Hérouville-Saint-Clair
Encyclopedia
Hérouville-Saint-Clair is a commune
in the Calvados
department in the Basse-Normandie
region
in northwestern France
.
It is a suburb
of the city of Caen
, and lies adjacent to it in a northeasterly direction, along the west side of the Canal de Caen à la Mer
. Its inhabitants are called Hérouvillais.
Just across the canal from Hérouville is a Renault Trucks
manufacturing plant, which is situated between the canal and the Orne River
. Just east of the river is the town of Colombelles
.
Hérouville was the commune name until 1957.
. A simple village at the beginning of 1960, the commune passed from fewer than 2,000 inhabitants to almost 25,000 in less than fifteen years. This figure has varied little since 1975.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
department in the Basse-Normandie
Basse-Normandie
Lower Normandy is an administrative region of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in northwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It is a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of the city of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, and lies adjacent to it in a northeasterly direction, along the west side of the Canal de Caen à la Mer
Canal de Caen à la Mer
Canal de Caen à la Mer also called the "Caen Canal") is a short canal in the department of Calvados, France, connecting the Port of Caen, in the city of Caen, downstream to the town of Ouistreham and the English Channel....
. Its inhabitants are called Hérouvillais.
Just across the canal from Hérouville is a Renault Trucks
Renault Trucks
Renault Trucks is a French truck manufacturer with its corporate headquarters at Saint-Priest near Lyon. Originally part of Renault, it has been owned by Volvo Group since 2001....
manufacturing plant, which is situated between the canal and the Orne River
Orne River
The Orne is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées...
. Just east of the river is the town of Colombelles
Colombelles
Colombelles is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.It is located on the Canal de Caen à la Mer.-Population:...
.
Hérouville was the commune name until 1957.
Population
Hérouville-Saint-Clair experienced a very fast development which made it the most populous suburb of CaenCaen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
. A simple village at the beginning of 1960, the commune passed from fewer than 2,000 inhabitants to almost 25,000 in less than fifteen years. This figure has varied little since 1975.