |time zone = CET <small>(GMT +1)</small> |lat_long = {{coor dms|50|37|57|N|03|03|30|E|type:city}} |region= [[Nord-Pas de Calais]] |departement= [[Nord (department)|Nord]] (59) |mayor= [[Martine Aubry]] |party = [[Socialist Party (France)|PS]] |mandat =2008-2014 |area= 39.51 <ref name="annexed">Including the annexed communes of [[Hellemmes]] and [[Lomme]]</ref> |date-population= 2004&nbsp;estimate |population= 226&nbsp;800 <ref name="annexed" /> |population-ranking=[[List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants (1999 census)|10th in France]] |date-density= 2004 <big><ref name="annexed" /></big> |density= 5&nbsp;740 |UU-area= 450 |UU-area-date= 1999 <big><ref name="fra au">Only the part of the metropolitan area on French territory.</ref></big> |UU-pop= 1&nbsp;000&nbsp;900 |UU-pop-date= 1999 <big><ref>Only the part of the urban area on French territory.</ref></big> |AU-area= 975 |AU-area-date= 1999 <big><ref name="fra au" /></big> |AU-pop= 1&nbsp;143&nbsp;125 |AU-pop-date= 1999 <big><ref>French territories only. The population includes the part of the metropolitan area on Belgian territory ([[Mouscron]], [[Kortrijk]], etc.)</ref></big> |intercom-details2= [[Urban Community of Lille Métropole|Urban Community of<br />Lille Métropole]] |}} '''Lille''' ({{IPA2|lil}}; {{lang-nl|Rijsel}}) is a city in northern [[France]]. It is the principal city of the [[Urban Community of Lille Métropole|Lille Métropole]], the fourth-largest [[metropolitan area]] in the country behind those of [[Paris]], [[Lyon]] and [[Marseille]]. Lille is situated on the [[Deûle]] River, near France's border with [[Belgium]]. It is the [[capital]] of the [[Nord-Pas de Calais]] [[Regions of France|region]] and the ''[[Prefectures in France|préfecture]]'' of the [[Nord (department)|Nord]] [[Departments of France|department]]. The city of Lille, which annexed [[Lomme]] on February 27, 2000, had a population of 226,800 at the 2005 census. Meanwhile, the Lille Métropole, which also includes [[Roubaix]], [[Tourcoing]] and numerous suburban communities, had a population of 1,091,438. The [[eurodistrict]] of Lille-Kortrijk, which also includes the area the Belgian cities of [[Kortrijk]], [[Tournai]], [[Mouscron]] and [[Ypres]], had 1,885,000 residents. {{fact}} ==History== {{Unreferencedsection|date=May 2008}} ===Origin of the city=== The legend of "[[Lydéric and Phinaert]]" puts the foundation of the city of "L'Isle" at 640. Although the first mention of the town appears in archives from the year 1066, some archeological digs seem to show the area as inhabited by as early as 2000 BC, most notably in the modern-day ''quartiers'' of Fives, [[Wazemmes]], and Old Lille. The name Lille comes from ''insula'' or ''l'Isla'', since the area was at one time marshy. This name was used for the [[Counts of Flanders]]' castle, built on dry land in the middle of the marsh. The Count of Flanders controlled a number of old Roman cities ([[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]], [[Arras]], [[Cambrai]]) as well as some founded by the [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingians]] ([[Valenciennes]], [[Saint-Omer]], [[Ghent]], [[Bruges]]). The [[County of Flanders]] thus extended to the left bank of the [[Scheldt]], one of the richest and most properous regions of Europe. The original inhabitants of this region were the [[Gaul]]s, such as the [[Menapii|Menapians]], the [[Morini|Morins]], the [[Atrebates]], and the [[Nervii|Nervians]], who were followed by [[Germanic peoples]], the [[Saxons]] and the [[Frisians]], and the [[Franks]] later. From 830 until around 910, the [[Viking]]s invaded Flanders. After the destruction caused by [[Normans|Norman]] and [[Hungarian people|Magyar]] invasion, the eastern part of the region fell under the eyes of the area's princes. ===Middle ages=== A local notable in this period was [[Evrard]], who lived in the 9th century and participated in many of the day's political and military affair. From the 12th century, the fame of the Lille cloth fair began to grow. In 1144 Saint Sauveur parish was formed, which would give its name to the modern-day ''quartier Saint-Sauveur''. The counts of Flanders, Boulogne, and [[County of Hainaut|Hainaut]] came together with [[England]] and the [[Holy Roman Empire]] of [[Germany]] and declared war on [[France]] and [[Philip II of France]], a war that ended with the French victory at [[Bouvines]] in 1214. [[Infante Ferdinand, Count of Flanders]] was imprisoned and the county fell into dispute: it would be his wife, [[Jeanne, Countess of Flanders]] and [[Constantinople]], who ruled the city. They say she was well-loved by the residents of Lille, who by that time numbered 10,000. In 1224, the monk [[Bertrand of Rains]], doubtlessly encouraged by local lords, tried to pass himself off as [[Baldwin I of Constantinople]] (the father of Jeanne of Flanders), who had disappeared at the [[Battle of Adrianople (1205)|battle of Adrianople]]. He pushed the kingdoms of Flanders and Hainaut towards sedition against Jeanne in order to recover his land. She called her cousin, [[Louis VIII of France|Louis VIII]] ("The Lion"). He unmasked the imposter, whom Countess Jeanne quickly had hanged. In 1226 the King agreed to free [[Infante Ferdinand, Count of Flanders]]. Count Ferrand died in 1233, and his daughter Marie soon after. In 1235, Jeanne granted a city charter by which city governors would be chosen each All Saint's Day by four commissioners chosen by the ruler. On February 6th, 1236, she founded the Countess's Hospital ([[L'hospice de la comtesse]]), which remains one of the most beautiful buildings in Old Lille. It was in her honor that the hospital of the Regional Medical University of Lille was named "Jeanne of Flanders Hospital" in the 20th century. The Countess died in 1244 in the [[Abbey]] of Marquette, leaving no heirs. The rule of Flanders and Hainaut thus fell to her sister, [[Margaret II, Countess of Flanders]], then to Marguerite's brother, [[Guy of Dampierre]]. Lille fell under the rule of France from 1304 to 1369, after the battle of [[Mons-en-Pévèle]]. The county of Flanders fell to the [[Duchy of Burgundy]] next, after the 1369 marriage of [[Margaret III, Countess of Flanders]], and [[Philip the Bold]], [[Duke of Burgundy]]. Lille thus became one of the three capitals of said Duchy, along with [[Brussels]] and [[Dijon]]. By 1445, Lille counted some 25,000 residents. [[Philip the Good]], Duke of Burgundy, was even more powerful than the [[List of French monarchs|King of France]], and made Lille an administrative and financial capital. On [[February 17]], [[1454]], one year after the [[Fall of Constantinople|taking of Constantinople]] by the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]], [[ Philip the Good]] organised a [[Gargantua and Pantagruel|Patagruelian]] banquet at his Lille palace, the still-celebrated "[[Feast of the Pheasant]]". There the Duke and his court undertook an oath to [[Christianity]]. In 1477, at the death of the last duke of Burgundy, [[Charles the Bold]], [[Mary of Burgundy]] married a [[House of Habsburg|Hapsburg]], [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian of Austria]], who thus became Count of Flanders. At the end of the reign of the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]], Spanish Flanders fell to his eldest son, and thus under the rule of [[Philip II of Spain]], King of Spain. The city remained under Spanish rule until the reign of [[Philip IV of Spain]]. ===The modern era=== {{Unreferencedsection|date=July 2008}} [[Image:France-Lille-VieilleBourse-FacadeGrandPlace.jpg|right|thumbnail|The façade of the 'Vieille Bourse' on the 'Grand Place']] The 16th century was marked, above all, by the outbreak of the [[Black Death|Plague]], a boom in the regional textile industry, and the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] revolts. The first [[Calvinism|Calvinists]] appeared in the area in 1542; by 1555 there was anti-Protestant repression taking place. In 1578, the [[Hurlus]], a group of Protestant rebels, stormed the castle of the Counts of [[Mouscron]]. They were removed four months later by a [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[Wallonia|Wallon]] regiment, after which they tried several times between 1581 and 1582 to take the city of Lille, all in vain. The Hurlus were notably held back by the legendary [[Jeanne Maillotte]]. At the same time (1581), at the call of [[Elizabeth I of England]] , the north of the [[Southern Netherlands]], having gained a Protestant majority, successfully revolted and formed the [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]]. In 1667, [[Louis XIV of France]] (the Sun-King) successfully laid [[Siege of Lille (1667)|siege to Lille]], resulting in it becoming French in 1668 under the [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]], provoking discontent among the citizens of the prosperous city. A number of important public works undertaken between 1667 and 1670, such as the Citadel (erected by [[Vauban]]), or the creation of the quartiers of Saint-André and la Madeleine, enabled the King to gradually gain the confidence of his Lille subjects, who continued to feel Flemish, though they had always spoken the French Picard dialect. [[Image:Citadelle de Vauban, Lille.JPG|right|thumbnail|Entrance to the 'Vauban Citadel' (17th century)]] During five years, from 1708 to 1713, the city was occupied by the [[Netherlands|Dutch]], during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]. Throughout the 18th century, Lille remained profoundly Catholic, which explains why the city did not really take part in the [[French Revolution]], though there were riots and the destruction of churches. In 1790, the city held their first municipal elections. ===After the French Revolution=== In 1792, in the aftermath of the [[French Revolution]], the [[Austrians]], then in the United Provinces, laid siege to Lille. The "[[Column of the Goddess]]", erected in 1842 in the "Grand-Place" (officially named [[La Place du Général de Gaulle]]), is a tribute to the city's resistance, led by Mayor [[François André]]. Although Austrian artillery destroyed many houses and the main church of the city, the city did not surrender and the Austrian army left after eight days. [[Image:France-Lille-cannonballs.jpg|left|thumbnail|The black dots around the windows (''not'' the decorative [[cartouche]]s) are Austrian cannonballs lodged in the façade.]] The city continued to grow, and by 1800 held some 53,000 residents, leading to Lille becoming the county seat of the [[Nord (department)|Nord]] ''[[Departments of France|départment]]'' in 1804. In 1846, a rail line connecting [[Paris]] and Lille was built. At the beginning of the 19th century, [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon I]]'s [[Continental System|continental blockade]] against the [[United Kingdom]] led to Lille's textile industry developing itself even more fully. The city was known for its [[cotton]], and the nearby towns of [[Roubaix]] and [[Tourcoing]] worked [[wool]]. In 1853, [[Alexandre Desrousseaux]] composed his famous lullaby ''Dors mon p'tit quinquin''. In 1858, an imperial decree led to the annexation of the adjacent towns of Fives, [[Wazemmes]], and Moulins. Lille's population was 158,000 in 1872, growing to over 200,000 by 1891. In 1896 Lille became the first city in France to be led by a [[Socialism|socialist]], [[Gustave Delory]]. By 1912, Lille's population was at 217,000: the city profited from the [[Industrial Revolution]], particularly via [[coal]] and the [[steam engine]]. The entire region had grown wealthy thanks to the mines and to the textile industry. ===World War I=== From October 4th to 13th, 1914, the troops in Lille were able to trick the enemy by convincing them that Lille possessed more [[artillery]] than was the case; in reality, the city had only a single [[cannon]]. Despite the deception, the German bombardments destroyed over 2,200 buildings and homes. When the [[Germans]] realized they had been tricked, they burned down an entire section of town, subsequently occupying the city. Lille was liberated by the [[United Kingdom|British]] on October 17th, 1918, when [[William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood|General Sir William Birdwood]] and his troops were welcomed by joyous crowds. The general was made an honorary citizen of the city of Lille on October 28th of that year. ===The ''Années Folles'', the Great Depression, and the Popular Front=== In July 1921, at the [[Pasteur Institute]] in Lille, [[Albert Calmette]] and [[Camille Guérin]] discovered the first anti-[[tuberculosis]] [[vaccine]], known as [[Bacillus Calmette-Guérin|BCG]] ("Bacille de Calmette et Guérin"). The [[Opéra de Lille]], designed by Lille architect [[Louis M. Cordonnier]], was dedicated in 1923. From 1931 Lille felt the repercussions of the [[Great Depression]], and by 1935 a third of the city's population lived in poverty. In 1936, the city's mayor, [[Roger Salengro]], became [[Minister of the Interior (France)|Minister of the Interior]] of the [[Popular Front (France)|Popular Front]], eventually killing himself after right-wing groups led a slanderous campaign against him. ===World War II=== Lille was taken by the Germans in May 1940, after brief resistance by a [[Moroccan Infantry]] division. When [[Belgium]] was invaded, the citizens of Lille, still marked by the events of World War I, began to flee the city in large numbers. Although Lille was part of the zone under control of the German commander in Brussels, the city was never controlled by the [[Vichy]] government. The ''départments'' of Nord and [[Pas-de-Calais]] (with the exception of the coast, notably [[Dunkirk]]) were, for the most part, liberated in five days, from the 1st to 5th September 1944 by British, [[United States|American]], [[Canada|Canadian]], and [[Poland|Polish]] troops. On September 3rd, the German troops began to leave Lille, fearing the British, who were on their way from Brussels. Following this, the Lille resistance managed to retake part of the city before the British tanks arrived. Rationing came to an end in 1947, and by 1948, some normality had returned to Lille. ===Post-war to the present=== In 1967, the Chambers of Commerce of Lille, Roubaix, and Tourcoing were joined, and in 1969, the ''Communauté urbaine de Lille'' (Lille urban community) was created, linking 87 ''[[Communes of France|communes]]'' with Lille. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, the region was faced with some problems after the decline of the coal, mining and textile industries. From the start of the 1980s, the city began to turn itself more towards the [[Tertiary sector of economic activity|service sector]]. In 1983, the [[VAL]], the world's first automated [[rapid transit]] underground network, was opened. In 1993, a high-speed [[TGV]] train line was opened, connecting Paris with Lille in one hour. This, followed by the opening of the [[Channel Tunnel]] in 1994 and the arrival of the [[Eurostar]] train, puts Lille in the centre of a triangle connecting Paris, [[London]], and Brussels. One of the earliest examples of ATO was on the Victoria line of the London Underground, opened in 1968. The ATO system performs all functions of the driver except for the closing of the doors. The driver only needs to press two buttons to close the doors and if the way is clear, then the train will automatically proceed to the next station. Work on [[Euralille]], an urban remodelling project, began in 1991. The Euralille Centre was opened in 1994, and the remodeled district is now full of parks and modern buildings containing offices, shops, and apartments. In 1994 the "Grand Palais" was also opened. == Climate == Lille can be described as having a temperate oceanic climate; there are neither cold nor hot extremes, and average parcipitation. The winters are mild and the summers are pleasant. <center> {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; font-size:96%;" |+'''Comparative Climatic Table''' !width="140px"| City !! Clear !! Rain !! Snow !! Storm !! Fog |- |align="left"| [[Paris]] || {{formatnum:1797}} h/an || 642 mm/yr || 15 d/y || 19 d/yr ||13 d/yr</tr> |-style="background: #F9F9F9" |align="left"| [[Nice]] || {{formatnum:2694}} h/an || 767 mm/yr || 1 d/yr || 31 d/yr || 1 d/yr</tr> |align="left"| [[Strasbourg]] || {{formatnum:1637}} h/yr || 610 mm/yr || 30 d/yr || 29 d/yr ||65 d/an</tr> |-style="background: #D1E8FF" |align="left"| Lille<ref name="climatintermeteofrance" /> || 1 600 h/yr || 687 mm/yr || 19 d/yr || 19 d/yr || 69 d/yr</tr> |align="left"| National Average || {{formatnum:1973}} h/yr || 770 mm/yr || 14 d/yr || 22 d/yr || 40 d/yr</tr> |} </center> The table below gives temperatures and precipitation levels for the year [[2006]]. : <center> {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;width:80%;border:0px;text-align:center;line-height:120%;" ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color: #000000" height="17" |Month ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | J ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | F ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | M ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | A ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | M ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | J ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | J ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | A ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | S ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | O ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | N ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | D |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Maximum Temperatures (°C)</small> | style="background: #80CCFF; color:#000000;" | 6 | style="background: #CCCCFF; color:#000000;" | 6 | style="background: #CCFFFF; color:#000000;" | 9 | style="background: #FFFF99; color:#000000;" | 12 | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 17 | style="background: #FF8000; color:#000000;" | 19 | style="background: #FF8000; color:#000000;" | 22 | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 23 | style="background: #FF8000; color:#000000;" | 19 | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 14 | style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | 9 | style="background: #80CCFF; color:#000000;" | 7 |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Minimum Temperatures (°C)</small> | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -1 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -1 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 2 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 4 | style="background: #CCCCFF; color:#000000;" | 8 | style="background: #CCCCFF; color:#000000;" | 11 | style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | 13 | style="background: #CCCCFF; color:#000000;" | 13 | style="background: #CCFFFF; color:#000000;" | 11 | style="background: #80CCFF; color:#000000;" | 7 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 4 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 2 |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Average temperatures (°C)</small> | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 2 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 2 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 6 | style="background: #CCCCFF; color:#000000;" | 8 | style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | 13 | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 16 | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 18 | style="background: #FFFF99; color:#000000;" | 18 | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 15 | style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | 11 | style="background: #CCCCFF; color:#000000;" | 7 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 4 |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Precipitation (average high in mm)</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>48</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>41</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>43</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>43</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>51</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>56</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>61</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>58</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>56</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>64</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>61</small> | style="background: #D1E8FF; color: black;" | <small>58</small> |- | colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|Source: Météo France et Météo123<ref>Base de données météo par [http://fr.weather.com/weather/climatology/FRXX0052 Météo123] et Météo France</ref> |} </center> The table below gives the recorded minimum and maximum temperatures : <center> {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;width:80%;border:0px;text-align:center;line-height:120%;" ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color: #000000" height="17" |Month ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | J ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | F ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | M ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | A ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | M ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | J ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | J ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | A ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | S ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | O ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | N ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | D |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Maximum Recorded Temperatures (°C)</small> | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 14,2 | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 18,9 | style="background: #FF8000; color:#000000;" | 22,7 | style="background: #FF8000; color:#000000;" | 27,6 | style="background: #FF6600; color:#000000;" | 31,7 | style="background: #FF6600; color:#000000;" | 34,8 | style="background: #FF6600; color:#000000;" | 36,1 | style="background: #FF6600; color:#000000;" | 36,6 | style="background: #FF6600; color:#000000;" | 33,8 | style="background: #FF8000; color:#000000;" | 27,5 | style="background: #FF8000; color:#000000;" | 20,1 | style="background: #FFCC66; color:#000000;" | 15,9 |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:right;" |<small>\_ years of t° max.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1993 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1960 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1968 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1955 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 2005 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1947 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1959 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 2003 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1949 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1985 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1995 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 2000 |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Minimum recorded temperatures (°C)</small> | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -19,5 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -17,8 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -8,8 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -4,7 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -2,3 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 0 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 3,4 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 3,9 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | 1,2 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -4,4 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -7,8 | style="background: #8080FF; color:#000000;" | -17,3 |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:right;" |<small>\_ years of t° min.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1982 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1956 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1970 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1968 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1967 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1962 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1964 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1956 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1979 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1950 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1998 | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 1964 |- | colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|Source: Météo France<ref name="climatintermeteofrance">Données Météo France publiées par l'internaute - [http://www.linternaute.com/ville/ville/climat/21605/lille.shtml Climat à Lille]</ref> |} </center> Some complementary information about the climate of Lille. <center> {|valign=top width=80% |valign=top width=60%| {|class=wikitable |- |colspan=2 align=center style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |'''Average values''' |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Winter temperatures</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small>-1° to 6°C</small> |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Summer temperatures</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small>10°C to 22°C with less than four hot days more than 30°C</small> |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>November to May</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small>60 days with morning frost</small> |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Annual precipitation</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small>680 mm</small> |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Annual Sunshine</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small>1600 hours</small> |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Wind</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small>60 days with winds more than 16 m/s (sensible wind</small>) |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small>Given by funds {{s|XX}} of the Lille-Lesquin station</small> |} |valign=top width=40%| {|class=wikitable |- |colspan=2 align=center style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |'''Climatic records of Lille''' |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Hottest day</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 6 August 2003 : 36,4° |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Coldest day</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" | 14 January 1982 : -19,5° |- ! style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000; text-align:left;" |<small>Rainiest Month</small> | style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small>April 2001 : 112,6 mm of precipitation</small> |- |align=left colspan="2" style="background: #F5F5F5; color:#000000;" |<small> * Reference Station : Lille Lesquin Weppes Mélantois (47 m of altitude) * Observation Station : Lille (52 m) * August in Lille is the best month, with an average of less than nine days of rain. </small> |} |} </center> ==Economy== A former major [[textile]] manufacturing centre, Lille forms the heart of a larger conurbation, regrouping Lille, [[Roubaix]], [[Tourcoing]] and [[Villeneuve d'Ascq]], which is France's 4th-largest urban conglomeration with a 1999 population of over 1.1 million. {{section-stub}} ==Transport== ===Public transport=== [[Image:Le tramway à Marcq-en-Baroeul 13.jpg|thumb|right|A Lille tram]] {{main|Transpole}} The [[Urban Community of Lille Métropole|Lille Métropole]] has a mixed mode public transport system, comprising [[bus]]es, [[tram]]s and a driverless [[Rapid transit|metro]] system, all of which are operated under the Transpole name. The [[Lille Metro]] is a [[VAL]] system (''véhicule automatique léger'' = light automated vehicle) that opened on [[May 16]], [[1983]], becoming the first automatic metro line in the world. The metro system has two lines, with a total length of 45km and 60 stations. The tram system consists of two interurban tram lines, connecting central Lille to the nearby communities of [[Roubaix]] and [[Tourcoing]], and has 45 stops. 68 urban bus routes cover the metropolis, 8 of which reach into Belgium.<ref name=somltrav>{{cite web | title = Travel & Transport | url = http://www.mairie-lille.fr/sections/site-en/Lille_pratique/travel-transport | publisher = La mairie de Lille | accessdate = 2008-02-18}}</ref> ===Railways=== Lille is an important crossroads in the European [[high-speed rail]] network: it lies on the [[Eurostar]] line to [[London]] and the French [[TGV]] network to [[Paris]], [[Brussels]] and other major centres in France such as Marseille, Lyon, and Toulouse. It has two train stations, which stand next door to one another: Lille-Europe station (''[[Gare de Lille-Europe]]''), which primarily serves high-speed trains and international services (Eurostar), and Lille-Flandres station (''[[Gare de Lille-Flandres]]''), which primarily serves lower speed trains. ===Highways=== [[Image:Lille Autouroutes.svg|thumb|right|Lille: motorway network.]] No fewer than five ''autoroutes'' pass by Lille, the densest confluence of highways in France after Paris: * Autoroute A27 : Lille - Tournai - Brussels / Liège - Germany * Autoroute A23 : Lille - Valenciennes * Autoroute A1 : Lille - Arras - Paris / Reims - Lyon / Orléans / Le Havre * Autoroute A25 : Lille - Dunkirk - Calais - England / North Belgium * Autoroute A22 : Lille - Antwerp - Netherlands A sixth one — the proposed A24 — will link Amiens to Lille if built, but there is opposition to its route. ===Air traffic=== [[Lille Lesquin International Airport]] is 15 minutes from the city centre. In terms of shipping, it ranks fourth, with almost 38,000 tonnes of freight which pass through each year. {{fact}} ===Waterways=== Lille is the 3rd largest French river port after Paris and [[Strasbourg]]. The river [[Deûle]] is connected to regional waterways with over 680 km of navigatable waters. The Deûle connects to Northern Europe via the River [[Scarpe]] and the River [[Scheldt]] (towards Belgium and the Netherlands), and internationally via the [[Lys River]] (to Dunkerque and [[Calais]]). '''Shipping statistics''' <!-- Source Port de Lille, via la cci régionale --> {| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0 0 5px 5px; width:400px; background-color: #f3f3ff; text-align: right" ! style="background-color: #ddddff; text-align: left" | Year ! style="background-color: #ddddff; " | 1997 ! style="background-color: #ddddff; " | 2000 ! style="background-color: #ddddff; " | 2003 |- | style="background-color: #ddddff; text-align: left"|Millions of tonnes||5.56||6.68||7.30 |- | style="background-color: #ddddff; text-align: left"|By River or Sea||8.00%||8.25%||13.33% |- | style="background-color: #ddddff; text-align: left"|By Rail||6.28%||4.13%||2.89% |- | style="background-color: #ddddff; text-align: left"|By Road||85.72%||87.62%||83.78% |} ==Education== With over 97 000 students, the metropolitan area of Lille is one of the first student cities in France. * The [[Catholic University]] was founded in 1875. Today it has law, economics, medicine, physics faculties and schools. Among the most famous is [[Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers]] (ICAM) founded in 1898, ranked 20th among engineering schools, with the specificity of graduating polyvalent engineers, [[École des hautes études commerciales du nord]] (EDHEC) founded in 1906 and the [[IESEG]] currently ranked within the top 5 and top 15 business schools in France, respectively. In 1924 ESJ - a leading journalism school - was established. * With roots <ref> [http://www.nordpasdecalais.fr/cesr/telechargement/2006/2006-11-rapport_enseignement_superieur.pdf Rapport] L’’OPTIMISATION DU RESEAU DE FORMATION INITIALE D’’ENSEIGNEMENT SUPERIEUR EN REGION, RAPPORT DE M. Alain LOTTIN Au Conseil Economique et Social Régional Présenté lors de la séance plénière du 7 novembre 2006 </ref> back from 1562 to 1793 as [[University of Douai|Université de Douai]], then as Université Impériale in 1808, the State Université of Lille ([[Université Lille Nord de France]]) was established in Lille in 1854 with [[Louis Pasteur]] as the first dean of its Faculty of Sciences. A school of medecine and an engineering school were also established in Lille in 1854. The Université de Lille was united as the association of existing public Faculties in 1887 and was split into three independent university campus in 1970, including: ** [[Lille University of Science and Technology|Université de Lille I]], also referred-to as [[Lille University of Science and Technology|Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille]] (USTL), ** [[Lille 2 University of Health and Law|Université de Lille II]] with law, management, sports and medical faculties, ** [[Charles de Gaulle University - Lille III| Université Charles-de-Gaulle Lille III]] with humanities and social sciences courses. :[[Lille 2 University of Health and Law#ESA - Business Management School|ESA - Ecole Supérieure des Affaires]] is a Business Management school established in Lille in 1990. [[Institut d'études politiques de Lille|IEP Sciences-Po Lille]] political studies institute was established in Lille in 1992. *[[École centrale de Lille|Ecole Centrale de Lille]] was established as Institut Industriel du Nord (IDN) in 1872 and is one of the five [[Intergroupe des écoles centrales|Centrale Graduate Schools of engineering]] in France. [[:fr:École supérieure de commerce de Lille|ESC Lille Graduate School of Management]] established in 1892 is ranked among the top business schools in France. [[:fr:École nationale supérieure de chimie de Lille|École nationale supérieure de chimie de Lille]] was established as Institut de chimie de Lille in 1894 supporting chemistry research as followers of [[:fr:Frédéric Kuhlmann|Kuhlmann]]'s breakthrough works in Lille. [[École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers]] settled in Lille in 1900. The [[European Doctoral College Lille Nord-Pas de Calais]] is headquartered in Lille metropole and includes 3,000 PhD Doctorate students supported by university research laboratories. ==Miscellaneous== The urban area is one of the biggest in France with more than 1 million inhabitants. The [[Euralille]] [[Urban planning|urban development]] project, centred around the new TGV station has fostered a long debate among Lille's citizens. The project has finally been completed with modern [[architecture]] and disruption to the ancient city centre. Lille was elected [[European Capital of Culture]] in 2004, along with the Italian city of [[Genoa]] [[Image:Old house in "Vieux Lille".JPG|right|thumbnail|Old house in Lille's historical centre]] Lille is part of the [[Urban Community of Lille Métropole]] (formerly also known as C.U.D.L.). Lille's football club the [[Lille O.S.C.]] is one of the major teams in the French football league, has won 8 major national trophies and now reagularly features in the [[UEFA Champions League]] and [[UEFA Cup]]. Lille's Fine Arts Museum (Musée des beaux-arts) is the second largest in France {{Fact|date=July 2008}}, after the Louvre. Since 2006, Lille is home to the [[Lille Comics Festival]], the main British and American [[comic book]]s convention in the north of France, held in November. The European Railway Agency (http://www.era.eu.int/) has offices in Lille and Valenciennes. Lille features an array of architectural styles with various amounts of Flemish influence, including the use of brown and red brick. In addition, many residential neighborhoods, especially in Greater Lille, consist of attached 2-3 story houses aligned in a row, with narrow gardens in the back. These architectural attributes, many uncommon in France, help make Lille a transition in France to neighboring Belgium, as well as nearby Netherlands and England, where the presence of brick, as well as row houses or the [[Terraced house]] is much more prominent. [[Émile Zola]]'s novel ''[[Germinal (novel)|Germinal]]'' is set near Lille, in [[Marchiennes]]. === <h2> Famous people from Lille </h2> === ==== Scientists and entrepreneurs ==== *[[Charles-Joseph Panckoucke]], (1736&ndash;1788), founder of the ''[[:fr:Moniteur Universel]]'', owner of ''[[Mercure de France]]'', promotor of the ''Lumières'' and editor of the ''[[Encyclopédie Méthodique]]''. *[[:fr:Antoine Scrive-Labbe]] (1789&ndash;1864), industrialist in the textile field and French spy. *[[:fr:Frédéric Kuhlmann|Frédéric Kuhlmann]], (1803&ndash;1881), chemist professor, and creator of a [[sulfuric acid]] factory with an innovative process, as required for textile manufacturing. *[[:fr:Auguste Scalbert]] (1815-1899), creator of the first ''Nordiste'' bank. *[[Louis Pasteur]], (1822&ndash;1895), dean of the faculty of Science of Lille, inventor of the pasteurisation process, micro-biologist and pioneer of vaccines ; founder of the [[Institut Pasteur]]. *[[:fr:Alfred Mongy]] (1840&ndash;1914), modernizer of the city. *[[Albert Calmette]] (1863-1933) and [[Camille Guérin]] (1872&ndash;1961), discovery of the antituberculosis vaccine. *[[Jean Baptiste Perrin]] (1870-1942), [[Nobel Prize]] in physics and creator of the French [[Centre national de la recherche scientifique|CNRS]] (National Centre for Scientific Research). *[[Jean Dieudonné]] (1906-1992), mathematician. ==== Artists ==== *[[Renée Adorée]] (1898&ndash;1933), actress. *[[Alfred Agache (painter)|Alfred-Pierre Agache]] (1843&ndash;1915), [[academic art|academic]] painter *[[Alain de Lille]] (or Alanus ab Insulis) (c. 1128 - 1202), French theologian and poet *[[Émile Bernard]] (1868&ndash;1941), [[Neo-impressionism|neoimpressionist]] painter and friend of [[Paul Gauguin]] *[[Line Dariel]] (1886&ndash;1956), comedian. *[[Alain Decaux]] (1925-), television presenter, minister, writer, and member of the [[Académie française]]. *[[Pierre De Geyter]] (1848&ndash;1932), textile worker who composed the music of ''[[The Internationale]]'' in Lille. *[[Raoul de Godewaersvelde]] (1928&ndash;1977), singer. *[[Alexandre Desrousseaux]] (1820&ndash;1892), songwriter. *[[Carolus-Duran]] (1837&ndash;1917), painter. *[[Julien Duvivier]] (1896&ndash;1967), director. *[[Yvonne Furneaux]] (1928-), actress. *[[Paul Gachet]] (1828-1909), doctor most famous for treating the painter [[Vincent van Gogh]] *Kamini (1980- ), rap singer, hits success in 2006 in France with the funny "rural-rap" ''Marly-Gomont'' *[[Édouard Lalo]] (1823&ndash;1892), composer. *[[Serge Lutens]] (born 1942) photographer, make-up artist, interior and set designer, creator of perfumes and fashion designer. *[[Philippe Noiret]] (1930&ndash;2006), actor. *[[Antoine Renard]] (1825&ndash;1872), composer (''[[Le Temps des cerises]]''). *[[Albert Samain]] (1858&ndash;1900), poet. *[[Léopold Simons]] (1901&ndash;1979), poet, caricaturist, painter, sculptor. ==== Politicians, professionals and military ==== *[[Lydéric et Phinaert|Lydéric]], (620–?) legendary founder of the city. *[[Jeanne, Countess of Flanders]], (1188/1200? –1244), Countess. *[[Jeanne Maillotte]], (circa 1580), resistance fighter during the [[Hurlus|Hurlu]] attacks. *[[Louis Faidherbe]] (1818–1889), general, founder of the city of [[Dakar]] and senator. *[[Achille Liénart]] (1884–1973), « cardinal des ouvriers ». *[[Charles de Gaulle]] (1890–1970), general, resistance fighter, [[President of France]]. *[[Roger Salengro]] (1890–1936), minister, deputy, and Mayor of Lille. *[[Augustin Laurent]] (1896–1990), minister, deputy, resistance fighter, and Mayor of Lille. *[[Madeleine Damerment]] (1917–1944), [[French Resistance]] fighter - Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre, Médaille combattant volontaire de la Résistance *[[Pierre Mauroy]] (1928–), deputy, senator, [[Prime Minister of France]], and Mayor of Lille. *[[Martine Aubry]] (1950–), deputy, minister, and Mayor of Lille. ==== Sports ==== *[[Didier Six]] (1954-), former soccer player, part of the winning team of [[UEFA Euro 1984]]. ==Twin cities== *{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Cologne]], [[Germany]] <ref name=Lille.fr>{{cite web | url=http://www.mairie-lille.fr/sections/site-en/Menu_horizontal_haut/discovering-lille/lille-facts-figures/lille-facts-figures|title=Lile Facts & Figures|work=Mairie-Lille.fr|accessdate=2007-12-17}}</ref> *{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Erfurt]], [[Germany]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Luxembourg}} [[Esch-sur-Alzette]], [[Luxembourg]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Ukraine}} [[Kharkiv]], [[Ukraine]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Leeds]], [[United Kingdom]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Liège (city)|Liège]], [[Belgium]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Palestine}} [[Nablus]], [[Palestine]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Oujda]], [[Morocco]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Rotterdam]], [[Netherlands]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Israel}} [[Safed]], [[Israel]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Senegal}} [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]], [[Senegal]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|China}} [[Shanghai]], [[People's Republic of China]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Turin]], [[Italy]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> *{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Valladolid]], [[Spain]] <ref name=Lille.fr/> ==See also== * [[Lille Cathedral]] (''Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille'') *[[Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille]] == Notes == {{reflist}} == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commons|Lille|Lille}} * {{wikitravel}} * [http://www.mairie-lille.fr/sections/site-en Official website in English] * [http://www.lille2004.com/ European Capital of Culture 2004] * [http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/France/Regions/Nord-Pas-de-Calais/Nord/Localities/ links DMOZ in English] * [http://imaginelille2017.com Proposal for Lille Expo 2017] {{Préfectures of départements of France}} {{Préfectures of régions of France}} {{European Capital of Culture}} [[Category:Lille| ]] [[Category:Communes of Nord]] [[af:Lille]] [[ar:ليل (مدينة)]] [[frp:Lila]] [[bar:Lille]] [[br:Lille]] [[bg:Лил]] [[ca:Lilla]] [[ceb:Lille]] [[cs:Lille]] [[da:Lille]] [[de:Lille]] [[es:Lille]] [[eo:Lille]] [[eu:Lille]] [[fa:لیل (شهر)]] [[fr:Lille]] [[gl:Lille]] [[ko:릴]] [[hi:लील]] [[hr:Lille]] [[io:Lille]] [[id:Lille]] [[is:Lille]] [[it:Lilla]] [[he:ליל]] [[lad:Lille]] [[la:Insula (urbs)]] [[lv:Lille]] [[lb:Lille]] [[lt:Lilis]] [[hu:Lille]] [[nl:Rijsel]] [[ja:リール (フランス)]] [[no:Lille]] [[nn:Lille]] [[oc:Lilla]] [[pms:Lille]] [[pl:Lille]] [[pt:Lille]] [[ro:Lille]] [[qu:Lille]] [[ru:Лилль]] [[sq:Lille]] [[scn:Lille]] [[simple:Lille]] [[sk:Lille]] [[sl:Lille]] [[sr:Лил]] [[fi:Lille]] [[sv:Lille]] [[vi:Lille]] [[tr:Lille]] [[uk:Лілль]] [[vec:Lille]] [[vo:Lille (Fransän)]] [[vls:Rysel]] [[zh:里尔]]