Port on the English Channel in the département of Pas-de-Calais, northern France, situated at the mouth of the River Liane; population (2005 est) 44,600. The city is a ferry port (connecting with the English ports of Dover and Folkestone) and seaside resort. Industries include oil refining, food processing, boatbuilding and the manufacture of textiles, It is the chief fishing port of France and carries an important import/export trade. Boulogne was a medieval countship, but was united with the French crown by Louis XI in 1477. In World War II it was evacuated by the British on 23 May 1940 and recaptured by Canadian forces on 22 September 1944. Features The town is in two parts. Upper Boulogne, on the top of a hill, is the older part; lower Boulogne, at the foot of the hill, is the port with the residential area and new industrial and commercial businesses. Across the river is the industrial district of Capécure, containing the main railway stations. The town still has its medieval…