Midi-Pyrénées

I

Introduction

Midi-Pyrénées, administrative region, south-western France. This mountainous region lies on the border with Spain and Andorra (to the south) and has the French regions of Limousin to the north, Auvergne to the north-east, Languedoc-Roussillon to the east, and Aquitaine to the west. The region is divided into eight departments: Ariège, Aveyron, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, Hautes-Pyrénées, Tarn, and Tarn-et-Garonne and is the largest of France’s 22 administrative regions, with a total land area of 45,348 sq km (17,509).

II

Physical Geography

The Pyrenees lie in the south of the region and the Massif Central in the north-east. Pic de Vignemale (3,298 m/10,820 ft) is the highest peak in the French Pyrenees and lies within the Pyrenees National Park, which was designated in 1967. The mountain landscape around Mont Perdu (Monte Perdido, just across the Spanish border) contains two of Europe's deepest and largest canyons and several noteworthy corrie formations and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. In the foothills of the Massif Central is the Causses, a limestone plateau separated by eroded gorges and which has numerous underground streams, caverns, and sink-holes. The Garonne and Tarn are the principal rivers of Midi-Pyrénées.

III

Population

Midi-Pyrénées has 2,782,000 inhabitants (2007 estimate). The region is predominantly rural and sparsely populated; the average population density is 59 people per sq km (153 per sq mi). Toulouse (2005 estimate, 435,000) is the largest city and the regional capital. Other well-known towns are Montauban (2005 estimate, 53,100); Tarbes (1999, 46,275); Albi (2005 estimate, 48,100); Cahors (1999, 20,003); and Lourdes (1999, 15,203).

Toulouse is one of France's largest cities, notable for its red brick architecture. The city is the seat of the second-largest university in France. The University of Toulouse was established in 1229 and reorganized in 1970 into three divisions: Université de Toulouse I (Sciences Sociales); Université de Toulouse II (Le Mirail); and Université de Toulouse III (Université Paul Sabatier). Massabielle Grotto in the town of Lourdes is an important place of pilgrimage for millions of Christians, after visions of the Virgin Mary were witnessed there in 1858. Albi was the birthplace of French Post-Impressionist painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the town has a museum dedicated to his works. The village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon is world famous for the manufacture of Roquefort cheese, which is made from ewe’s milk and ripened in large, damp, limestone caves. The traditional production technique has been practised in the village since the 1st century ad and the caves are a popular tourist destination.

IV

Economy

Wheat-growing and livestock-raising are the most common forms of agriculture, although there is some viticulture. The region is well-wooded and forestry is an important economic factor. An aerospace industry developed around Toulouse, producing the Airbus and formerly Concorde. Tourism is a fast-growing sector of the economy. In addition to spas and churches nestling in the region’s villages, its limestone caverns are becoming popular attractions. Midi-Pyrénées’s popularity as a tourist destination is also helped by its climate—in winter the mountains provide excellent skiing, while the summers are hot and dry.