Nord (Department, France)

Last modified: 2016-02-15 by ivan sache
Keywords: nord |
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Flag of Nord - Image by Ivan Sache, 18 May 2014

• Administrative data
• Flag of Nord
• Former flag of the General Council
• Municipalities

  Lille Annœullin Avesnes-sur-Helpe Bailleul Bergues Bondues Boussois Bray-Dunes Cambrai Cappelle-la-Grande

  Coudekerque-Branche Douai Dunkirk (Dunkerque) Estaires Fort-Mardyck Grande-Synthe Gravelines Leers Loos Marcq-en-Barœul

  Pont-à-Marcq Roubaix Saint-André-lez-Lille Saint-Pol-sur-Mer Steenvoorde Tourcoing Valenciennes Villeneuve d'Ascq Wasquehal

• Sport flags
• Yacht clubs

See also:

• France
• France: Metropolitan departments
• Clickable map of France (departments)

Administrative data

Code: 59
Region: Nord-Pas de Calais
Traditional province: Flanders
Bordering departments: Aisne, Pas-de-Calais, Somme

Area: 5,742 km²
Population (2006): 2,565,257 inhabitants

Préfecture: Lille
Sous-préfectures: Avesnes-sur-Helpe, Cambrai, Douai, Dunkirk, Valenciennes
Subdivisions: 6 arrondissements, 79 cantons, 652 communes.

The department is named ("North") after its geographical situation.
On 1 September 1973, the municipality of Escaufourt, formerly enclaved in the department of Nord, was merged with the municipality of Saint-Souplet (Nord).

Ivan Sache, 14 November 2009

Flag of Nord

The General Council of Nord adopted a new logo in 2011 (official leaflet), and the flag was changed accordingly (photo).
The new logo is made of a rectangular block, in "Nord gray" colour, including the writing "Nord / le Département" in white letters. The position of the text within the block should not be changed. The text is written using the Frutiger font".
The colour specification for "Nord gray" is:

CMYK (%)	64-47-25-5
Pantone 	5415

There is little information about the new logo, except in an interview (L'Observateur du Douaisis; 25 September 2011), of Patrick Kanner, President of the General Council since 31 March 2011. Kanner argues that the former logo of the General Council was not understandable to anybody, while the world "département" is meaningful for the inhabitants. He further added that the new logo is "home made" (I understand, designed by the services of the General Council rather than by a private agency).

Ivan Sache, 18 May 2014

Former flag of the General Council

Former flag of the General Council of Nord - Photo by Ivan Sache, taken in Bavay, 2 May 2007

The former flag of the General Council of Nord was yellow with a blue stripe placed vertically along the hoist and another placed horizontally along the bottom of the flag. The yellow rectangle is charged with the logo of the General Council in blue.
The logo of the General Council of Nord is made of a stylized "N" surmounting "Conseil Général / Département du Nord"; the elements are white on a blue background - while blue on yellow on the flag.

Ivan Sache, 17 October 2009