Grand Saint

The first mention of Centa refers to the year 648. In the 8th century, Benedictine monks were brought here to divert water streams flowing into the river Aa and directly into the sea. Their efforts made it possible to make these lands safe for living, although the danger of floods persisted until 1280, when Count Jean built a dam here and was immortalized in the name of the street along which it runs. Being in the center of the territory, contested over several centuries by the three great powers, Saint repeatedly passed from hand to hand. The record was recorded on June 14, 1648, when Dunkirk and all adjacent territories changed its owners three times: in the morning it was Spanish, at noon - French, and by night - English.

After the Allied landings in Normandy during World War II, Grand St. became the site of bloody battles, as the Nazis were desperate to stay in the Dunkirk area. None of the 371 buildings escaped destruction, and more than two-thirds were completely destroyed. After the war, the city was actually re-created, thanks in large part to financial assistance from the United States and Canada.

The structure of employment:

• agriculture - 0.4%
• industry - 31.0%
• construction - 5.1%
• trade, transport and services - 37.5%
• state and municipal services - 26.1%

The unemployment rate ( 2013 ) is 29.1% (France as a whole - 12.8%, the department of Nor - 17.2%).
The average annual income per person, the euro ( 2013 ) - 14 988 (France as a whole - 25 140, department Nor - 18 575).

Population dynamics, people

Since 2001, the administration of Grand Sente has been headed by Damien Carême, first a socialist , then a member of the Europe Ecology Green movement. In the elections of 2014, he won, gaining 53.55% of the votes in the 1st round.

•   Suwalki , Poland
•   Cherepovets , Russia

• Communes of Nor

• National Institute of Statistics
• The results of the 2014 municipal elections