Toulouse

**Toulouse** () 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.

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, designated in 1998.

## History

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

The city of Toulouse is along the Garonne river,  from the Mediterranean Sea,  from the Atlantic Ocean, and  from Paris.

The _commune_ has an area of , and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

### Climate

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 . The month with the most precipitation on average is May with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of . 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.

The average temperature for the year in Toulouse is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

## Population

The inhabitants of Toulouse are known, in French, as _Toulousains_ (women: _Toulousaines_).

Toulouse has a population, in 2014, of 466,297, for a population density of  inhabitants/km<sup>2</sup>.

**Evolution of the population in Toulouse**

## Administration

Toulouse is the prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department, the capital of the _arrondissement_ of Toulouse and the administrative centre () of 11 cantons:
1. Toulouse-1 : part of Toulouse with 54,307 inhabitants  <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-2 : part of Toulouse with 55,397 inhabitants <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-3 : part of Toulouse with 52,536 inhabitants <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-4 : part of Toulouse with 52,753 inhabitants  <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-5 : part of Toulouse with 45,521 inhabitants <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-6 : part of Toulouse with 55,866 inhabitants <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-7 : 3 _communes_ + part of Toulouse with 57,622 inhabitants  <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-8 : 1 _commune_ + part of Toulouse with 60,233 inhabitants <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-9 : 2 _communes_ + part of Toulouse with 54,205 inhabitants <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-10 : 9 _communes_ + part of Toulouse with 56,446 inhabitants  <small>(2014)</small>
1. Toulouse-11 : 1 _commune_ + part of Toulouse with 48,078 inhabitants <small>(2014)</small>

It is part of the intercommunality _Metropolitan Toulouse_ ().

### Sister cities

Saint-Gaudens is twinned with:

- Atlanta, United States
- Bologna, Italy
- Bristol, England, United Kingdom
- Chongqing, China

- Elx/Elche, Spain
- Kiev, Ukraine
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Rosario, Argentina

Toulouse also has accords of cooperation with the following towns:

- Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Düsseldorf, Germany
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- N'Djamena, Chad

- Saint-Louis, Senegal
- São José dos Campos, Brazil
- Zaragoza, Spain

In addition, Toulouse has an adoption city:
- Câmpia Turzii, Romania

## Museum

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

## Education

- Airbus Training Centre Europe
- E-Artsup
- École nationale de l'aviation civile
- École nationale de la météorologie
- École nationale supérieure d'électrotechnique, d'électronique, d'informatique, d'hydraulique et des télécommunications
- École nationale supérieure des ingénieurs en arts chimiques et technologiques
- Institut polytechnique des sciences avancées
- Institut supérieur européen de gestion group
- École pour l'informatique et les techniques avancées
- École pour l'informatique et les nouvelles technologies
- Institut catholique d'arts et métiers
- Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse
- Institut national des sciences appliquées de Toulouse
- Institut supérieur de l'aéronautique et de l'espace
- Institut supérieur européen de formation par l'action
- Toulouse Business School
- Toulouse School of Economics

## Notable births and deaths in Toulouse

- Louis Aliot (1969-), French politician
- Bernard Werber, writer
- Louis-Georges-Gustave de Caunes, journalist
- Jean de Coras (1515–1572), judge and humanist
- Lucas Puig, professional skateboarder
- Antony Rea, mixed martial artist
- Pierre de Fermat, lawyer and mathematician
- Carlos Gardel, singer, composer
- Christine Albanel, politician
- Philippe Mexès, footballer
- David Skrela, French rugby union player.
- Fabien Pelous, rugby player
- Frédéric Michalak, rugby player
- Patrice Carmouze, journalist
- Anne Munaretto, lacrosse player
- Jean-Louis Debré, politician
- Laetitia Barlerin, veterinarian
- Claude Nougaro, _parolier_, writer and singer, passionate about jazz and language
- Solène Jambaqué, alpine skier with hemiplegia, multi-medal winner at the Winter Paralympic Games
- Pierre Seel, persecuted homosexual during the Holocaust
- Marine Delterme, actress
- Laurent Wolf, DJ
- Gael Clichy, footballer

## Events

- Salon du livre aéronautique

## Related pages

- Toulouse F.C.
- Arrondissement of Saint-Gaudens
- Communes of the Haute-Garonne department

## Other websites

- City Council website

## Infobox (french commune)

- **name**: Toulouse
- **commune status**: Prefectures in France, Prefecture and Communes of France, commune
- **image flag**: Midi-Pyrénées flag.svg
- **image coat of arms**: Blason ville fr Toulouse (Haute-Garonne).svg
- **city motto**: _Per Tolosa totjorn mai._
(Occitan language, Occitan for "For Toulouse, always more")
- **image**: Montage Toulouse 2.jpg
- **caption**: 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
- **arrondissement**: Toulouse
- **canton**: Capital of 11 cantons
- **intercommunality**: Toulouse Métropole
- **mayor**: Jean-Luc Moudenc
- **term**: 2014–2020
- **elevation m**: 189
- **elevation min m**: 115
- **elevation max m**: 263
- **area km2**: 118.3
- **population demonym**: Toulousains
- **population**: 466297
- **population date**: 2014
- **insee**: 31555
- **website**: [http://www.toulouse.fr/ www.toulouse.fr]