Two departments (Nord and Pas-de-Calais) have combined to give this region its name. It has one very big city, Lille (which has 960,000 inhabitants). Its population, which is the youngest in France, is high in the the region as a whole, with 4 million inhabitants and is concentrated in eight towns of over 100,00 inhabitants.

Port of Calais: cross-Channel ferry (Nord-Pas-de-Calais region)

For a long time this region was the most heavily industrial in the country (the principal industries being steel, textiles and coal); but hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost and the area has undergone a profound transformation. It is now one of the most important areas in terms of agriculture and its 140 km of coastline include the third biggest French port, Dunkirk, and the biggest fishing port, Boulogne.

Law faculty in Douai (Nord-Pas-de-Calais)

The region has also succeeded in developing its food industry (8% of national production) whilst maintaining its strong position in textiles (30% of overall production) and the iron and steel industry, due to the presence of Usinor-Sacilor, the biggest steel producer in Europe and second biggest in the world. It is also the European leader in mail orders, with 21 companies generating 75% of French turnover in this sector.

Wind farm, Dunkirk (Nord - Pas-de-Calais region)

The region is served by the north-European TGV rail network which means that Lille is now only one hour away from Paris and half an hour from Brussels.