Hauts-de-France

Hauts-de-France (; ; ) is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. The new region came into existence on 1 January 2016, after regional elections in December 2015. The Conseil d'État approved Hauts-de-France as the name of the region on 28 September 2016, effective the following 30 September.
With 6,009,976 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2015) and a population density of 189 inhabitants/km2, it is the third most populous region in France and the second most densely populated in metropolitan France after its southern neighbour Île-de-France. It is bordered by Belgium to the north.
Toponymy.
The region's interim name "Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie" was a hyphenated placename, created by hyphenating the merged regions' names—"Nord-Pas-de-Calais" and "Picardie"—in alphabetical order.
On 14 March 2016, well ahead of the 1 July deadline, the regional council decided on "Hauts-de-France" as the region's permanent name. The provisional name of the region was retired on 30 September 2016, when the new name of the region, Hauts-de-France, took effect.
Geography.
The region covers an area of more than . It borders Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) to the northeast, the North Sea to the north, the English Channel to the west, as well as the French regions of Grand Est to the east-southeast, Île-de-France to the south, and Normandy to the west-southwest. It is connected to the United Kingdom (England) via the Channel Tunnel.
Departments.
Hauts-de-France comprises five departments: Aisne, Nord, Oise, Pas-de-Calais, and Somme.
Economy.
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 161.7 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 6.9% of French economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 24,200 euros or 80% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 101% of the EU average.
French sartorial heritage.
The region was a pivotal center of mulquinerie.