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Ypres ( French, generally used in English ¹ ; Ieper in the local Dutch/ Flemish) is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish 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 three major battles in World War I. In the First Battle of Ypres ( October 31 to November 22November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 39 days remaining. Events 1718 Off the coast of Virginia, English pirate Edward Teach (best known as " Blackbeard") is killed in battle when a British boar, 1914Events January 4 77 seal hunters freeze to death on ice near Labrador January 5 Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day's labor February 13 Copyright: In New York City the ASCAP (for American Society of Compos) the British captured the town from the Germans. In the Second Battle of YpresThe Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used chemical weapons on a large scale on the Western Front in World War I. The Second Battle of Ypres consisted of four separate battles: The Battle of Gravenstafel 22nd to 23rd April 1915 The Battle ( April 22April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). There are 253 days remaining. Events 1500 Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. 1509 Henry VIII ascends to the throne of to May 25May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). There are 220 days remaining. Events 1085 Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, Spain back from the Moors. 1420 Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Ch, 1915Events January 12 The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of Congress. January 12 United States House of Representatives rejects proposal to give women the right to vote. January 13 An earthquake (6. 8 in Richter scale) in Avezzano, Ital) the Germans used poison gaschemical weapon Poison gas is a form of chemical weapon. The most famous of poison gases is Mustard gas. There was use of poison gas in World War I. Well-known poison gases Chlorine Sarin Mustard gas Phosgene VX Zyklon-B Notable events involving poison ga for the first time on the Western FrontSee Western Front (disambiguation) for other meanings. Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the "contested armed frontier" between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West. A "contested (they had used it for the first time at the Battle of Bolimow on January 1, 1915) and captured high ground east of the town. In the Third Battle of Ypres ( July 21 to November 6, 1916; also known as the Battle of Passchendaele) the British, Canadians and ANZAC forces recaptured the ridge at a terrible cost of lives.

British and United States soldiers in that war often referred to Ypres by the deliberate (presumably humorous) mispronunciation "Wipers".

Because of the fighting the town was all but obliterated with much shelling from the Germans. After the war the town was rebuilt with the main square, including the noted Cloth Hall and town hall being rebuilt as much like the original as possible. The rest of the town is more modern in appearance.

The Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the war who have no known grave. The Cloth Hall is today a museum dedicated to Ypres' role in the First World War.