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Haute-Garonne

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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 2023, it had a population of 1,471,468.[3]

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 CouncilSébastien Vincini[1] (PS)
Area
1
 • Total
6,309 km2 (2,436 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[2]
 • Total
1,471,468
 • Rank13th
 • Density233.2/km2 (604.1/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

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 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.

Demographics

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The inhabitants of the department are called Haut-Garonnais in French. 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 1.47 million as of 2023, with 55% of the population under the age of 40, and 16% between the ages of 20 and 29, and only 45% of the population is over the age 40. 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.

Principal towns

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The most populous commune is Toulouse, the prefecture. As of 2023, there were ten communes with more than 15,000 inhabitants:[5]

Commune Population (2023)
Toulouse 514,819
Colomiers 40,882
Tournefeuille 30,168
Blagnac 27,604
Muret 26,079
Plaisance-du-Touch 21,079
Cugnaux 20,662
Balma 17,772
Castanet-Tolosan 15,317
Ramonville-Saint-Agne 15,158

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.

PartySeats
• Socialist Party48
The Republicans6

Members of the National Assembly

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

ConstituencyMember[6]Party
Haute-Garonne's 1st constituency Hadrien Clouet La France Insoumise
Haute-Garonne's 2nd constituency Anne Stambach-Terrenoir La France Insoumise
Haute-Garonne's 3rd constituency Corinne Vignon Renaissance
Haute-Garonne's 4th constituency François Piquemal La France Insoumise
Haute-Garonne's 5th constituency Jean-François Portarrieu Renaissance
Haute-Garonne's 6th constituency Arnaud Simion Socialist Party
Haute-Garonne's 7th constituency Christophe Bex La France Insoumise
Haute-Garonne's 8th constituency Joël Aviragnet Socialist Party
Haute-Garonne's 9th constituency Christine Arrighi The Ecologists
Haute-Garonne's 10th constituency Jacques Oberti Socialist Party

Transport

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Air

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Haute-Garonne is served by Toulouse–Blagnac Airport. As of March 2024, the airport featured flights to 84 destinations, mostly in Europe and Northern Africa with a few additional seasonal long-haul connections.[7] The airport served 7.8 million passengers in 2024.[7]

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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