Tarn (department)

History

Tarn is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790, through application of the Law of 22 December 1789. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc, and comprised the dioceses of Albi and Castres (which found themselves merged in 1817).

The new department had five districts: Albi, Castres, Lavaur, Gaillac, Lacaune. The capitals (now prefectures) were, alternatively, Albi and Castres but, from 1790 to 1797, the capital was only Albi; in 1797, the capital was moved to Castres. In 1800, Albi became again the capital of the department and the arrondissements were created; the department had four arrondissements: Albi, Castres, Gaillac and Lavaur. In 1926, the arrondissements of Gaillac and Lavaur were eliminated.

By the law of 28 Pluviôse Year 5, the departments of Hérault and of Tarn exchanged the canton of Anglès (which had been part of the diocese of Saint-Pons, but which has remained in Tarn) for that of Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare (which had been part of the diocese of Castres, but which today remains in Hérault).

Geography

Tarn is part of the Occitanie region and has an area of 5757.9 km2. The department is surrounded by five departments, all belonging to the region Occitanie: Hérault to the southeast, Aude to the south, Aveyron to the north and east, Haute-Garonne to the southwest and west, as well as Tarn-et-Garonne to the northwest. It is one of two French departments surrounded entirely by other departments of the same region.

The slope of the department is from east to west, and its general character is mountainous or hilly. Tarn's three principal ranges lying to the south-east are: the Mountains of Lacaune, the Sidobre and the Montagne Noire, belonging to the Cévennes.

The stony and wind-blown slopes of the Mountains of Lacaune (Monts de Lacaune) are used for pasture. The highest point of the range and of the department is the Puech Montgrand, 1267 m high; several other summits are not much short of this. The granite-strewn plateaux of the Sidobre, from 1600 to high, separate the valley of the river Agout from that of its western tributary, the Thoré River. The Montagne Noire, on the southwestern border of the department, derives its name from the forests on its northern slope. Its highest point is the Pic de Nore at 1211 m high.

The limestone and sandstone foot-hills are clothed with vines and fruit trees, and are broken by deep alluvial valleys of particular fertility. With the exception of a small portion of the Montagne Noire, which drains into the river Aude, the whole department belongs to the basin of the Garonne.

Demographics

Tarn has a population, in 2019, of 389,844, for a population density of inhabitants/km2.

Population evolution

Population development since 1801:

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Albi, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 10 communes with more than 6,000 inhabitants:

Administration

Administrative divisions

There are 2 arrondissements, 23 cantons and 314 communes in Tarn.

Politics

Departmental Council of Tarn

The Departmental Council of Tarn has 46 seats. In the 2015 departmental elections, the Socialist Party (PS) won 26 seats and The Republicans (LR) and Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI) alliance won 18 seats; two miscellaneous right candidates complete the assembly composition. Christophe Ramond (PS) has been President of the Departmental Council since 2017.

Members of the National Assembly

In the 2024 legislative election, Tarn elected the following members of the National Assembly:

Tourism

(Albi) - Palais de la Berbie vu de la rive droite du Tarn.jpg|Palais de la Berbie Albi (Albi) East views of the Ste Cécile Cathedral - Apse.jpg|Albi Cathedral (Castres) Le théâtre et le musée Goya vus du jardin de l'évêché.jpg|Castres The theater and the Goya Museum (Episcopal Palace) seen from the bishop's garden Rue Castelnau de Montmiral.jpg|Street in Castelnau-de-Montmiral Cordes-sur-Ciel, june 2016 - 3185.jpg|View of Cordes-sur-Ciel France Occitanie 81 Penne 04.jpg|Street in Penne

References

References

1. (4 May 2022). "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux".
2. "Département du Tarn (81) – Résumé statistique". Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques – INSEE.
3. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep81.pdf Populations légales 2019: 81 Tarn], INSEE
4. [https://www.habitants.fr/tarn-81 Le nom des habitants du 81 - Tarn], habitants.fr
5. "Historique du Tarn". Le SPLAF.
6. "Historique du Tarn".
7. "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.