Bouchain

Bouchain (French pronunciation: [buʃɛ̃] ^ⓘ; West Flemish: Boesem) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.^[3]

Bouchain Boesem
Commune
A view within Bouchain
Coat of arms
Location of Bouchain
Bouchain Show map of France Bouchain Show map of Hauts-de-France
Coordinates: 50°17′04″N 3°19′04″E
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Valenciennes
Canton	Denain
Intercommunality	CA Porte du Hainaut
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Ludovic Zientek[1]
Area 1	12.39 km2 (4.78 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	4,054
• Density	330/km2 (850/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	59092 /59111
Elevation	31–100 m (102–328 ft) (avg. 38 m or 125 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It lies halfway between Cambrai and Valenciennes. Bouchain, seat of the early medieval County of Ostrevent, was taken by Arnulf I, Count of Flanders, in the 10th century and eventually subsumed into the County of Hainaut.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, when the town was fortified, Bouchain was besieged twice. On 12 September 1711 it was seized from the French after a 34 day siege by the Grand Alliance led by the Duke of Marlborough. It was again besieged, and recaptured by French forces, on 19 October 1712 after an 18 day siege.^[4]

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1800 1,128 —     1821 1,198 +0.29% 1846 1,463 +0.80% 1872 1,607 +0.36% 1901 1,760 +0.31% 1926 2,076 +0.66% 1946 2,421 +0.77% 1962 3,505 +2.34%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1968 3,916 +1.87% 1975 4,826 +3.03% 1982 4,543 −0.86% 1990 4,317 −0.64% 1999 4,282 −0.09% 2007 4,174 −0.32% 2012 3,995 −0.87% 2017 3,952 −0.22%
Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE (1968-2017)[6]

International relations

It is twinned with Halesworth and Eitorf.

Heraldry

Arms of Bouchain

The arms of Bouchain are blazoned : Argent, a tower gules. (form of the tower varies)

See also

• Communes of the Nord department