Fourmies | |
|---|---|
 A view within Fourmies | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Fourmies | |
  Fourmies  Fourmies | |
| Coordinates:50°01′05″N4°03′14″E / 50.0181°N 4.0539°E /50.0181; 4.0539 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Nord |
| Arrondissement | Avesnes-sur-Helpe |
| Canton | Fourmies |
| Intercommunality | CC Sud Avesnois |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Mickaël Hiraux[1] |
Area 1 | 22.98 km2 (8.87 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 11,528 |
| • Density | 501.7/km2 (1,299/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 59249 /59610 |
| Elevation | 174–247 m (571–810 ft) (avg. 202 m or 663 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Fourmies (French pronunciation:[fuʁmi]) is acommune in theNorddepartment in northernFrance.[3] The inhabitants are calledFourmisiens. It lies on the riverHelpe Mineure (Helpe Minor or Little Helpe). Since 2015, Fourmies has been the seat of theCanton of Fourmies, an administrative division of the Nord department. The canton was created at the French canton reorganization which came into effect in March 2015.[4]
Fourmies is situated in theEuroregion ofThiérache, a region of Northern France and SouthernBelgium. It is 50 km (31 mi) fromValenciennes, 100 km (62 mi) fromLille, and 175 km (109 mi) fromParis. The city is surrounded by forests and ponds.
Roman coins have been discovered in Fourmies. In the 11th century, the town was first mentioned under the name "Formeias", which may refer to the swamp area in the valley of the river Helpe Mineure.[5][6] Since the 12th century, the village has been calledFormies,Furmies,Formies,Formiis andFourmies.[6] At one time it was property of theAvesnes family, and theLiessies Abbey.[7]
Glassworks were created in Fourmies in 1599. They were the first established in northern France.[8]
On 1 May 1891 theFusillade de Fourmies occurred. It was the first French and international celebration ofInternational Workers' Day onMay Day. In Fourmies, troops shot at peaceful strikers: nine died, including eight demonstrators under 21 years old, among whom a young worker who will remain a symbol, Marie Blondeau. Thirty-five strikers were also wounded.[9]
On May 1, 1891, a shooting occurred in theFrenchNord department. Government troops fired upon a peacefuldemonstration of workers claiming "C'est les huit heures qu'il nous faut !" (It's theeight-hour day we need!), killing nine people and injuring 35 others.
The shooting of 1 May in Fourmies evoked strong emotions in France. It is regarded today as one of the founding events of theFrench Section of the Workers' International.Jean Jaurès visited Fourmies afterwards to make a speech there whileGeorges Clemenceau declared in front of the French Parliament that "it is theFourth estate which rose" (« c'est le Quatrième état qui s'est levé ». ).
| The arms of Fourmies areblazoned : Gules, 3 fesses argent (Croÿ)dimidiated withBendy Or and gules (Avesnes) |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 15,117 | — |
| 1975 | 15,505 | +0.36% |
| 1982 | 15,242 | −0.24% |
| 1990 | 14,505 | −0.62% |
| 1999 | 13,867 | −0.50% |
| 2007 | 13,233 | −0.58% |
| 2012 | 12,663 | −0.88% |
| 2017 | 11,727 | −1.52% |
| Source: INSEE[10] | ||
Medtronic has an assembly plant in Fourmies.[11]
Fourmies is on the rail line betweenLille andHirson. TheSNCF station (Gare de Formies) is served by theTER Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
It is planned to be crossed by the Trans-European Cycle Route Paris-Moscow knowns asEV3 The Pilgrims Route.[12]
The Arc-en-Ciel (réseau interurbain du Nord) interurban departmental network in Hauts de France Nord provides bus service to the city of Fourmies in the 4 region (lines 402 express, 402, 433, 438 and 439).[13]
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