Auch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Auch
Prefecture and commune
Cathedral in the town centre.
Coat of arms
Auch Location in France Show map of France Auch Location in Occitanie Show map of Occitanie
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Gers
Arrondissement	Auch
Canton	Auch-1 Auch-2 Auch-3
Intercommunality	Grand Auch
Area 1	72.48 km2 (27.98 sq mi)
Population  (2012)	21,960
• Density	302.98/km2 (784.71/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Auscitain, Auscitaine
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	32013 /32000
Elevation	115–281 m (377–922 ft) (avg. 166 m or 545 ft)
Website	www.mairie-auch.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Auch (pronounced "Osh") is a city in southwestern France. It is the main city, or prefecture, of the Gers area, called a department. Auch is also the historic capital of a region called Gascony. People from Auch are called auscitain (for men) or auscitaines (for women).

History of Auch

Auch in 1883

Auch is a very old city. Its name comes from an ancient tribe called the Ausci. This tribe lived in the area when the Romans arrived.

The Romans named the town Augusta Auscorum. This meant "Augusta of the Ausci". Over time, the "Augusta" part was dropped. The name slowly changed into Aush in the local Gascon language and then Auch in modern French.

Geography of Auch

The old city

Auch is located in the southwest of France. It sits in the Armagnac area, which is part of Gascony. The city is built along the Gers river. This river actually gives its name to the department.

The river divides the city into two main parts:

• The Upper Town (called Haute-Ville in French). This part is on a small hill on the right side of the river. It's an old medieval city with narrow streets and many stairs. Most of the old buildings and monuments are here.
• The Lower Town (called Basse-Ville in French). This part is on flat land on the left side of the river.

Auch is about 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the Pyrenees mountains. It is also about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the Bay of Biscay coast. Major cities like Bordeaux are 160 kilometers (99 miles) away. Toulouse is 70 kilometers (43 miles) away, and Pau is 85 kilometers (53 miles) away.

The city covers an area of 72.48 square kilometers (27.98 square miles). Its average height above sea level is 166 meters (545 feet).

Auch and its neighboring towns

Map of the town of Auch

Auch is surrounded by several other towns. These include Roquelaure to the north and Pavie to the south. Other nearby towns are Preignan, Montaut-les-Créneaux, Leboulin, Montégut, Pessan, Lasséran, Barran, Ordan-Larroque, Duran, Castin, and Castillon-Massas. All these towns are part of the same larger area, the arrondissement of Auch.

	Castin and Castillon-Massas	Roquelaure	Preignan and Montaut-les-Créneaux
	Ordan-Larroque and Duran		Leboulin and Montégut
		Auch
	Lasséran and Barran	Pavie	Pessan

Climate in Auch

The climate in Auch is an oceanic climate. This means it has mild summers. It is classified as Cfb in the Köppen climate classification system.

The average yearly temperature in Auch is 13.4°C (56.1°F). July is usually the warmest month, with an average temperature of 21.6°C (70.9°F). January is the coolest month, averaging 5.9°C (42.6°F).

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Auch was 40.9°C (105.6°F) in August. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -20°C (-4°F) in January.

Auch receives about 690.9 millimeters (27.2 inches) of precipitation each year. May is typically the wettest month, with 83.8 millimeters (3.3 inches) of rain. February is usually the driest month, with only 30.5 millimeters (1.2 inches) of rain.

Population of Auch

In 2014, the city of Auch had a population of 21,807 people. This means there were about 301 inhabitants for every square kilometer (779 inhabitants per square mile).

How the population of Auch has changed

How Auch is Governed

Auch is the main city, or prefecture, of the Gers department. It is also the capital of the Auch area. Plus, it's the main town for three smaller areas called cantons:

• Auch-1: This canton includes 5 smaller towns and part of Auch. In 2014, about 11,098 people lived here.
• Auch-2: This canton has 13 smaller towns and another part of Auch. In 2014, about 10,298 people lived here.
• Auch-3: This canton includes 9 smaller towns and a third part of Auch. In 2014, about 11,390 people lived here.

Auch is also part of a group of towns that work together, called Le Grand Auch. This group helps manage services for all the towns involved.

Sister Cities

Auch has special friendships with cities in other countries. These are called sister cities:

• Memmingen, Germany
• Calatayud, Spain

Interesting Places to Visit in Auch

Auch was first built by the Romans. It became very important during the Middle Ages, when it was the capital of the old region of Gascony. Many of its beautiful buildings, like the cathedral, are made from high-quality limestone.

Here are some interesting places you can visit in Auch:

• Cathédrale Sainte-Marie d'Auch (St Mary's Cathedral): This huge church took 200 years to build! Construction started in the 15th century and finished in the 17th century.
• Hôtel de ville (City Hall): This is where the city's government works.
• Tour d'Armagnac (Tower of Armagnac): This old tower was once a prison. It was built in the 14th century.
• Escalier monumental (Monumental Staircase): This impressive staircase has 370 steps! It was built in 1863.
• Musée des Jacobins (Jacobins Museum): A museum where you can learn about the history and culture of the area.
• Pont de la Treille (Treille Bridge): An old bridge that crosses the river.

Gallery

The Basse-Ville (Lower Town) seen from the monumental staircase

• 

  Auch Cathedral, west front

• 

  Hôtel de ville (City hall)

• 

  Tour d'Armagnac

• 

  Escalier monumental

• 

  Pont de la Treille

Related pages

• Arrondissement of Auch
• Communes of the Gers department

See also

In Spanish: Auch para niños