Title: Foix Content: Foix (; ) is a commune, the former capital of the County of Foix. Today it is the préfecture of the Ariège department in southwestern France in the Occitanie region. It is to south of Toulouse, close to the border with Spain and Andorra. The city is only the second city of the department after Pamiers. Of all French préfectures, Foix is the one with fewest people living in it. ==History== thumb|left|200px|Château des Comtes de Foix The Romans built a fort on the rocky hill where the Château de Foix castle now overlooks the town. The town of Foix probably owes its origin to an oratory founded by Charlemagne, which afterwards became the Abbey of Saint Volusianus in 849. The current area of the department was part of the old County of Foix. ==Geography== The city of Foix lies in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, in southern France. It is on the confluence of the Ariège and Arget rivers. Foix is at to the south of Toulouse. The commune has an area of . Its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .  The commune of Foix is surrounded by the communes Arabaux, Cos, Crampagna, Ferrières-sur-Ariège, Ganac, Montgaillard, Pradières, Saint-Jean-de-Verges, Saint-Pierre-de-Rivière and Vernajoul. ===Climate=== The climate of Foix, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - Oceanic climate with template summers. ==Population== The inhabitants of Foix are known, in French, as Fuxéens (women: Fuxéennes). Foix has a population of 6,9,721 (2014), and population density of inhabitants/km2. Evolution of the population in Foix Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:500 height:373 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:30 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:12000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:2000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:1000 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:1968 text:1968 bar:1975 text:1975 bar:1982 text:1982 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:1999 text:1999 bar:2008 text:2008 bar:2014 text:2014 PlotData= color:barra width:30 align:left bar:1968 from:0 till: 9331 bar:1975 from:0 till: 9599 bar:1982 from:0 till: 9282 bar:1990 from:0 till: 9964 bar:1999 from:0 till: 9109 bar:2008 from:0 till: 9712 bar:2014 from:0 till: 9721 PlotData= bar:1968 at: 9331 fontsize:S text: 9,331 shift:(-12,5) bar:1975 at: 9599 fontsize:S text: 9,599 shift:(-17,5) bar:1982 at: 9282 fontsize:S text: 9,282 shift:(-17,5) bar:1990 at: 9964 fontsize:S text: 9,964 shift:(-13,5) bar:1999 at: 9109 fontsize:S text: 9,109 shift:(-13,5) bar:2008 at: 9712 fontsize:S text: 9,712 shift:(-13,5) bar:2014 at: 9721 fontsize:S text: 9,721 shift:(-17,5) Foix forms, with other 5 communes, the urban area of Foix with a population of 14,552 inhabitants (2013) and an area of . This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Foix, formed by 17 communes with a population of 18,406 inhabitants (2013) and an area of . == Administration == Foix is the prefecture of the Ariège department, the capital of the arrondissement of Foix and the administrative centre  of the canton of Foix (with 13,700 inhabitants in 2014). It is part of the intercommunality Pays Foix-Varilhes . === Twinned and partner towns === Foix is twinned with: * Lleida, Spain * Andorra la Vella, Andorra ==Sites of interest== * The main historic building is the Castle of the Counts of Foix or, simply, Castle of Foix; it is on the top of a rocky hill that overlooks the city. * The old town, with narrow streets and houses of traditional architecture. * Saint- Volusien Abbey * The Villote (small town), in the Middle Ages, was a space outside the walls surrounding the city built in 1330. ==Gallery== File:Chateau de foix 001.jpg|Chateau de Foix File:Foix mairie.JPG|Foix City Hall File:Foix.jpg|Foix: the old town viewed from the castle File:Chateau de Foix nuit de la Saint Sylvestre.JPG|Chateau de Foix by night ==Related pages== * Arrondissement of Foix * Communes of the Ariège department