Wikipedia

Toulouse

French commune and city in Haute-Garonne, Occitania

Toulouse (Occitan: Tolosa) is a commune in southwestern France. It is the capital of the department of Haute-Garonne, as well as of the Occitanie region. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Toulouse. In 2014, 1.312.304 people live in the urban area, and 466.297 in the city itself. Toulouse is the 4th largest city of France.

Toulouse
Prefecture and commune
Montage of Toulouse Top: Pont Saint Pierre and Garonne river Middle: Place du Capitole, Pont Neuf Bottom: Capitole de Toulouse, Ariane 5 at "Cité de l'espace", Médiathèque José Cabanis
Montage of Toulouse
Top: Pont Saint Pierre and Garonne river
Middle: Place du Capitole, Pont Neuf
Bottom: Capitole de Toulouse, Ariane 5 at "Cité de l'espace", Médiathèque José Cabanis
Flag of Toulouse
Flag
Coat of arms of Toulouse
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Per Tolosa totjorn mai.
(Occitan for "For Toulouse, always more")
Location of Toulouse
Map
Toulouse is located in France
Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is located in Occitanie
Toulouse
Toulouse
Coordinates: 43°36′16″N 1°26′38″E / 43.6045°N 1.444°E / 43.6045; 1.444
CountryFrance
RegionOccitanie
DepartmentHaute-Garonne
ArrondissementToulouse
CantonCapital of 11 cantons
IntercommunalityToulouse Métropole
Government
 • Mayor (2014–2020) Jean-Luc Moudenc[1]
Area
1
118.3 km2 (45.7 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)
466,297
 • Density3,900/km2 (10,000/sq mi)
DemonymToulousains
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
31555 /
Elevation115–263 m (377–863 ft)
(avg. 189 m or 620 ft)
Websitewww.toulouse.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The city has a unique architecture made of pinkish terracotta bricks, which earned it the nickname la Ville Rose ("the Pink City"). Toulouse counts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Canal du Midi (designated in 1996 and shared with other cities) and the St. Sernin Basilica, the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe,[2] designated in 1998.

History

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The city was the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom in the 5th century. It was the capital of the old French province of Languedoc before provinces were abolished during the French Revolution. "Languedoc" is a contraction of Linguae Occitanae (Latin). Then it included Roussillon, and was the unofficial capital of the cultural region of Occitania (Southern France). It is now the capital of the Occitanie region, the second largest region in metropolitan France.

Geography

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The city of Toulouse is along the Garonne river, 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the Mediterranean Sea, 230 km (143 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean, and 680 km (420 mi) from Paris.

The commune has an area of 118.3 km2 (45.7 sq mi),[3] and its average altitude is 189 m (620 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 146 m (479 ft).[4]

Toulouse and its neighboring communes
 

Climate

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The climate of Toulouse, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - Oceanic climate with temperate summers.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Toulouse is 637.5 mm (25.1 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is May with 73.7 mm (2.9 in) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of 38.1 mm (1.5 in). There are an average of 74.0 days of precipitation, with the most rain occurring in May with 7.0 days and the least rain occurring in July with 4.4 days.[5]

The average temperature for the year in Toulouse is 13.8 °C (56.8 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 22.3 °C (72.1 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 6 °C (43 °F).[5]

Climate data for Toulouse
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 9.5
(49.1) 		11.1
(52.0) 		14.5
(58.1) 		17.0
(62.6) 		21.0
(69.8) 		25.2
(77.4) 		28.0
(82.4) 		27.9
(82.2) 		24.6
(76.3) 		19.5
(67.1) 		13.3
(55.9) 		9.9
(49.8) 		18.5
(65.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.0
(42.8) 		7.1
(44.8) 		9.8
(49.6) 		12.1
(53.8) 		16.0
(60.8) 		19.8
(67.6) 		22.3
(72.1) 		22.2
(72.0) 		19.0
(66.2) 		15.0
(59.0) 		9.6
(49.3) 		6.6
(43.9) 		13.8
(56.8)
Average low °C (°F) 2.4
(36.3) 		3.0
(37.4) 		5.0
(41.0) 		7.1
(44.8) 		10.9
(51.6) 		14.3
(57.7) 		16.5
(61.7) 		16.5
(61.7) 		13.4
(56.1) 		10.5
(50.9) 		5.8
(42.4) 		3.2
(37.8) 		9.1
(48.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 51.3
(2.02) 		41.6
(1.64) 		49.1
(1.93) 		69.6
(2.74) 		74.0
(2.91) 		60.3
(2.37) 		37.7
(1.48) 		46.8
(1.84) 		47.4
(1.87) 		57.0
(2.24) 		51.1
(2.01) 		52.4
(2.06) 		638.3
(25.11)
Source: Weatherbase March 2017

Population

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The inhabitants of Toulouse are known, in French, as Toulousains (women: Toulousaines).[6]

Toulouse has a population, in 2014, of 466,297,[7] for a population density of 3,941.6 inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Toulouse

Administration

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Toulouse's city hall, the Capitole de Toulouse, and its square with the Occitan cross designed by Raymond Moretti on the ground

Toulouse is the prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department, the capital of the arrondissement of Toulouse and the administrative centre (French: chef-lieu) of 11 cantons:

  1. Toulouse-1 : part of Toulouse with 54,307 inhabitants (2014)
  2. Toulouse-2 : part of Toulouse with 55,397 inhabitants (2014)
  3. Toulouse-3 : part of Toulouse with 52,536 inhabitants (2014)
  4. Toulouse-4 : part of Toulouse with 52,753 inhabitants (2014)
  5. Toulouse-5 : part of Toulouse with 45,521 inhabitants (2014)
  6. Toulouse-6 : part of Toulouse with 55,866 inhabitants (2014)
  7. Toulouse-7 : 3 communes + part of Toulouse with 57,622 inhabitants (2014)
  8. Toulouse-8 : 1 commune + part of Toulouse with 60,233 inhabitants (2014)
  9. Toulouse-9 : 2 communes + part of Toulouse with 54,205 inhabitants (2014)
  10. Toulouse-10 : 9 communes + part of Toulouse with 56,446 inhabitants (2014)
  11. Toulouse-11 : 1 commune + part of Toulouse with 48,078 inhabitants (2014)

It is part of the intercommunality Metropolitan Toulouse (French: Toulouse Métropole).

Sister cities

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Saint-Gaudens is twinned with:

Toulouse also has accords of cooperation with the following towns:

In addition, Toulouse has an adoption city:

  Câmpia Turzii, Romania

Museum

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Toulouse welcomes the Cité de l'espace dedicated to space exploration, L'Envol des pionniers dedicated to aviation and Aeroscopia dedicated to aeronautics.

Education

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Notable births and deaths in Toulouse

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Events

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References

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  1. ↑ "Les Élus" (in French). Mairie de Toulouse. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Toulouse's Saint Sernin, Largest Romanesque Church in Europe Europe Close
  3. ↑ "Commune de Toulouse (31555)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "Toulouse". Map-France.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Toulouse, France - Köppen Climate Classification". Weatherbase. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "Habitants du départment: Haute-Garonne (31)" (in French). habitants.fr. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "Régions, départements, arrondissements, cantons et communes" (PDF). Populations légales 2014 (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 14 March 2017.

Other websites

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toulouse.
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