Caen (English spelling)

Japanese: カン（英語表記）Caen

The capital of the department of Calvados in northwestern France. It is a river port city 14km upstream from the mouth of the Orne River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It became an important city of the Duchy of Normandy (→Normandy) from the 10th century onwards, and was the capital of Lower Normandy during the reign of William I. Since then, it has been damaged many times in battles between France and England, especially in the fierce battles between the British-Canadian forces that landed in Normandy to the north of the city and the German garrison in 1944, in which two-thirds of the city was destroyed (→Operation Overlord). However, a considerable number of buildings that convey Norman culture, such as the Abbey Church of Saint-Etienne and the Abbey Church of La Trinite (both from the 1060s), survived the war. William I's tomb is also here. It has been a port city since the 19th century, and prospered through the export of iron ore produced near Mondeville and the import of coal. Industries such as steel, automobiles, and electrical equipment are also thriving. It also plays an important role as a distribution center for goods in the Lower Normandy region. It has a university founded in 1432. Population: 109,899 (2008).

Can
Cão, Diogo

A Portuguese navigator and explorer who lived in the late 15th century and served under King Afonso V. He discovered the Congo River (August 1482) and explored the west coast of Africa from Cape St. Catherine (1°52'S) to Cape Cross (21°50'S).

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

フランス北西部，カルバドス県の県都。大西洋に注ぐオルヌ川河口から 14km上流の河港都市。10世紀以後ノルマンディー公国（→ノルマンディー）の重要な都市となり，ウィリアム1世の時代にはバスノルマンディーの首都であった。以後フランス，イングランド間の戦いなどでたびたび損害を受け，特に第2次世界大戦中の 1944年に市の北方ノルマンディーに上陸し南下したイギリス＝カナダ軍とドイツ守備軍との激戦では，市街の 3分の2が破壊された（→オーバーロード作戦）。しかし聖エティエンヌ修道院聖堂，ラトリニテ修道院聖堂（ともに 1060年代）など，ノルマン文化を伝えるかなりの数の建築物が戦火を免れている。ウィリアム1世の墓もここにある。19世紀以来の港町で，モンドビル付近で産出する鉄鉱石の輸出，石炭の輸入によって繁栄した。鉄鋼業，自動車，電機などの工業も盛ん。バスノルマンディー地方の物資の集散地としての機能も重要である。1432年創設の大学がある。人口 10万9899（2008）。