The Hauts-de-France region is made up of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy regions. It connects the Île-de-France to Belgium via a dense road and rail network, and to England via the Channel Tunnel. Although the number of manufacturing jobs has fallen by more than a third since the 1980s, some sectors remain at the forefront of national production (food processing, the metallurgical industry, transport equipment). The region also has an important agricultural sector (crops, milk, champagne, etc.) and a rich cultural scene (Amiens Cathedral, Lille’s Grand’Place, the Chateau de Chantilly, the Louvre-Lens museum, etc.). However, the Hauts-de-France region is still severely affected by numerous forms of social deprivation (unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, etc.).