Geography of Toulouse
Toulouse, France, a city and the capital of Haute-Garonne Department. It is on the Garonne River, about 370 miles (595 km) south of Paris, and is a leading commercial, industrial, and transportation center. Toulouse has major research and manufacturing facilities of the French aircraft and aerospace industries. It also produces chemicals, metals, electrical and electronic equipment, farm machinery, clothing, leather, and perfumes. The University of Toulouse, the second oldest university in France (1230), and several technical colleges and scientific research institutes are here. Among the many historically interesting buildings in Toulouse is the Romanesque church of St. Sernin (11th–13th centuries).
Toulouse was known as Tolosa in Roman times. It was the capital of the Visigoths from 419 until 507, when it was taken by Clovis, king of the Franks. In the ninth century the area in which Toulouse was located became the county of Toulouse. The counts were virtually independent rulers until the 13th century, when Count Raymond VI of Toulouse came into conflict with Pope Innocent III and King Philip (II) Augustus of France. Settlement of the conflict resulted in the county's passing to the French crown in 1271. The county was incorporated into the province of Languedoc, and the city of Toulouse served as the provincial capital until 1790. Beginning in the late 19th century Toulouse experienced considerable industrial growth.
Population: 328,598.