# Buire-au-Bois

> commune in Pas-de-Calais, France

**Wikidata**: [Q996075](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q996075)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buire-au-Bois)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/buire-au-bois

## Summary

Buire-au-Bois is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, located in the arrondissement of Arras. It is a small rural municipality situated at coordinates 50.262222222222°N latitude and 2.1522222222222°E longitude. The commune serves as a local administrative unit within the French territorial structure and is part of the historical region of Pas-de-Calais.

## Key Facts

- **Official Name**: Buire-au-Bois
- **Alias**: Buire
- **Country**: France
- **Department**: Pas-de-Calais (inception: March 4, 1790)
- **Arrondissement**: Arras
- **Administrative Type**: Commune of France (inception: 1789)
- **Coordinates**: 50.262222222222°N, 2.1522222222222°E
- **Population Range**: 221 to 239 residents (multi-year data)
- **Wikipedia Title**: Buire-au-Bois
- **Sitelink Count**: 46
- **Wikidata Description**: commune in Pas-de-Calais, France

## FAQs

**What type of administrative area is Buire-au-Bois?**

Buire-au-Bois is a commune, which is the smallest administrative territorial unit in France, comparable to a municipality or township. Communes are the lowest level of administrative division in the French territorial organization system, established in 1789 during the French Revolution.

**Which department and region does Buire-au-Bois belong to?**

Buire-au-Bois is located in the Pas-de-Calais department, which is situated in the northernmost part of France along the English Channel. The department was created on March 4, 1790, during the initial reorganization of France into departments following the French Revolution. The commune falls within the arrondissement of Arras.

**What is the geographic location of Buire-au-Bois?**

Buire-au-Bois is positioned at approximately 50.262222222222 degrees north latitude and 2.1522222222222 degrees east longitude. This places it in the northernmost region of France, relatively close to the border with Belgium and the English Channel coastline.

**How large is Buire-au-Bois?**

While exact area figures are not provided in the source material, as a commune in rural Pas-de-Calais, Buire-au-Bois is a small municipality. The population data shows figures ranging from 221 to 239 residents across the recorded years, indicating it is a small, rural community typical of the agricultural regions in northern France.

**What is the relationship between Buire-au-Bois and the French administrative system?**

Buire-au-Bois operates within France's hierarchical administrative structure: it is a commune (lowest level), part of an arrondissement (Arras), which is part of the department (Pas-de-Calais), which is part of the national territory of France. This structure was formalized with the commune system established in 1789 and the department system established in 1790.

## Why It Matters

Buire-au-Bois, while a small commune, represents the foundational unit of French local governance. As one of the thousands of communes that make up the French territorial structure, it embodies the decentralized administrative approach that characterizes France's governance system. The commune serves as the basic electoral and administrative unit where local civic life occurs, where local taxes are collected, and where essential public services are delivered to residents.

The commune's location in Pas-de-Calais places it in a region of significant historical and strategic importance in northern France. Pas-de-Calais has been a contested territory throughout European history due to its proximity to the English Channel and its border with Belgium. Understanding Buire-au-Bois within this context helps illuminate the broader patterns of rural settlement and administrative organization in this historically significant region.

The population figures, while modest, reflect the demographic patterns of rural France, where many small communes maintain stable populations serving agricultural communities. These communes form the backbone of French rural society and contribute to the country's overall territorial organization and cultural diversity.

## Notable For

- **Administrative Foundation**: Represents one of the smallest administrative units in the French territorial system, established through the revolutionary reforms of 1789
- **Historical Department**: Located in Pas-de-Calais, one of the original 83 departments created in 1790 during the French Revolution
- **Rural Character**: Small commune with population between 221-239 residents, typical of agricultural communities in northern France
- **Regional Location**: Situated in the arrondissement of Arras, a significant administrative and historical center in northern France

## Body

### Geography and Location

Buire-au-Bois is geographically positioned at coordinates 50.262222222222°N latitude and 2.1522222222222°E longitude. This places the commune in the northernmost portion of France, within the Pas-de-Calais department. The commune's location places it within the broader region of Artois, an area historically significant for its agricultural productivity and strategic military importance due to its proximity to the English Channel and neighboring Belgium.

The commune's position within the arrondissement of Arras connects it to one of the principal administrative centers in the department. Arras has historically served as a regional capital and continues to function as a key administrative, commercial, and cultural hub for the surrounding rural communities.

### Administrative Structure

Buire-au-Bois operates within France's multi-layered administrative system. At the base level is the commune, which represents the fundamental unit of local governance in France. The commune system was established in 1789 during the French Revolution, replacing the previous feudal administrative divisions. Each commune has its own municipal government, budget, and local tax collection authority.

Above the commune level, Buire-au-Bois is part of the arrondissement of Arras, which serves as an intermediate administrative division between the commune and the department. The arrondissement primarily handles administrative coordination and governmental functions at a sub-departmental level.

The department of Pas-de-Calais, within which Buire-au-Bois is located, was created on March 4, 1790, as part of the revolutionary government's effort to create a rational, uniform administrative structure across France. Pas-de-Calais is one of the original 83 departments established at that time and has maintained its administrative continuity since then.

### Demographics and Population

The population data for Buire-au-Bois shows figures ranging from 221 to 239 residents across the recorded years. This population size is characteristic of rural communes in northern France, where small agricultural communities have maintained relatively stable populations. The modest population reflects the commune's rural character and its role as a center for local agricultural activity.

These population figures place Buire-au-Bois among the smaller communes in the region, consistent with the pattern of dispersed rural settlement typical of the Pas-de-Calais department. The commune likely serves as a local service center for the surrounding agricultural area, providing basic amenities and services to its resident population.

### Historical Context

The establishment of Buire-au-Bois as a commune connects it to the revolutionary transformation of French administrative structures in 1789. The commune system was designed to replace the old feudal divisions with rational, uniform administrative units based on territory rather than historical privileges. This system has endured for over two centuries, making the French commune system one of the oldest continuous systems of local government in the world.

Pas-de-Calais as a department was created in 1790, and the region has played significant roles throughout French history, including periods of conflict during the Hundred Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, and both World Wars. The department's name derives from the geographic reality of the region—the "Pas de Calais" being the narrowest point of the English Channel between France and England.

### Relationship to Administrative Hierarchy

Buire-au-Bois exists within a clearly defined hierarchical structure:

- **Commune Level**: Buire-au-Bois (lowest administrative unit)
- **Arrondissement Level**: Arras (sub-departmental administrative division)
- **Department Level**: Pas-de-Calais (created March 4, 1790)
- **Regional Level**: Hauts-de-France (current regional grouping)
- **National Level**: France

This hierarchical organization reflects France's unitary state character, where local governments operate under national authority while maintaining local autonomy in certain matters. The commune, as the most local level of government, handles matters such as local urban planning, civil registration, and local tax administration.

### Cultural and Regional Identity

As part of Pas-de-Calais, Buire-au-Bois is situated in a region with distinct cultural characteristics. Northern France, and particularly the Pas-de-Calais area, has historically been influenced by both French and Flemish cultures, reflecting its geographic position near the border with Belgium. The region is known for its agricultural productivity, particularly in grain production and livestock farming.

The commune's name, Buire-au-Bois, suggests its historical connection to forested areas—"au bois" meaning "at the wood" in French—indicating the presence of woodland that likely influenced the settlement's development and naming.

## References

1. BnF authorities
2. dataset of postal codes in France. 2018
3. INSEE code
4. OpenStreetMap
5. répertoire géographique des communes
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. Annuaire de service-public.fr
8. Recensement de la population 2015. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 2017
9. Populations légales 2016
10. Populations légales 2017
11. Populations légales 2018
12. Populations légales 2019
13. Populations légales 2020
14. Populations légales 2021
15. Populations de référence 2022
16. Populations de référence 2023
17. [Code officiel géographique](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/3363419)
18. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies
19. GeoNames
20. [répertoire géographique des communes. 2015](https://wxs-telechargement.ign.fr/83edtfdyqte031y0ra49d2e3/telechargement/inspire/RGC-2015-01$RGC2015/file/RGC2015.7z)
21. [2016](https://data.geopf.fr/telechargement/download/GEOFLA/GEOFLA_2-2_COMMUNE_SHP_LAMB93_FXX_2016-06-28/GEOFLA_2-2_COMMUNE_SHP_LAMB93_FXX_2016-06-28.7z)
22. [Code officiel géographique. 2017](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/2560698)