Lens is a city in the Pas-de-Calais department of France. Today, about 36.000 people live there. The city has an important history of mining. There is also the Racing Club de Lens, a well-known French soccer team. Paris is 200 km to the south, Lille is 40 km to the north, Douai is 15 km to the east, and Arras is 20 km to the south.