CALAIS

industrial seaport on the Strait of Dover, Pas-de-Calais dpartement, Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, northern France, 21 mi (34 km) by sea from Dover (the shortest crossing from England). On an island, now bordered by canals and harbour basins, Calais originated as a fishing village. It was improved by the Count of Flanders in 997 and was fortified by the Count of Boulogne in 1224. After the Battle of Crcy, it withstood an English siege for almost a year (1346) until it was starved out. The famous episode of the six burghers who surrendered to save Calais is commemorated by Auguste Rodin's statuary group. Franois de Lorraine, 2nd duc de Guise, took the town from the English in 1558, and the region (Calaisis) became known as the Pays Reconquis. Occupied by the Spanish (159698), it was returned to France by the Treaty of Vervins. A part of Napoleon's army for the invasion of England camped there in 1805. Calais was a main objective in the German drive to the sea in May 1940; for three months before its liberation (September 1944), it was a base for launching German flying bombs against Britain. The old town around the citadel (1560) was demolished, and the industrial zone of Saint-Pierre to the south was badly damaged. The rebuilt town still has its 13th-century watchtower. Calais is a major transit port and the main French cross-Channel passenger and mail port. Traditional manufactures include lacemaking, notably point and pillow lace, tulles, and embroideries that are exported all over the world. Recent development has been associated with the food, chemical, and machinery industries. Pop. (1982) 76,206. city, Washington county, eastern Maine, U.S., on the St. Croix River (there spanned by an international bridge to St. Stephen, N.B., Can.), 98 miles (158 km) east-northeast of Bangor. The river is noted for its tidal surges, which can vary by 28 feet (9 metres). Settlers were attracted to the area in 1779 by the abundance of natural resources. The community developed as a lumbering centre; after 1801 shipbuilding was the most important industry. It was incorporated as a town in 1809 and named for Calais, France, in appreciation for aid given during the American Revolution. The manufacture of wood products remains the economic mainstay; blueberries are harvested locally. Nearby are Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and St. Croix Island International Historic Site; the latter marks the location where the French explorers Samuel de Champlain and Pierre du Guast, sieur (lord) de Monts, attempted to establish a settlement in 1604. Inc. city, 1850. Pop. (1990) 3,963; (1996 est.) 3,915.