Midi-Pyrénées
- Total January 1, 2011 - Density
2.90342 million inhabitants 64 inhabitants per km ²
- Total - Share in France:
45,348 km ² 7.1%
Midi -Pyrénées [ midipirene ] is a region in the southwest of France, consisting of the departments of Ariège, Aveyron, Haute -Garonne, Gers, Lot, Hautes -Pyrénées, Tarn and Tarn -et -Garonne. It has an area of 45,348 km ² and 2,903,420 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011). Capital of the region is Toulouse.
The name of the region is a new creation, which is composed of Midi (French for lunch, south, even as a general term for the French use) and the French name of the Pyrenees ( Pyrenees ).
Geography
The Midi-Pyrénées region in the south as Spain and Andorra, to the west by the region of Aquitaine, to the east by Languedoc- Roussillon and in the north to the Auvergne and the Limousin.
The region can be divided into three landscape zones divide: The south is dominated by Hochgebirgszug the Pyrenees. The north-east and extreme north part of the highlands of the Massif Central. The central and north-western part of the region, however, is flat. It is dominated by the river of the Garonne River and its tributaries, which drain most of the region to the Atlantic Ocean.
Coat of arms
Description: In red a golden Tolosanerkreuz.
History
The current region is a new creation, which is composed of parts of different historical territories. It was created in 1960 with the establishment of regions in France. In 1972, the region was granted the status of a Établissements public under the direction of a regional prefect. Due to the decentralization laws of 1982, the regions were given the status of Collectivités territorial ( regional ) as him until then only the municipalities and the department had possessed. In 1986, the regional councils were directly elected for the first time. Since then, the powers of the region against the central government in Paris was gradually extended.
Until 1789, the northern part of the region belonged to the historical province of Guyenne (Aquitaine ), the Southwest Gascony, the Southeast ( including the city of Toulouse) mostly to the Languedoc, the extreme south-east formed the county of Foix ( Comté de Foix ).
The Counts of Toulouse were the most powerful rulers of southern France until they were defeated in the Albigensian wars in the 12th century. The Cathars or Albigensians had their headquarters in the area.
Population
The population distribution of the region is strongly oriented towards the capital of Toulouse, in their agglomeration third of the population lives. The rest of the region is mainly influenced small urban and rural.
Cities
The most populous cities of the Midi -Pyrénées region are:
Political Structure
The Midi-Pyrénées region is divided into eight departments:
Economy
Expressed in comparison with the EU GDP in purchasing power standards, the region reached an index of 100.2 (EU -27: 100 ) (2004 ). Thus it stands in 11th place of the 26 French regions.
Attractions
- Grotte de Massabielle, Lourdes - important pilgrim and pilgrimage
- Viaduc de Millau - longest cable-stayed bridge in the world
- Musée des Augustins - Museum of Fine Arts in Toulouse
- Place du Capitole - Toulouse in place with City Hall
- Conventuel ensemble des Jacobins - Gothic monastery church in Toulouse
- Albi Cathedral - Gothic cathedral in Albi
- Château de Roquefixade - Castle
- Château de Montsegur - Castle
- Pyrenees National Park
- Lac de Gaube - clear mountain lake in the Pyrenees
- Mount Perdu - mountain and mountain in the Pyrenees with waterfalls, lakes and gorges
- Pic Du Midi - popular mountain in the Pyrenees with observatory on the summit
- Col du Tourmalet - Mountain Pass in the Pyrenees
- Grotte de Niaux - cave with cave paintings from prehistoric times
- Chasm of Padirac - Underground waters with hiking trail
- Grotte de Lombrives - cave complex at Ornolac- Ussat -les- Bains
- Grottes de Gargas - Cave and historic site
- Grotte du Pech Merle - cave with drawings from the period around 16-20000 BC and Museum of Prehistoric Times