Gravelines

Gravelines

Grevelingen
Gravelines Grevelingen
Commune
	Place Charles Valentin
	Coat of arms
	Location of Gravelines
	Gravelines Gravelines
	Coordinates: 50°59′09″N 2°07′42″E / 50.9858°N 2.1283°E
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Dunkerque
Canton	Grande-Synthe
Intercommunality	CU Dunkerque
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Bertrand Ringot
Area 1	22.66 km2 (8.75 sq mi)
Population (2021)	11,223
• Density	500/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Demonym	Gravelinois
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	59273 /59820
Elevation	0–25 m (0–82 ft) ; (avg. 3 m or 9.8 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Gravelines (/ɡrævˈliːn/, grav-LEEN; French pronunciation: [gʁavlin]; Dutch: Grevelingen Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣreː.və.lɪ.ŋə(n)]) is a commune in the Nord department in Northern France.^[3] It lies at the mouth of the river Aa 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Dunkirk. It was formed in the 12th century around the mouth of a canal built to connect Saint-Omer with the sea. As it was on the western borders of Spanish territory in Flanders it became heavily fortified, some of which remains.

There is a market in the town square (Place Charles Valentin) on Fridays. The "Arsenal" approached from the town square is home to an extensive and carefully displayed art collection. There are modern bronze statues in the grounds. The town is also home to French basketball club BCM Gravelines.

The Gravelines Belfry is one of 56 belfries of Belgium and France that is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in recognition of its architecture and importance in the history of municipal power in the region.^[4]

^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
^ INSEE commune file
^ "Belfries of Belgium and France". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[1] "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.

[popleg2021-2] "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.

[3] INSEE commune file

[unesco-4] "Belfries of Belgium and France". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

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