Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 34km wide here, and is the closest French town to England. Due to its position, Calais since the Middle Ages has been a major port and a very important centre for transport and trading with England. It was a territorial possession of England between 1347 and 1558. The old part of the town, Calais proper (known as Calais-Nord), is situated on an artificial island surrounded by canals and harbours. In its centre is the Place d'Armes, in which stands the Tour du Guet, or watch-tower, a structure built in 1214, when Philip I, Count of Boulogne built fortifications in the town.
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