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Haute-Garonne

Coordinates: 43°25′N 1°30′E / 43.417°N 1.500°E / 43.417; 1.500
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Haute-Garonne
Nauta Garona (Occitan)
Department
Prefecture building in Toulouse, with the city's cathedral in the background
Prefecture building in Toulouse, with the city's cathedral in the background
Flag of Haute-Garonne
Flag
Coat of arms of Haute-Garonne
Coat of arms
Location of Haute-Garonne in France
Location of Haute-Garonne in France
Coordinates: 43°25′N 1°30′E / 43.417°N 1.500°E / 43.417; 1.500
CountryFrance
RegionOccitanie
PrefectureToulouse
SubprefecturesSaint-Gaudens
Muret
Government
 • President of the Departmental CouncilGeorges Méric[1] (PS)
Area
1
 • Total
6,309 km2 (2,436 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total
1,434,367
 • Rank13th
 • Density230/km2 (590/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number31
Arrondissements3
Cantons27
Communes586
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Haute-Garonne (French pronunciation: [ot ɡaʁɔn]; Occitan: Nauta Garona, pronounced [ˈnawto ɡaˈɾuno]; Upper Garonne) is a department in the southwestern French region of Occitanie. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country's fourth-largest. In 2019, it had a population of 1,400,039.[3]

History

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Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former provinces of Languedoc and Guyenne/Gascony.

The department was originally larger. The reduction in its area resulted from an imperial decree dated 21 November 1808 and which established the neighbouring department of Tarn-et-Garonne, to the north. The new department took territory from five surrounding departments including Haute-Garonne. The districts lost to Tarn-et-Garonne in 1808 were those of Montech and Castelsarrasin.

Geography

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Map of Haute-Garonne with its main cities and towns

Haute-Garonne is part of the current region of Occitanie and is surrounded by the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées, Gers, Tarn-et-Garonne, Tarn, Aude, and Ariège. It also borders Spain in the south (province of Lleida and province of Huesca). According to the Köppen climate classification, the department has a mix of humid subtropical, oceanic, subarctic, and polar climates. The southern part of the department is sparsely populated and typically have higher elevations while the northern is part of the department is highly urbanised and typically have lower elevations than the southern part.

The department is crossed by the upper course of the Garonne river (hence the name) for nearly 200 kilometers (120 mi). The borders of the department follow the river. The Garonne enters France from Spain at the town of Fos, and goes through Toulouse and leaves the department. The extreme south of the department lies in the Pyrenees mountain range and is very mountainous. The highest elevation is the Peak of Perdiguère, at 3,222 meters (10,571 feet) above sea level and the lowest elevation lies at 123 meters (404 feet) above sea level.

Demographics

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The inhabitants of the department are called Haut-Garonnais. The greatest population concentration is around Toulouse, in the north, while the southern area of the department is sparsely populated. Overall the department had a population of 1.4 million as of the 2019 census, with 55% of the population under the age of 40, and 16% between the ages of 20 and 29. This youthful demographic is due in part to Toulouse being a major university town. The department has also seen significant migration from other parts of the country.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1801339,574—    
1821391,118+0.71%
1831427,856+0.90%
1841468,153+0.90%
1851481,610+0.28%
1861484,081+0.05%
1872479,362−0.09%
1881478,009−0.03%
1891472,383−0.12%
1901448,481−0.52%
1911432,126−0.37%
1921424,582−0.18%
1931441,799+0.40%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1936458,647+0.75%
1946512,260+1.11%
1954525,669+0.32%
1962594,633+1.55%
1968690,712+2.53%
1975777,431+1.70%
1982824,501+0.84%
1990925,962+1.46%
19991,046,338+1.37%
20061,186,330+1.81%
20111,260,226+1.22%
20161,348,183+1.36%
Sources:[4][5]

Principal towns

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The most populous commune is Toulouse, the prefecture. As of 2019, there were eight communes with more than 15,000 inhabitants:[3]

Commune Population (2019)
Toulouse 493,465
Colomiers 39,968
Tournefeuille 28,117
Blagnac 25,525
Muret 24,797
Plaisance-du-Touch 19,402
Cugnaux 19,344
Balma 16,625

Politics

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This department was the political base of former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.

Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne

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The Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne comprises 54 seats. In the 2015 departmental elections, the Socialist Party (PS) won 48 seats. The Republicans secured the remaining 6 seats. The President of the Departmental Council has been Georges Méric (PS) since 2015.

Party Seats
• Socialist Party 48
The Republicans 6

Members of the National Assembly

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Haute-Garonne elected the following members of the National Assembly during the 2017 legislative election:

Constituency Member[6] Party
Haute-Garonne's 1st constituency Pierre Cabaré La République En Marche!
Haute-Garonne's 2nd constituency Jean-Luc Lagleize MoDem
Haute-Garonne's 3rd constituency Corinne Vignon La République En Marche!
Haute-Garonne's 4th constituency Mickaël Nogal La République En Marche!
Haute-Garonne's 5th constituency Jean-François Portarrieu La République En Marche!
Haute-Garonne's 6th constituency Monique Iborra La République En Marche!
Haute-Garonne's 7th constituency Élisabeth Toutut-Picard La République En Marche!
Haute-Garonne's 8th constituency Joël Aviragnet Socialist Party
Haute-Garonne's 9th constituency Sandrine Mörch La République En Marche!
Haute-Garonne's 10th constituency Sébastien Nadot La République En Marche!

Tourism

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Main sights

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Haute-Garonne's main sights include:

Winter sports

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The department has four ski resorts:

  • Peyragudes (1600 m -2450 m), 55 km of slopes
  • Luchon-Superbagnères (1440 m - 2260 m), 30 km of slopes
  • Le Mourtis (1380 m - 1816 m), 22 km of slopes
  • Bourg-d'Oueil (1350 m - 1500 m)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 4 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Populations légales 2019: 31 Haute-Garonne, INSEE
  4. ^ "Historique de la Haute-Garonne". Le SPLAF.
  5. ^ "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.
  6. ^ Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français". Assemblée nationale.
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