Amiens | |
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State | Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy |
Country | France |
Capital | |
Population | 133327 |
Postcode | 80000 |
Amiens (English or AM-ee-ənz,; French: [amjɛ̃]; Picard: Anmien, Anmiens or Anmyin) is a city and commune in northern France, 120 km (75 mi) north of Paris and 100 km (62 mi) south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Hauts-de-France. The city had a population of 136,105 according to the 2006 census, and has one of the biggest university hospitals in France with a capacity of 1,200 beds. Amiens Cathedral is the largest church in France by volume, estimated at 200,000 cubic metres (260,000 cu yd). It is also a World Heritage Site. The author Jules Verne lived in Amiens from 1871 until his death in 1905, and served on the city council for 15 years.
The town was fought over during both World Wars, suffering significant damage, and was repeatedly occupied by both sides. The 1918 Battle of Amiens was the opening phase of the Hundred Days Offensive which directly led to the Armistice with Germany. The Royal Air Force heavily bombed the town during the Second World War. In the aftermath the city was rebuilt according to Pierre Dufau's plans with wider streets to ease traffic congestion. These newer structures were primarily built of brick, concrete and white stone with slate roofs.
Grimsby | |
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State | |
Country | |
Capital | |
Population | 0 |
Grimsby, also Great Grimsby, is an English coastal seaport town and administrative centre in North East Lincolnshire, on the South Bank of the Humber Estuary, close to where it reaches the North Sea. It was the home port for the world's largest fishing fleet by the mid-20th century, but fishing fell sharply after later changes. The Cod Wars denied the United Kingdom access to Icelandic fishing grounds, and the European Union parcelled out fishing quotas in waters within a 200-nautical-mile (370 km) limit of the UK coast to other European countries, in line with its Common Fisheries Policy.