Roubaix
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Roubaix |
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 Roubaix
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Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region
Roubaix
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Department | Nord |
| Arrondissement | Lulle |
| Intercommunality | Lille Métropole |
| Mayor | René Vandierenkont (2001–2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 17–52 m (56–171 ft) (avg. 32 m or 105 ft) |
| Land area1 | 13.23 km2 (5.11 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 96,984 (2013) |
| - Density | 7,331 /km2 (18,990 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 59512/ 59100 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Coordinates: 50°42′N 3°10′E / 50.7°N 3.17°E
Roubaix (French pronunciation: [ʁu.bɛ]; Dutch Robaais, sometimes also called Robeke,[1][2] although Robaais is the only correct translation according to the Dutch Language Union[3]) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located between the cities of Lille and Tourcoing.
The Gare de Roubaix railway station offers connections to Lille, Tourcoing, Antwerp, Ostend and Paris.
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Culture [edit]
Notable is La Piscine art gallery, which, as the name implies, is located in the old municipal swimming pool. Discobolos (international artist Wim Delvoye's) is the first work of modern art, ordered by the inhabitants, with the Comité de quartier de l'Hommelet, an association of citizens.
On 16 May 1967, Roubaix was the venue of the final live performance in the career of singer Jacques Brel.
Economy [edit]
Ankama Games has its head office in Roubaix.[4]
Sport [edit]
Roubaix is the finish of the Paris–Roubaix cycling classic, one of the most prestigious[5] events on the cycling calendar. The 259.5 km race from Compiègne to Roubaix over includes almost 50 km of cobbles.
One of the longest distance walking races in the world also takes place each year in Roubaix. Since 1953 the televised 'Roubaix 28 hours' regularly sees elite endurance athletes from dozens of countries aiming to complete the longest distance possible within the 28 hour time limit. The current record is over 255 kilometres, with many each year completing more than 200 km.
Notable people [edit]
Roubaix was the birthplace of:
- Bernard Arnault (born 1949), businessman
- Michel Breistroff (1971–1996) hockey player
- Étienne Chatiliez (born 1952), film director
- David Coulibaly footballer
- Stanislas Dehaene (born 1965), cognitive psychologist
- Georges Delerue (1925–1992), film composer who worked on over 300 films
- Jean Desbouvrie (c. 1840–1847 – ?) inventor and bird tamer
- Arnaud Desplechin (born 1960) – film director
- Aliou Dia, footballer
- Yero Dia footballer
- Pierrick Gunther, rugby player
- Anthony Knockaert (born 1991) footballer
- Léon Mathot (1886–1968) – French film actor and director
- Martial Mbandjock athlete
- Pierre Pflimlin (1907–2000), Christian Democratic politician who served as the last Prime Minister of the Fourth Republic
- Viviane Romance (1912–1991), actress
- Antoine Roussel (born 1989) professional hockey player for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League
- Daouda Sow boxer
- Arnaud Tournant (1978) track cyclist
- Maxence Van Der Meersch (1907–1951) writer
- Joseph Willot (1875–1919) pharmacist and World War I resistance activist.
International relations [edit]
Twin towns — Sister cities [edit]
Roubaix is twinned with:
Mönchengladbach, Germany, since 1969
Bradford, England, United Kingdom
Covilhã, Portugal
Bouïra, Algeria
Skopje, Macedonia[6]
Prato, Italy
Sosnowiec, Poland
References [edit]
Notes [edit]
- ^ "Parijs-Robeke/Robaais". Erikdams.com. Retrieved 2011-04-06.
- ^ "Driemaandelijks tijdschrift van de Vereniging". Users.telenet.be. Retrieved 2011-04-06.
- ^ "Buitenlandse Aardrijkskundige Namen". Taaladvies.net. Retrieved 2011-04-06.
- ^ "MENTIONS LEGALES." Ankama Games. Retrieved on 30 October 2012. "75 boulevard d'Armentières BP 60403 59057 ROUBAIX Cedex 1 - France"
- ^ Cycling. "Paris-Roubaix 2011: race preview of 'the hell of the north'". Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
- ^ "Official portal of City of Skopje – Skopje Sister Cities". © 2006–2009 City of Skopje. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Roubaix |
- City council website (French)
- Tourist office website
- Website of the museum
- LeBlog2Roubaix.com (videoblog and WebTv about Roubaix)
- Roubaix at the Open Directory Project (French)
- See pictures from Antonio Mucherino's web site
