Ypres

Ypres (Ieper in Dutch) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the towns of Boezinge[?], Dikkebus[?], Elverdinge[?], Vlamertinge[?], Voormezele[?], Zillebeke[?] and Zuidschote[?]. On January 1st, 2000 Ypres had a total population of 35,071 (17,202 males and 17,869 females). The total area is 131.25 km² which gives a population density of 267.21 inhabitants per km².

The area around Ypres was site of 3 major battles in World War I; see also: Passchendaele. British and United States soldiers in that war often referred to Ypres by the deliberate (presumably humorous) mispronunciation "Wipers" as opposed to "E-pray". In Ypres, is the Menin Gate Memorial to the fallen soldiers of the war. On April 22, 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres[?], German troops introduced poison gas one the western for the first time (First time poison gas was used at battle of Bolimow[?] on January 1 the same year.