18 communities

After several months of debating in the municipal councils, the Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque was officially established by decree on 21 October 1968. This new public institution came into effect on 1 January 1969 and consisted of an initial core of 12 communities: Cappelle-la-Grande, Coudekerque-Branche, Dunkerque, Fort-Mardyck, Grande-Synthe, Leffrinckoucke, Malo-les-Bains, Mardyck, Petite-Synthe, Rosendaël, Saint-Pol-sur-Mer et Téteghem.

On 28 May 1969 they were joined by Armbouts-Cappel, Bray-Dunes and Zuydcoote and later by Gravelines and Loon-Plage on 14 November. This communal formation accelerated the shaping of the core of Greater Dunkerque and after the merging of Dunkerque and Malo-les-Bains (1969) and the accession of Coudekerque and Saint-Georges-sur-l’Aa in 1971, it comprised 18 communities. This number dropped to 16 in December of the same year with the merging of Petite-Synthe and Rosendaël with Dunkerque. After the merging of Mardyck with Dunkerque (1980) and the accession of Craywick (1972), Bourbourg (1976) and Grand-Fort-Philippe (1983), the communities in the Metropolitan Council once again number 18..

More information on the 18 communities: www.communaute-urbaine-dunkerque.fr