Arrondissements of the Tarn-et-Garonne department facts for kids

The Tarn-et-Garonne department in France is divided into two main areas called arrondissements. You can think of an arrondissement as a large district or a section within a department. Each arrondissement has its own main city, which is called a subprefecture.

Sometimes, the main capital city of the entire department is also the capital of one of its arrondissements. In this case, that city acts as both the department's main capital (prefecture) and the arrondissement's capital (subprefecture). These arrondissements are then divided into even smaller areas called cantons and communes, which are like local towns and villages.

The Arrondissements of Tarn-et-Garonne

The Tarn-et-Garonne department has two main arrondissements:

• Castelsarrasin: The capital city of this arrondissement is Castelsarrasin. In 2014, about 76,822 people lived here. It covers an area of about 1,601.5 square kilometers.
• Montauban: The capital city of this arrondissement is Montauban. This city is also the main capital (prefecture) of the entire Tarn-et-Garonne department. In 2014, about 175,756 people lived here. It covers an area of about 2,116.8 square kilometers.

History of the Arrondissements

The Tarn-et-Garonne department was created a long time ago, and its structure has changed very little since then.

Early Days (1808)

When the Tarn-et-Garonne department was first created in 1808, it had three arrondissements:

• Montauban
• Castelsarrasin
• Moissac

At that time, the city of Montauban was chosen to be the main capital (prefecture) of the new department.

Later Changes (1926)

Many years later, in 1926, one of the arrondissements was removed. The arrondissement of Moissac was eliminated, leaving the department with the two arrondissements we know today: Montauban and Castelsarrasin.

Images for kids

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  Map of arrondissements of the Tarn-et-Garonne department.