Le Havre

Le Havre is a city in Normandy, northern France, on the English Channel, at the mouth of the Seine.

Population of the city (commune) at the 1999 census was 190,905 inhabitants (186,700 inhabitants as of February 2004 estimates). Population of the whole metropolitan area (aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 296,773 inhabitants.

It was the port-of-call for French ocean liners making the Transatlantic crossing (cf Cruise ship).

Administration

Le Havre is a commune and a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Maritime département.

History

The city was founded in 1517, when it was named Franciscopolis after Francis I of France, and subsequently named Le Havre-de-Grâce (hence Havre de Grace, Maryland). Le Havre simply means the harbour or the port. Its construction was ordered to replace the ancient harbours of Honfleur and Harfleur whose utility had decreased due to silting.

The city was devastated during the Battle of Normandy and rebuilt in modernist style by Auguste Perret.