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Commune of Le Blanc-Mesnil |
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| Location | |
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| Paris and inner ring départements | |
| Coordinates | |
| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Île-de-France |
| Department | Seine-Saint-Denis |
| Arrondissement | Le Raincy |
| Intercommunality | none as of 2005 |
| Statistics | |
| Land area¹ | 8.05 km² |
| Population² (July 1, 2005 estimate) (March 8, 1999 census) |
51,600 46,936 |
| - Density | 6,410/km² (2005) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 93007/ 93150 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
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Le Blanc-Mesnil is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 12.6 km. (7.8 miles) from the center of Paris, between Charles de Gaulle International Airport and le Bourget Airport.
Name
The name Le Blanc-Mesnil was recorded for the first time in the 11th century as Mansionile Blaun. This name is a compound of Medieval Latin Mansionile, meaning "little houses", from Latin mansio (accusative mansionem), and of Germanic (Old Frankish) blanch, blaun, meaning "glossy, shining, white", which gave French blanc ("white") and English blank.
The name is interpreted by some as a reference to the houses of Le Blanc-Mesnil which were whitened due to the flour dust coming from the windmills located there in ancient times. One researcher, however, thinks that blanc had also the meaning of "free" in Old French, and so the name would mean "free mesnil, free village", perhaps because the villagers had been freed from serfdom. None of these interpretations is certain.
Geography
Climate
Nearest municipalities
- Bondy
- Aulnay-sous-Bois
- Drancy
- Le Bourget
- Dugny
- Bonneuil-en-France in Val d'Oise and Gonesse.
Water and sanitation
History
Early beginnings
Middle ages and French Revolution
On 2 December 1792, a third of the territory of Aulnay was detached and became the commune of Le Blanc-Mesnil.
Nineteenth century
Twentieth century
Economy
Economic pole
- Parc d'activité du Coudray ;
- Zone industrielle de la Molette in Blanc-Mesnil, Bourget and Drancy. It includes Centre Albert Einstein, created in 1987 ;
- Parc Modus ;
- Garonor, logistic parc.
- Pont-Yblon ;
- Centre d'affaires international Paris Nord II ;
- Carré des Aviateurs ;
- Espace Descartes, for tourism business. Three hotels three stars, a Novotel hotel[1].
French and international companies
Several French companies have their world headquarters in Blanc-Mesnil, such as Forclum and Sicli.
Employment
Demography
Immigration
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Administration
Political life
The following political parties have a permanent base in Blanc-Mesnil:
- Parti Communiste Français
- Parti Socialiste
- UDF
- UMP
- Groupe des Verts
Politics
Mayors
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Since Libération
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Between 1860 and 1945
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Transport
Le Blanc-Mesnil is served by Le Blanc-Mesnil station on Paris RER line B.
Le Blanc-Mesnil is also served by Drancy station on Paris RER line B. This station (formerly called Blanc-Mesnil-Drancy), although administratively located on the territory of the neighboring commune of Drancy, is the closest from the town center of Le Blanc-Mesnil and is thus used by people in Le Blanc-Mesnil.
The bus company provides 17 lines of buses to travel within the city.
Ideally placed at the junction between the A1 and the A3.
2.5 km from Le Bourget airport, 7 km from Charles-de-Gaulle airport and 4.5 km from Parc des Expositions de Villepinte, you will be ideally place to get to Parc Astérix and Disneyland as well as the centre of Paris and the Stade de France.
Cityscape
Architecture
Districts and historical centres
Monuments
Religion
Catholic churches: Église Notre-Dame, Église Saint-Charles, Église Sainte-Thérèse.
Environment
Parks and gardens
- Jacques-Duclos Park
- Vineyards products the Clos blanc-mesnilois, a Chardonnay
- Vegetal wall of Forum culturel by Patrick Blanc
- "Place de l'eau"
- Jardin de Montillet
- Square Stalingrad
Ecopole
Culture
Entertainment
- Forum culturel
- Médiathèque Edouard Glissant, public library
- Deux pièces cusine, recording studio
- Conservatoire à rayonnement départemental, music and dance school
Sports
Blanc-Mesnil Sports (BMS), founded in 2005, is the city's sport club.
Education and health
Primary and secondary education
Higher education
Health
As of 1 January 2007, 16 pharmacies, about 31 general practitioners, and a half dozen ophthalmologists and dermatologists constitute the general medical staff of the city.
International relations
Le Blanc-Mesnil is twinned with
- Sandwell in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom, *Peterhof in Russia, and
- Debré-Berhan in Ethiopia.
For fifteen years, twinning between le Blanc-Mesnil and Debré-Berhan has been based on the development: drain of water, education, construction of roads. In a rare spirit, that of a collaboration of equal to equal.
Famous Blanc-mesnilois
- Élisabeth Vonarburg, writer of science-fiction.
- Patrick Hernandez, famous singer of Born to be alive, and Grand Corps Malade, slameur, are born in this town. Casey, Sheryo, and Bunzen, rappers.
- Gary Lugassy, tennis player, Tristan Valentin, Moussa Sissoko, Jérémy Abadie, footballer, are born in Blanc-Mesnil. Jonathan Biabiany played in BMS Football.
- Sylvie Guillem star dancer at Paris Opera
See also
References
Bibliography
- Le Blanc-Mesnil et son passé, Ernest Soitel, 1969.
- Histoire anecdotique de Blanc-Mesnil, Albert Galicier, 1973.
- Le Blanc-Mesnil des temps modernes : 1935-1985, 1986.
- Le Blanc-Mesnil, Pierre Bourgeade, Gilles Smadja, Jean-Pierre Vallorani, Françoise Vasseur, 1992.
- Le Blanc-Mesnil : citoyens de demain, Patrick Laigre et Jocelyne Héquet, 1993.
- Le Blanc-Mesnil : 2000 regards, Photographies de Luc Choquer, François Crignon, Erwan Guillard, 1999.
- Le Blanc-Mesnil, Christian Massart, 2005.
- Twinning between Le Blanc-Mesnil and Debré-Berhan (in english and french).
External links
