Demography of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais

The Nord-Pas-de-Calais is the fourth most populated area France and was a long time, economically and démographiquement, one of most dynamic of the hexagon. In spite of the recent attenuation of this phenomenon, it remains one of young people: the Birth rate was of 13,7 ‰ in 2005 (against 12,6 ‰ for the whole of the Metropolitan France). Less than 20 years 27,8% of the population in 2005 formed (against 25,2% for the Metropolis) -.

The Nord-Pas-de-Calais densément is densément populated with its 322,7 hab. /km ² in 1999. There are two primary reasons with that. The first is the strong natural surplus and the second is strong the Immigration (Belgian before 1910, Polish in the mine S, Italy does not enter 1920 and 1930, Maghrebian after 1945).

Evolution of the population

Sources: INSEE, and IAURIF.

In 1954, the population accounted for 7,8% of the national settlement. Since, the deceleration of the growth is related to the attenuation of the natural surpluses and the migratory balances. Before the consecutive crisis with the oil crises, the inhabitants of North had a dominant very marked worker (48,1% of the credits in 1975).

Evolution by district

The figures are provided by INSEE

Between 1982 and 1999, more than 85% of the increase in population go to the district of Lille, which coincides rather well with the urban surface of the regional metropolis. Between 1990 and 1999, it is even almost the totality of the increase in population in the area which concentrates around the metropolis. It is however the district of Saint-Omer who is most dynamic. If it is added that the districts of Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne-sur-Mer and Arras recorded some good progressions, one must admit that the demographic development concentrates these last decades in the north of the area, around an axis Lille-Calais, although the capital of the Pas-de-Calais is not in this zone.

On the other hand the districts of Valencians, from Avesnes-on-Helpe and from Cambric suffered from depopulation. These districts which, together, constitute French Hainaut and Cambrésis recover the zones of the area furthest away from the littoral zone. The district of Lens also lost a few thousands of inhabitants.

Natural movement of the population

Provided figures by INSEE -.

Fruitfulness by department

The median number of children per woman or index of the economic situation of fruitfulness evolved/moved as follows for each department and the whole of the area:

Recent evolution of fruitfulness

The data of fruitfulness after 2003 are extremely fragmentary. INSEE Brittany however reveals us that in 2005, fruitfulness exceeded the threshold of the fertility rate of 2,0 in 5 areas, with at the head the Countries of the Loire. It acts moreover Nord-Pas-de-Calais, of Picardy, of the Franche-Comté and Center area. The Nord-Pas-de-Calais thus keeps its place within the most fertile areas of the country.

Foreigners and immigrants

By immigrant one understands somebody residing in France, born foreigner abroad. He can be become French by acquisition or have kept his foreign nationality. On the other hand the group from abroad is consisted the whole of the residents having a foreign nationality, which they were born in France or out of France. The French of birth are not immigrants, even if they were born out of France.

Note:

the code of French nationality declares that any person born of at least a French relative is French with the birth (by filiation). Is also French with the birth, any person born in France of at least a relative himself born in France (double right of the ground). Thus any child of a foreign born itself in France is French full.

the newborns in France of foreign parents born both abroad are thus foreign, but become French full at 18 years, if they reside there and resided at it in a continuous or discontinuous way during five years since age the 11 years and if they do not wish to preserve their nationality of origin. However the 16 year old minor accomplished can make the request for acquisition anticipated of nationality without the agreement of his parents and under the same conditions of duration of residence in France during five years since the 11 years age. Moreover, as of the 13 years age, the parents can ask for French nationality for their child, with his agreement (under condition of having resided five years in France since the 8 years age).

Many immigrants and from abroad in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Distribution of the immigrants by area of the world and country of birth

Country of birth of the immigrants living in area Nord-Pas-de-Calais in 1999

Source:

Evolution of the distribution by sex of the immigrants

Source: INSEE Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Evolution of the number of the immigrants and abroad since 1968

Source: .

Distribution of the births by nationality of the mother

Figures of INSEE for the year 2004:

The important quota of births of Maghrebian mother (1.765 for the unit), very largely higher than that of the births of euro-Mediterranean origin (120 for the three countries), indicates that the area still receives a regular contribution as young Maghrebian adults, whereas, except for Portugal, the immigration of young Europeans of the south quasi ceased, involving a broad ageing of the Spanish and Italian communities.

If half of the births of French mother take place from now on out-marriage, it does not go from there at all in the same way for the foreign mothers especially those of Moslem tradition (Tunisia).

Urban cities and surfaces

Intense urbanization

With the national scales, the urbanization took a single form: importance of the town population (86,4%), great number of City S (511) and of Agglomeration S (105). It relates to as much the small towns isolated as the great agglomerations from the field or from conurbation inhabitant of Lille. Capping the urban network, the latter is based on about fifteen common averages. A good part of the rural communes located near the cities are actually zones périurbaines of which at least 40% of the active population work in the urban center.

Seven regional cities are classified among the principal ones in France of many inhabitants, in particular Lille which with 182 228 inhabitants in 1999 arrives at the thirteenth row with a progression of +5,86% compared to 1990. But they are Saint-Omer, Calais and Arras which, in the area, knew more the relative strong progressions of their populations.

Principal urban surfaces

The following populations refer to the urban surfaces in their extension defined at the time of the census of 1999

One can note that the agglomeration inhabitant of Lille is expanding demographic, involving with it the urban surfaces of Merville and Armentières, like Hazebrouck and Bailleul. Quasi all the urban surfaces of the center-south and the east of the area, except for Arras are in regression, sometimes important like Maubeuge and Fourmies. The closing of the mines and disindustrialization made devastations there, following the example Hainaut Walloon neighbor.

On the other hand in the Pas-de-Calais, the vast maritime areas are expanding demographic, light certainly but indisputable (Calais, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Étaples and Berck), including the town of Saint-Omer.

Population density

Source Insee

Age structure

Source Insee

The Flemish language

The Flemish or westvlaamsch , variety of Dutch is with the Picardy chtimi or , one of the two regional languages of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais. He speaks himself in the district about Dunkirk and more or less concerns there 60.000 speakers of more than 18 years. With the Middle Ages, the surface of extension of the Flemish language was much more important than currently. The various Flemish dialects spoke each other in the areas about Saint-Omer, Calais ( Kaleis in Flemish) and included Boulogne-sur-Mer ( Boonen ), as Roubaix ( Rosbeek what means river with the reeds), Wattrelos and Halluin. The Flemish speeches gradually moved back of these areas, leaving there only one series of toponyms or names of localities and other places, typically Germanic and hardly francized (Audinghen, Audruicq, Bayenghem, Éperlecques and well of others still). To the 19th century the territory on which Flemish still spoke itself corresponded roughly to the district of Dunkirk. But gradually, in the cities initially, then in the campaigns, French was established, there like almost everywhere else in the provinces, because it was the only one with being taught in the schools.

The chart opposite measurement regression of the use of Flemish in the district of Dunkirk, over one one century period. It is noticed that Dunkirk, formerly bilingual became exclusively French-speaking. Let us announce that Flemish always speaks itself in small towns, such Hondschoote, Cassel and especially Bailleul ( Belle in Flemish).

Situation in 1999

As for the use of Picardy, the Flemish language is especially declared by the generations oldest. According to the investigation of INSEE carried out jointly with the census of 1999, the proportion of speakers is divided per 13,3 for Flemish, between the old people of more than 60 years and less than 25 years (by 2,4 for the Picardy one).

The rate of conservation of the Flemish language (definite like the proportion of the adults having heard their parents speak Flemish and which them also uses it, was this occasionally) is about the third (33%). This proportion reaches 42% in the farmers. Let us notice that the figure of 33% as rate of conservation implies that of 11% only of conservation after two generations, i.e. in more or less 60 years. Among the speakers of Flemish, a large half belong to the categories of the workmen and the employees, and 11% are farmers.

References

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