Occitanie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Occitanie
Occitània
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
 |
|||
| Country |  France |
||
| Prefecture | Toulouse | ||
| Departments |
13
Ariège (09)
Aude (11) Aveyron (12) Gard (30) Gers (32) Haute-Garonne (31) Hautes-Pyrénées (65) Hérault (34) Lot (46) Lozère (48) Pyrénées-Orientales (66) Tarn (81) Tarn-et-Garonne (82) |
||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 72,724 km2 (28,079 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(2015)
|
|||
| • Total | 5,774,185 | ||
| • Density | 79.3986/km2 (205.6415/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Occitans | ||
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | ||
Occitanie is a large region in the south of France. It was created on January 1, 2016, by combining two older regions: Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. For a short time, it was called Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées.
The name Occitanie was officially chosen on September 28, 2016. This new administrative region is part of a much larger cultural area also called Occitania. This wider area shares a common history and language.
Contents
Discover Occitanie: A Look at its Geography
Occitanie is the third largest region in France. It covers an area of about 72,724 square kilometers (28,079 square miles). It's located in southern France, often called the Midi.
Occitanie shares borders with:
- Spain and Andorra to the south.
- Three other French regions: Nouvelle-Aquitaine to the west, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to the north, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur to the east.
- The Mediterranean Sea to the southeast.
The capital city of Occitanie is Toulouse. It is about 590 kilometers (367 miles) southwest of Paris, the capital of France.
Rivers Flowing Through Occitanie
Occitanie has many important rivers. They flow into two main areas: the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea.
- Rivers flowing to the Atlantic Ocean:
- Garonne river: This river is 522 kilometers (324 miles) long in total. About 250 kilometers (155 miles) of it flows through Occitanie.
- Rivers flowing to the Mediterranean Sea:
Majestic Mountains of Occitanie
The highest mountain in Occitanie is Pic Vignemale. It stands at 3,299 meters (10,823 feet) tall. This impressive peak is located on the border with Spain, within the Pyrénées National Park.
Here are some of the highest points in the different departments of Occitanie:
| Department | Mountain | Elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Ariège | Pica d'Estats | 3,142 m (10,308 ft) |
| Aude | Pic de Madrès | 2,469 m (8,100 ft) |
| Aveyron | Signal de Mailhe-Biau | 1,463 m (4,800 ft) |
| Gard | Mont Aigoual | 1,565 m (5,135 ft) |
| Haute-Garonne | Perdiguero | 3,221 m (10,568 ft) |
| Gers | Mont de Chapelle Saint Roch | 377 m (1,237 ft) |
| Hérault | Valbonne | 1,151 m (3,776 ft) |
| Lot | Signal de Labastide-du-Haut-Mont | 783 m (2,569 ft) |
| Lozère | Mont Lozère | 1,699 m (5,574 ft) |
| Hautes-Pyrénées | Pic Vignemale | 3,299 m (10,823 ft) |
| Pyrénées-Orientales | Pic Carlit | 2,921 m (9,583 ft) |
| Tarn | Puech de Rascas | 1,270 m (4,167 ft) |
| Tarn-et-Garonne | Puech des Carts-Sommet Nord | 504 m (1,654 ft) |
The Departments of Occitanie
Occitanie is made up of 13 smaller areas called departments. Each department has its own main city, called a prefecture.
Here are the 13 departments:
- Ariège (Prefecture: Foix)
- Aude (Prefecture: Carcassonne)
- Aveyron (Prefecture: Rodez)
- Gard (Prefecture: Nîmes)
- Haute-Garonne (Prefecture: Toulouse)
- Gers (Prefecture: Auch)
- Hérault (Prefecture: Montpellier)
- Lot (Prefecture: Cahors)
- Lozère (Prefecture: Mende)
- Hautes-Pyrénées (Prefecture: Tarbes)
- Pyrénées-Orientales (Prefecture: Perpignan)
- Tarn (Prefecture: Albi)
- Tarn-et-Garonne (Prefecture: Montauban)
People and Cities in Occitanie
In 2013, about 5.7 million people lived in the Occitanie region. This means there were about 78 people for every square kilometer.
Here are some of the biggest cities in Occitanie, with more than 20,000 people (as of 2013):
| City | Department | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Toulouse | Haute-Garonne | 458,298 |
| Montpellier | Hérault | 272,084 |
| Nîmes | Gard | 150,564 |
| Perpignan | Pyrénées-Orientales | 120,959 |
| Béziers | Hérault | 74,811 |
| Montauban | Tarn-et-Garonne | 57,921 |
| Narbonne | Aude | 52,802 |
| Albi | Tarn | 49,342 |
| Carcassonne | Aude | 46,724 |
| Sète | Hérault | 44,270 |
| Castres | Tarn | 41,636 |
| Tarbes | Hautes-Pyrénées | 41,062 |
| Alès | Gard | 40,711 |
| Colomiers | Haute-Garonne | 38,302 |
| Tournefeuille | Haute-Garonne | 26,206 |
| Agde | Hérault | 25,253 |
| Lunel | Hérault | 25,006 |
| Muret | Haute-Garonne | 24,725 |
| Rodez | Aveyron | 23,741 |
| Blagnac | Haute-Garonne | 22,969 |
| Frontignan | Hérault | 22,942 |
| Millau | Aveyron | 22,205 |
| Auch | Gers | 21,962 |
Images for kids
Related pages
