Tarn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tarn
Department
Old city and Tarn river, Albi
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Tarn in France
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Département	4 March 1790
Prefecture	Albi
Subprefecture	Castres
Area
• Total	5,757.9 km2 (2,223.1 sq mi)
Population  (2014)
• Total	384,474
• Density	66.7733/km2 (172.9421/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Tarnais
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	FR-81
Arrondissements	2
Cantons	23
Communes	320
Website	http://www.tarn.fr

Tarn (Occitan: Tarn) is a special area in France, located in the southwest. It's called a "department," which is like a big county. Tarn gets its name from the Tarn River that flows through it. The biggest city and main office for the department is Albi.

History of Tarn

Tarn is one of the first 83 departments ever created in France. This happened during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was formed from a part of an older region called Languedoc.

The new department first had five smaller areas called districts. These were Albi, Castres, Lavaur, Gaillac, and Lacaune. The main city, or "capital," changed a few times. At first, it was Albi, then it moved to Castres in 1797. But in 1800, Albi became the capital again and has been ever since.

Geography of Tarn

A map showing the Tarn department

Tarn is part of the Occitanie region in France. It covers an area of about 5,758 square kilometers (2,223 square miles).

The department shares its borders with five other departments, all within the Occitanie region:

• Hérault to the southeast
• Aude to the south
• Aveyron to the north and east
• Haute-Garonne to the southwest and west
• Tarn-et-Garonne to the northwest

	Tarn-et-Garonne	Aveyron
	Haute-Garonne		Aveyron
		Tarn
	Haute-Garonne	Aude	Hérault

The central part of Tarn has many hills. However, the valley of the Tarn River is mostly flat. The department also has two main mountain ranges. These are the Monts de Lacaune in the southeast and the Montagne Noire in the south.

Mountains and Rivers

The Monts de Lacaune are mountains located near the town of Lacaune. The highest point in Tarn is Puech de Rascas, which is part of this range. It stands at 1,270 meters (4,167 feet) above sea level.

The Montagne Noire (which means "Black Mountain") is another mountain range. It's in the southern part of France, at the edge of the Massif Central. Its highest point is the Pic de Nore, reaching 1,211 meters (3,973 feet) high. This mountain is inside the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Parc, a protected natural area.

The most important river in the department is the Tarn River. Another important river is the Agout river, which flows into the Tarn.

Climate in Tarn

The climate in Albi, the main city, is like an oceanic climate. This means it has mild summers.

On average, Albi gets about 1,023.6 millimeters (40.3 inches) of rain each year. November is usually the wettest month, while July is the driest.

The average temperature in Albi for the whole year is 13.4°C (56.1°F). July is the warmest month, with an average of 22.3°C (72.1°F). January is the coolest month, with an average of 5.4°C (41.7°F).

Administration of Tarn

The department of Tarn is managed by the Departmental Council of the Tarn. This council is based in Albi. Tarn is part of the larger Occitanie region.

Administrative Divisions

Tarn is divided into smaller areas to help with its administration.

• There are 2 main arrondissements (which are like large districts).
• There are 23 cantons (smaller administrative areas).
• There are 320 communes (which are like towns or municipalities).

The two arrondissements are:

Here is a list of the 23 cantons in Tarn, which were reorganized in March 2015:

Population of Tarn

The people who live in Tarn are called Tarnais (for men) or Tarnaises (for women) in French.

In 2014, Tarn had a population of 384,474 people. This means there were about 67 people living in each square kilometer. The arrondissement of Castres had more people (194,373) than the arrondissement of Albi (190,101).

The city with the most people is Albi, the capital, with 49,531 residents. The city of Castres is next, with 41,382 residents.

How the population of Tarn has changed over time

Here are the cities in Tarn with more than 6,000 people:

Lavaur: A garden in front of the Saint Alain cathedral.

Images for kids

• 

  Albi and the Tarn River

• 

  Jean Jaurès square, Castres, at night

• 

  The town of Penne seen from the Grésigne forest

• 

  Sunflowers near Salvagnac

Related Pages

• Arrondissements of the Tarn department
• Communes of the Tarn department

See also

In Spanish: Tarn para niños