History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 294

employment for only 5.5% of the population, the region has the third highest
agricultural output in France. A third of the fisheries catch is obtained along the 140
km of coastline. The traditional industries are textiles, mechanical engineering, glass
and iron and steel. The number of coal mines fell from 109 in 1945 to just 4 in 1987.
The textiles industry employs 70people, accounts for a fifth of jobs in the region and
produces a quarter of France's textiles output. The atomic energy produced at the
Gravelines power station in Dunkerque accounts for 12.4% of France's nuclear
energy. The iron-and-steel company SOLLAC employs 15people in the region. The
food industry is currently expanding, with companies such as Nestlé, Suchard,
Bonduelle and McCain having plants in the region. Since the 1970s, job losses in the
mining industry have been offset by the development of the service sector, particularly
in the areas of health care and goods haulage.
In an area which, until 1950, had close on 50 seasonal or frontier-zone Belgian
workers, the reverse is now true, with some 50 workers from the Nord Département
working in neighbouring areas of Belgium.
1.3.

General history and history of the language

Flemish is based on the Frankish introduced by the conquering Franks following the
decline of the Roman Empire around 406 AD. The French Flemings can trace their
cultural and linguistic roots back to the time when the region was ruled by the Counts
of Flanders, from 892 onwards - a heritage that was not broken by the fact that the
region later came under the rule of France, the Hapsburgs, Spain and the
Netherlands. French Flanders became a part of France in the late 17th century. The
Nord and Pas-de-Calais Départements were created in February 1790. French
Flanders became a definitive part of France in 1713.
Dutch was still being used in maritime Flanders as the language of literature and local
administration up to the time of the French Revolution. Since then, Flemish has lost all
its links with language and cultural developments in Belgium and the Netherlands and
now survives only by oral tradition. The links with its unique linguistic past are
gradually disappearing because of acculturation with respect to the old mother tongue.
The last few years have seen tensions surrounding the fight for the free Uylenspiegel
radio station between 1978 and 1982. In 1981, the workers' college of Hazebrouk
brought together a number of cultural associations to publish a manifesto for the
teaching of the old mother tongue. The introduction of options in Flemish language
and culture in six secondary schools in 1982 gave rise to rivalries concerning the
teaching of Flemish as opposed to Dutch. In 1986, the teaching of Dutch was
promoted in primary schools in south Wervik. Then, in 1989, Dutch classes were
introduced in the primary and secondary schools of Bailleul. These two projects were
undertaken as part of a programme of exchanges between France, the Netherlands
and Belgian Flanders. None of these initiatives had the primary aim of influencing
language policy or preventing the disappearance of the Flemish language in society.
There has been no opposition movement in the linguistic field but the lack of support
by regional and national authorities has placed obstacles in the way of initiatives
whose purpose was to promote the traditional Flemish language and culture.

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