What is Dunkirk?
{{Infobox French commune |name = Dunkirk |native name = Dunkerque |commune status = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]] |image = Dunkerque hotel de ville vu port.jpg |caption = Dunkirk Town Hall and port |image flag = Flag of Dunkirk.svg |image coat of arms = Greater Coat of Arms of Dunkerque.svg |arrondissement = Dunkirk |canton = [[Canton of Dunkerque-1|Dunkerque-1]] and [[Canton of Dunkerque-2|2]], [[Canton of Grande-Synthe|Grande-Synthe]] |INSEE = 59183 |postal code = 59140, 59240, 59640 |mayor = Patrice Vergriete |term = 2014–2020 |intercommunality = [[Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque|CU Dunkerque]] |coordinates = {{coord|51.0383|2.377500|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |elevation m = 4 |elevation min m = 0 |elevation max m = 17 |area km2 = 43.89 |population = 90995 |population date = 2012 }} [[File:LocatieDuinkerke.PNG|thumb|200px|Location of Dunkirk in the arrondissement of Dunkirk.]] [[File:Digue de Dunkerque.jpg|thumb|200px|Dunkirk's seafront.]] '''Dunkirk''' ({{lang-fr|Dunkerque}}, [[International Phonetic Alphabet|pronounced]] {{IPA|/dœ̃kɛʀk/}} or {{IPA|/dɛ̃kɛʀk/}}; {{lang-nl|Duinkerke or Duinkerken}}) is a [[harbour]] city in the northernmost part of [[France]], 10 km (6&nbsp;[[Mile|mi]]) from the [[Belgium|Belgian]] border. The population of the whole [[metropolitan area]] was of 265,974 at the 1999 census. Until the middle of the 20th century the city was in the [[Dutch language]] area; today the local Dutch dialect still can be heard but has largely given way to French. == History == Dunkirk was first mentioned in 1067 as ''Dunkerk'' ({{lang-nl|Church of the Dunes}}). In [[World War II]], heavy fighting took place around Dunkirk during the German invasion in 1940 ([[Battle of Dunkirk]]), but a lull in the action unexpectedly allowed a large number of French and British soldiers to escape t