Boulogne-sur-Mer, also Boulogne, city in northern France, in Pas-de-Calais Department, on the English Channel, in Picardy. It is an important fishing port and a terminus of cross-channel ferry service. Manufactures include processed fish, ships, and building materials. The city is divided into an older district, atop a hill, and a newer commercial and industrial quarter, at the foot of the hill. Notable structures include a castle (13th century) and the Cathedral of Notre Dame (19th century).
The Roman port of Gesoriacum (later called Bononia) was situated here. In 1477 the city passed to the French crown, and in 1803-5Napoleon assembled a fleet here for a planned invasion (subsequently canceled) of Britain. The British used Boulogne-sur-Mer as a major base in World War I, and the city served as a German submarine base in World War II. Population (1999) 44,859.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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