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Toulouse

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Toulouse is a large and lively city in southern France.

Toulouse - Garonne et Pont Neuf
Toulouse - Garonne et Pont Neuf

It is located in the Occitania region. The city sits on the banks of the River Garonne.

Garonne from Pont St Pierre in Toulouse
Garonne from Pont St Pierre in Toulouse

It is the fourth-largest city in the country. More than 514,000 people live within the city limits.

Capitole et croix occitane
Capitole et croix occitane

Many people call it "The Pink City." This nickname comes from the pinkish terracotta bricks used in its buildings.

Mur roman
Mur roman

Today, Toulouse is a very important center for science and flight. It is the heart of the European aerospace industry.

Toulouse Siège Airbus
Toulouse Siège Airbus

Many big companies like Airbus have their headquarters here. The city also hosts the Toulouse Space Centre. This is the largest national space centre in all of Europe.

Commandement de l'espace France
Commandement de l'espace France

It is a busy place for travel, too. The air route between Toulouse and Paris is the busiest in France. In 2019, it carried 3.2 million passengers.

The history of Toulouse goes back many centuries. The Romans refounded the city as a military outpost.

Enceinte gallo-romaine - Toulouse - PA00094679
Enceinte gallo-romaine - Toulouse - PA00094679

In the 5th century, it became the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom.

Reino de los visigodos-en
Reino de los visigodos-en

Later, it served as the capital of the province of Languedoc. During the Renaissance, merchants grew wealthy from the woad trade.

Pastel pigment cocagnes et feuilles - Muséum du pastel
Pastel pigment cocagnes et feuilles - Muséum du pastel

This plant was used to make blue dye. The city has always been a place of great importance.

Toulouse is also a wonderful place for students and learners. The University of Toulouse is one of the oldest in Europe.

Université de Toulouse
Université de Toulouse

It was founded way back in the year 1229. Because of this, the city is the fourth-largest student city in France. Nearly 140,000 students live and study there.

There are also many prestigious schools for engineering. These schools help people learn how to build amazing machines.

There are many beautiful sites to see in the city. The Basilica of St. Sernin is a very famous building.

Toulouse - Jacobins et ND du Taur
Toulouse - Jacobins et ND du Taur

It is the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe. You can also visit the Canal du Midi.

Toulouse - Garonne et Pont Neuf
Toulouse - Garonne et Pont Neuf

This canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you look toward the horizon, you might see mountains. The Pyrenees are about 80 km away from the city.

Toulouse - vue sur les Pyrénées
Toulouse - vue sur les Pyrénées
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🖼️ Images & Media (35)
File:Toulouse - vue sur les Pyrénées.jpg
Toulouse - vue sur les Pyrénées.jpg
File:Garonne from Pont St Pierre in Toulouse.jpg
Garonne from Pont St Pierre in Toulouse.jpg
File:Enceinte_gallo-romaine_-_Toulouse_-_PA00094679.jpg
Enceinte_gallo-romaine_-_Toulouse_-_PA00094679.jpg
File:Liénard de Lachieze Missel romain copié en 1492 - Martyre de saint Saturnin de Toulouse - Détail.jpg
Liénard de Lachieze Missel romain copié...
File:Reino de los visigodos-en.svg
Reino de los visigodos-en.svg
File:Raymond IV of Toulouse.jpg
Raymond IV of Toulouse.jpg
File:La_chambre_de_Saint_Dominique_(maison_Seilhan)_-_panoramio.jpg
La_chambre_de_Saint_Dominique_(maison_Seil...
File:Couvent des Jacobins de Toulouse - Autel de St Thomas d'Aquin.jpg
Couvent des Jacobins de Toulouse - Autel...
File:Détail_Annales_1413.jpg
Détail_Annales_1413.jpg
File:Salle des illustres 12.JPG
Salle des illustres 12.JPG
File:Parliaments and Sovereign Councils of the Kingdom of France in 1789 (fr).png
Parliaments and Sovereign Councils of the...
File:Pastel pigment cocagnes et feuilles - Muséum du pastel.jpg
Pastel pigment cocagnes et feuilles -...

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