The Pas-de-Calais is a department located in northern France, named after the French designation for the Strait of Dover. It is a region of significant administrative density, holding the record for the highest number of communes in France, totaling 887.
With a population of 1,457,905 as of 2023, it ranks as the 8th most populous department in the country. Geographically, it borders the departments of Nord and Somme and features the Port of Calais on the English Channel. It is also a critical transit point, connected to the English county of Kent via the Channel Tunnel.