Helfaut
Commune in Hauts-de-France, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helfaut (French pronunciation: [ɛlfo]; West Flemish: Helveld; Picard: Hérfauw) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France[3] 4 miles (6 km) south of Saint-Omer, on a geological formation called the "plateau d'Helfaut", which separates the Aa valley to the north from the Lys valley, to the south.
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Helfaut
Helveld | |
|---|---|
The town hall and schools of Helfaut | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Helfaut | |
  Helfaut  Helfaut | |
| Coordinates: 50°41′54″N 2°14′38″E | |
| 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 (2023)[2] | 1,724 |
| • Density | 193/km2 (501/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. | |
The commune is home to rare and protected species in a heathland landscape, which is unusual for northern France and led to the creation of a nature reserve (Les Landes d'Helfaut).
Population
The inhabitants are called Helfalois.
| 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] | ||
History
In World War II the village was the site of La coupole, an underground bunker housing a huge concrete dome, built by the Nazis between 1943 and 1944 to serve as a launching base for V2 rockets, which never entered service because of bombing raids by the Allies. It has been transformed into a museum.[5]
