Helfaut Helveld | |
|---|---|
_mairie_et_%25C3%25A9coles.JPG) The town hall and schools of Helfaut | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Helfaut | |
  Helfaut  Helfaut | |
| Coordinates:50°41′54″N2°14′38″E / 50.6983°N 2.2439°E /50.6983; 2.2439 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Pas-de-Calais |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Omer |
| Canton | Longuenesse |
| Intercommunality | Pays de Saint-Omer |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Francis Marquant[1] |
Area 1 | 8.92 km2 (3.44 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 1,728 |
| • Density | 194/km2 (502/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 62423 /62570 |
| Elevation | 23–95 m (75–312 ft) (avg. 92 m or 302 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Helfaut (French pronunciation:[ɛlfo];West Flemish:Helveld;Picard:Hérfauw) is acommune in thePas-de-Calaisdepartment in the Hauts-de-Franceregion of France[3] 4 miles (6 km) south ofSaint-Omer, on a geological formation called the "plateau d'Helfaut", which separates theAa valley to the north from theLys valley, to the south.
The commune is home to rare and protected species in aheathland landscape, which is unusual for northern France and led to the creation of a nature reserve (Les Landes d'Helfaut).
The inhabitants are calledHelfalois.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 1,139 | — |
| 1975 | 1,248 | +1.31% |
| 1982 | 1,426 | +1.92% |
| 1990 | 1,671 | +2.00% |
| 1999 | 1,693 | +0.15% |
| 2007 | 1,750 | +0.41% |
| 2012 | 1,596 | −1.83% |
| 2017 | 1,697 | +1.23% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
InWorld War II the village was the site ofLa coupole, an undergroundbunker housing a huge concrete dome, built by theNazis between 1943 and 1944 to serve as a launching base forV2 rockets, which never entered service because of bombing raids by the Allies. It has been transformed into a museum.[5]
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