Geography and Climate
Calais is located on the Pas de Calais, which marks the boundary between the English Channel and North Sea and located at the opposite end of the Channel Tunnel, 34 kilometres from Dover. On a clear day the White cliffs of Dover can be viewed across the channel. Aside from being an important port and boarding point between France and England, it is at the nucleus of many major railway and highway networks and connected by road to Arras, Lens, Bethune and St. Omer. Dunkirk is located about 47 kilometres by road to the east. Calais is located 288 kilometres north by road from the French capital of Paris, roughly a 3 hour 15 minute journey. The commune of Calais is bordered by the English channel to the north, Sangatte and Coquelles to the west, Coulogne to the south and Marck to the east. The core area of the city is divided into the Old Town area within the old city walls, and the younger suburbs of St. Pierre, which are connected by a boulevard.
Côte d'Opale is a cliff-lined section of coast that parallels the white cliffs on the British coast and is part of the same geological formation. It is known for its scenic cliffs such as Cape Blanc Nez and Cape Gris Nez and for its wide area of dunes. Many artists have been inspired by its landscapes, among them the composer Henri Dutilleux, the writers Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens, and the painters J. M. W. Turner, Carolus-Duran, Maurice Boitel and Eugène Boudin. It was the painter Édouard Lévêque who coined the name for this area in 1911 to describe the distinctive quality of its light.
The climate is temperate oceanic in Calais. Temperature ranges are moderate and the winters are mild with unstable weather. It rains on average about 700 to 800 mm per year.
| Climate data for Calais, France | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
5.8 (42.4) |
8.6 (47.5) |
12.4 (54.3) |
15.2 (59.4) |
17.2 (63.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
6.2 (43.2) |
3.6 (38.5) |
9.85 (49.73) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 51.1 (2.012) |
41.4 (1.63) |
56.3 (2.217) |
48.2 (1.898) |
59.5 (2.343) |
63.4 (2.496) |
60.4 (2.378) |
55.7 (2.193) |
58.1 (2.287) |
64.0 (2.52) |
66.9 (2.634) |
61.8 (2.433) |
686.8 (27.039) |
| Source: French-Property.com | |||||||||||||
The commune of Calais is divided into 13 quartiers :
- Beau Marais
- Cailloux
- Calais-nord
- Courgain Maritime
- Fontinettes
- Fort-Nieulay
- Gambetta
- Nouvelle-France
- Mi-voix
- Petit Courgain
- Plage
- Pont-du-Leu
- Saint-Pierre
Read more about this topic: Calais
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