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Toulouse |
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Motto: Per Tolosa totjorn mai. |
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Toulouse
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| Administration | ||
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| Country | France | |
| Region | Midi-Pyrénées | |
| Department | Haute-Garonne | |
| Arrondissement | Toulouse | |
| Intercommunality | Grand Toulouse | |
| Mayor | Pierre Cohen (PS) (2008–2014) |
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| Statistics | ||
| Land area1 | 118.3 km2 (45.7 sq mi) | |
| Population2 | 439,553 (2008) | |
| - Ranking | 4th in France | |
| - Density | 3,716 /km2 (9,620 /sq mi) | |
| Urban area | 808 km2 (312 sq mi) (1999) | |
| - Population | 850,873 (1 January 2006) | |
| Metro area | 4,015 km2 (1,550 sq mi) (1999) | |
| - Population | 1,102,882 (1 January 2006) | |
| Website | http://www.toulouse.fr/ | |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | ||
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
Toulouse (pronounced [tuluz] ( listen) in standard French and [tuˈluzə] ( listen) with a Toulouse accent; Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced [tuˈluzɔ], medieval Tholoza) is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France
It lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km (366 mi) away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With 1,102,882 inhabitants as of 1 January 2006,[1] the Toulouse metropolitan area is the fifth-largest in France, after Paris (11.8 million), Lyon (1.8 million), Marseille (1.7 million) and Lille (1.16 million)
Toulouse is one of the bases of the European aerospace industry, with the headquarters of Airbus, Galileo positioning system, the SPOT satellite system, and CNES's Toulouse Space Centre (CST), the largest space centre in Europe.[2] Thales Alenia Space, Europe's largest satellite manufacturer, and Astrium Satellites, EADS's satellite system subsidiary, also have a significant presence in Toulouse. Its world renowned university is one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1229) and, with more than 97,000 students, is with Lille the third-largest university campus of France after Paris and Lyon.[3]
Toulouse was the capital of the former province of Languedoc (provinces were abolished during the French Revolution). It is now the Chef-lieu of the Midi-Pyrénées region, the largest region in metropolitan France. It is also the Chef-lieu of the Haute-Garonne department.
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The city is traversed by the Canal de Garonne, the Canal du Midi and the rivers Garonne, Touch and Hers-Mort.
Toulouse has a temperate climate that is usually classified as oceanic (Cfb) under the Köppen climate classification, falling just short of a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) classification. Toulouse is located at the junction with the Mediterranean climate zone, but uniform precipitation prevents it from being classified this way.
| Climate data for Toulouse | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
11.2 (52.2) |
14.0 (57.2) |
16.2 (61.2) |
20.5 (68.9) |
24.2 (75.6) |
27.6 (81.7) |
27.5 (81.5) |
24.2 (75.6) |
18.9 (66.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
10.1 (50.2) |
18.1 (64.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.8 (42.4) |
7.2 (45.0) |
9.3 (48.7) |
11.4 (52.5) |
15.4 (59.7) |
18.8 (65.8) |
21.7 (71.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
18.6 (65.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
9.1 (48.4) |
6.7 (44.1) |
13.3 (55.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2.2 (36.0) |
3.2 (37.8) |
4.5 (40.1) |
6.5 (43.7) |
10.3 (50.5) |
13.3 (55.9) |
15.7 (60.3) |
15.9 (60.6) |
12.9 (55.2) |
9.6 (49.3) |
5.2 (41.4) |
3.3 (37.9) |
8.6 (47.5) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 51.7 (2.035) |
51.3 (2.02) |
53.8 (2.118) |
66.8 (2.63) |
77.2 (3.039) |
64.4 (2.535) |
45.4 (1.787) |
50.5 (1.988) |
52.2 (2.055) |
52.3 (2.059) |
50.7 (1.996) |
52.2 (2.055) |
668.5 (26.319) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 9.6 | 9 | 9.5 | 10.2 | 10.2 | 7.6 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 8 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 99.1 |
| Sunshine hours | 104 | 119 | 182 | 184 | 217 | 207 | 245 | 238 | 195 | 138 | 96 | 84 | 2,009 |
| Source no. 1: Météo France[4] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: World Meteorological Organisation[5] | |||||||||||||
| Historical Population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Area | Metropolitan Area |
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| 1695 | 43,000 | |||
| 1750 | 48,000 | |||
| 1790 | 52,863 | |||
| 1801 | 50,171 | |||
| 1831 | 59,630 | |||
| 1851 | 95,277 | |||
| 1872 | 126,936 | |||
| 1911 | 149,000 | |||
| 1936 | 213,220 | |||
| 1946 | 264,411 | |||
| 1954 | 268,865 | |||
| 1962 | 329,044 | |||
| 1968 | 439,764 | 474,000 | ||
| 1975 | 509,939 | 585,000 | ||
| 1982 | 541,271 | 645,000 | ||
| 1990 | 650,336 | 797,373 | ||
| 1999 | 761,090 | 964,797 | ||
| 2008 | 850,873 | 1,102,882 | ||
The population of the city proper (French: commune) was 437,715 at the 1 Jan. 2006 census, with 1,102,882 inhabitants in the metropolitan area (French: aire urbaine) at the 1 Jan. 2006 census, up from 964,797 at the March 1999 census, which means a record 1.98% population growth per year between 1999 and 2006 for the metropolitan area.[1]
Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France, after Paris, Marseille and Lyon, and the fifth-largest metropolitan area after Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Lille.
Fuelled by booming aerospace and high-tech industries, population growth of 1.5% a year in the metropolitan area in the 1990s (compared with 0.37% for metropolitan France), and a record 1.98% a year in the 2000s (0.69% for metropolitan France), means the Toulouse metropolitan area hit the 1,000,000 inhabitant mark in 2000 or 2001. Boasting the highest population growth of any French metropolitan area larger than 500,000 inhabitants, Toulouse is on its way to overtake Lille as the fourth-largest metropolitan area of France (if the Belgian part of the Lille metropolitan area is not included), and Lyon as the third-largest city of France.
The Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse (Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Toulouse) was created in 2001 to better coordinate transport, infrastructure and economic policies between the city of Toulouse and its immediate independent suburbs. It succeeds a previous district which had been created in 1992 with less powers than the current council. It combines the city of Toulouse and 24 independent communes, covering an area of 380 km² (147 sq. miles), totaling a population of 583,229 inhabitants (as of 1999 census), 67% of whom live in the city of Toulouse proper. As of February 2004 estimate, the total population of the Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse was 651,209 inhabitants, 65.5% of whom live in the city of Toulouse. Due to local political feuds, the Community of Agglomeration only hosts 61% of the population of the metropolitan area, the other independent suburbs having refused to join in. Since 2009, the Community of agglomeration has become an urban community (in French: communauté urbaine).
One of the major political figures in Toulouse was Dominique Baudis, the mayor of Toulouse between 1983 and 2001, member of the centrist UDF. First known as a journalist famous for his coverage of the war in Lebanon, 36 year-old Dominique Baudis succeeded his father Pierre Baudis in 1983 as mayor of Toulouse. (Pierre Baudis was mayor from 1971 to 1983.) The Baudis dynasty succeeded in turning Toulouse into a center-right stronghold, whereas historically the city had been left-leaning since the 19th century. Dominique Baudis is also known as a writer who wrote historical novels about the ancient counts of Toulouse, their crusade in the Middle East, and the Albigensian Crusade.
During his time as mayor, Toulouse's economy and population boomed. He tried to strengthen the international role of Toulouse (such as its Airbus operations), as well as revive the cultural heritage of the city. The Occitan cross, flag of Languedoc and symbol of the counts of Toulouse, was chosen as the new flag of the city, instead of the traditional coat of arms of Toulouse (which included the fleur de lis of the French monarchy). Many cultural institutions were created, in order to attract foreign expatriates and emphasise the city's past. For example, monuments dating from the time of the counts of Toulouse were restored, the city's symphonic concert hall (Halle aux Grains) was refurbished, a city theater was built, a Museum of Modern Art was founded, the Bemberg Foundation (European paintings and bronzes from the Renaissance to the 20th century) was established, a huge pop music concert venue (Zénith, the largest in France outside Paris) was built, the space museum and educational park Cité de l'Espace was founded, etc.
To deal with growth, major housing and transportation projects were launched. Perhaps the one for which Baudis is most famous is the Toulouse Metro: line A of the underground was opened in 1993, and Baudis succeeded in having work started on line B (which opened in 2007), despite strong local opposition to the anticipated costs. The creation of a system of underground car parking structures in Toulouse city centre was sharply criticised by the Green Party.
Despite all these massive undertakings, the city's economy proved so strong that Dominique Baudis was able to announce, in 1999, that the city had finished repaying its debt, making it the only large city in France ever to achieve solvency. In Europe, typical per capita city debt for a city the size of Toulouse is around 1,200 euros. Achieving solvency was a long-standing goal for Baudis, who had said that he would extinguish city debt before leaving office. Local opposition, however, has criticised this achievement, saying that the task of governments is not to run zero-deficit, but to ensure the well-being of citizens, through social benefits, housing programs for poor people, etc.
In 2000, Dominique Baudis was at the zenith of his popularity, with approval rates of 85%. He announced that he would not run for a fourth (6-year) term in 2001. He explained that with 3 terms he was already the longest-serving mayor of Toulouse since the French Revolution; he felt that change would be good for the city, and that the number of terms should be limited. He endorsed Philippe Douste-Blazy, then UDF mayor of Lourdes as his successor. Baudis has since been appointed president of the CSA (Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel) in Paris, the French equivalent of the American FCC.
Philippe Douste-Blazy narrowly won in the 2001 elections, which saw the left making its best showing in decades. Douste-Blazy had to deal with a reinvigorated political opposition, as well as with the dramatic explosion of the AZF plant in late 2001.
In March 2004, he entered the national government, and left Toulouse in the hands of his second-in-command Jean-Luc Moudenc, elected mayor by the municipal council. In March 2008, Moudenc was defeated by the Socialist Party's candidate Pierre Cohen.
The main industries are aeronautics, space, electronics, information technology and biotechnology. Toulouse hosts the Airbus headquarters and assembly-lines of Airbus A320, A330, A340, and A380, the others (A318, A319, A321 and A380 interior furnishing) being in Hamburg, Germany. Airbus intends to relocate Toulouse A320 final assembly activity to Hamburg, with A350 and A380 production going in the opposite direction as part of its Power8 organization plan begun under ex-CEO Christian Streiff.[6] Airbus has its head office in Blagnac, near Toulouse.[7][8] Airbus's France division has its main office in Toulouse.[8]
Toulouse also hosts the headquarters of Airbus, ATR, or again Groupe Latécoère
According to Newsweek, Toulouse ranked as the fifth most dynamic city in the world in 2006.[9]
Toulouse has the third-largest student population in France after Lyon and Paris with 97,000 students.
The University of Toulouse (Université de Toulouse), established in 1229, is located here (now split into three separate universities). Like the universities in Oxford and Paris, the University of Toulouse was established at a time when Europeans were starting to translate the writings of Arabs of Andalus and Greek philosophers. These writings challenged European ideology—inspiring scientific discoveries and advances in the arts—as society began seeing itself in a new way. These colleges were supported by the Church, in hopes of reconciling Greek philosophy and Christian theology.
Toulouse is also the home of Toulouse Business School (ESC Toulouse) and several engineering schools:
The most well known high schools in Toulouse are Lycée Pierre de Fermat, Lycée Saint-Joseph and Lycée Saint-Sernin.
In addition to an extensive bus system, the Toulouse Metro is a VAL (Véhicule Automatique Léger) metro system made up of driverless (automatic) rubber-tired trains. Line A runs for 12.5 km from Balma-Gramont in the north-east to Basso Cambo in the south-west. Line B, which opened in June 2007, serves 20 stations north to south and intersects line A at Jean Jaurès. Line C has existed since line A was completed. It is not VAL but an urban railway line operated by SNCF. It connects to line A at Arènes. Similarly, Line D runs south from Toulouse Matabiau to Muret. The tramway line T1 (operating since December 2010), runs from Beauzelle to Toulouse passing through Blagnac. All urban bus, metro and tram services are operated by Tisséo.
In 2007, a city-wide bicycle rental scheme called VélôToulouse was introduced, with bicycles available from automated stations for a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly subscription.
Airports include:
The main railway station, with regional and national services, is Toulouse-Matabiau.
Toulouse is the home of Bonhoure Radio Tower, a 61-metre high lattice tower used for FM and TV transmission.[10] In 2001 a large (100 km) optical fiber (symmetric 360Gbit/s) network named Infrastructure Métropolitaine de Télécommunications was deployed around the city and suburbs.[11]
The Théâtre du Capitole is the home of opera and ballet; there has been a theatre on the site since 1736.[12] The Orchestre National du Capitole, long associated with Michel Plasson, plays at the Halle aux Grains.[13]
It is the seat of the Académie des Jeux Floraux, the equivalent of the French Academy for the Occitan-speaking regions of southern France, making Toulouse the unofficial capital of Occitan culture. The traditional Occitan cross was adopted as the symbol of both the City of Toulouse and the newly-founded Midi-Pyrénées région.
The city's gastronomic specialties include Saucisses de Toulouse, a type of sausage, cassoulet Toulousain, a bean and pork stew, and garbure, a cabbage soup with poultry. Also, foie gras, the liver of an overfed duck or goose, is a delicacy mainly made in the Midi-Pyrénées.
Most notably, Toulouse is represented by Stade Toulousain, a rugby union club competing in the Top 14 competition. Stade Toulousain is considered one of the finest rugby union clubs in all of Europe, having been crowned the Heineken Cup champions four times since 1996.
Toulouse Olympique represents the city in Rugby League, they play in the Co-operative Championship.
The city also has a professional football team Toulouse FC who play in ligue 1, the top level of football in France.
Fenix Toulouse Handball who play in division 1, the top level of Handball in France.
Spacers Toulouse volleyball who play in division 1, the top level of volleyball in France.
The city also hosted games during the 1998 FIFA World Cup, 2007 rugby world cup and the EuroBasket 1999.
Toulouse is twinned with:
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Toulouse also has accords of cooperation with the following towns:
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In addition, Toulouse has an adoption city:
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