# Laires

> commune in Pas-de-Calais, France

**Wikidata**: [Q245243](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q245243)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laires)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/laires

## Summary

Laires is a commune located in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It sits in the canton of Fauquembergues and the arrondissement of Saint-Omer, situated in the historical Artois region near the border with the Nord department.

## Key Facts

- **Location**: Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France
- **Administrative divisions**: Canton of Fauquembergues, Arrondissement of Saint-Omer
- **Coordinates**: 50.5406° N latitude, 2.2556° E longitude
- **Population**: Approximately 365-369 residents (varies across recorded years)
- **Country**: France
- **Status**: Commune of France (territorial subdivision for municipalities)
- **Image**: City limit sign photographed by Havang(nl), available on Wikimedia Commons under CC0 license
- **Wikipedia title**: Laires
- **Wikidata description**: commune in Pas-de-Calais, France

## FAQs

**What region is Laires located in?**

Laires is located in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It belongs to the canton of Fauquembergues and the arrondissement of Saint-Omer.

**What type of administrative area is Laires?**

Laires is a commune, which is the smallest territorial subdivision for municipalities in France. The French commune system was established in 1789.

**What is the population of Laires?**

The population of Laires is approximately 365-369 residents, according to recorded data showing variations across multiple years.

**What are the geographical coordinates of Laires?**

Laires is situated at coordinates 50.5406° north latitude and 2.2556° east longitude, placing it in the northern part of France near the border with the Nord department.

**What is the historical context of Pas-de-Calais?**

Pas-de-Calais is a French department that was established on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution. It is named after the Strait of Calais, which separates France from England.

## Why It Matters

Laires represents the quintessential rural French commune that forms the backbone of France's administrative structure. While small in population, such communes are essential to understanding France's decentralized governance system and the country's territorial organization. The commune system in France, dating back to 1789, provides local governance to thousands of towns and villages across the nation, and Laires exemplifies this tradition of local administration.

The commune's location in Pas-de-Calais places it in a region with significant historical importance. The department was formed during the French Revolution and has been the site of numerous historical events, particularly during various conflicts between France and England due to its proximity to the Channel coast. The canton of Fauquembergues and arrondissement of Saint-Omer provide intermediate levels of administrative organization between the commune and the department level.

For those studying French geography, administration, or regional studies, Laires serves as an example of how France organizes its territory into hierarchical administrative units: commune → arrondissement → department → region.

## Notable For

- **Rural character**: Laires exemplifies the many small rural communes that dot the French landscape, with populations typically under 500 residents
- **Administrative placement**: Situated in the canton of Fauquembergues and arrondissement of Saint-Omer, organizing it within the departmental structure of Pas-de-Calais
- **Regional identity**: Located in the historical Artois region within the broader Hauts-de-France territory

## Body

### Geography and Location

Laires is a commune situated in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais, which is part of the Hauts-de-France region. The commune is positioned at coordinates 50.5406° north latitude and 2.2556° east longitude. This location places Laires in the interior of the Pas-de-Calais department, not far from the border with the Nord department, in an area historically known as Artois.

The commune lies within the canton of Fauquembergues, which serves as an intermediate administrative unit for certain local functions, particularly electoral purposes. At a higher administrative level, Laires is part of the arrondissement of Saint-Omer, which groups together multiple communes within the Pas-de-Calais department for administrative coordination.

### Administrative Structure

As a French commune, Laires operates as the lowest level of territorial administration in France. The commune system was institutionalized during the French Revolution in 1789, replacing the previous system of parishes and jurisdictions. Today, France is divided into approximately 35,000 communes of varying sizes, from major cities like Paris to small villages like Laires.

Laires belongs to the following administrative hierarchy:
- **Country**: France
- **Region**: Hauts-de-France
- **Department**: Pas-de-Calais (established March 4, 1790)
- **Arrondissement**: Saint-Omer
- **Canton**: Fauquembergues

### Demographics

The population of Laires ranges between 365 and 369 residents according to recorded data. This places Laires among the smaller communes in France, reflecting the rural character of the area. Many communes in the Pas-de-Calais department, particularly those in the interior regions away from the major coastal cities like Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, maintain small but stable populations.

### Cultural and Visual Identity

Laires has a visual identity captured in photographs of its city limit sign, which marks the entrance to the commune. An image of this sign, photographed by Havang(nl), is available on Wikimedia Commons under a CC0 (public domain) license. This image provides a visual representation of how the commune presents itself to visitors and residents, typically featuring the commune name and possibly other municipal symbols.

The Wikipedia article titled "Laires" provides additional information about the commune, with the entity having a sitelink count of 46, indicating its presence across multiple language versions of Wikipedia.

### Historical Context

The department of Pas-de-Calais was created on March 4, 1790, during the early stages of the French Revolution as part of the new administrative organization of France. The department takes its name from the Strait of Calais, the narrowest point of the English Channel, which has historically been a significant strategic and commercial location between France and England.

The arrondissement of Saint-Omer is one of the administrative divisions within Pas-de-Calais, serving as a intermediate level between the department and the communes. Saint-Omer itself is a historical city that served as the capital of the County of Artois in medieval times, giving the surrounding region its historical identity.

### Related Administrative Entities

Laires is connected to several broader administrative and geographical concepts:

- **Commune of France**: The fundamental territorial subdivision in France, established in 1789, representing a municipality with its own local government
- **Pas-de-Calais**: One of the original 83 departments created in 1790, located in the Hauts-de-France region
- **Canton of Fauquembergues**: An electoral district within the French departmental system
- **Arrondissement of Saint-Omer**: An administrative division within Pas-de-Calais grouping multiple communes
- **France**: The broader national context, a semi-presidential republic and founding member of the European Union

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. BnF authorities
3. dataset of postal codes in France. 2018
4. INSEE code
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)