Arras is the capital city of the French department Pas-de-Calais and has 300,000 inhabitants, including the adjoining outlying districts.

This typical industrial city in the North of France was shaped economically by the coal mining, textile industry and chemical fibre plant of Rhône-Poulenc.

The Eurotunnel, which connects the mainland with the British Isles, is of economic importance to the city and the department.