Ville de Toulouse
New city flag (Occitan cross)	Traditional coat of arms
Motto: Per Tolosa totjorn mai. (Occitan: "For Toulouse, always more")
Toulouse
Location
Time Zone	CET (GMT +1)
Coordinates	43°36′19″N, 1°26′34″E
Administration
Country	France
Region	Midi-Pyrénées
Department	Haute-Garonne (31)
Intercommunality	Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse
Mayor	Pierre Cohen (PS) (since 2008)
City Statistics
Land area¹	118. Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, Midi-Pyrénées ( Occitan: Miègjorn-Pirenèus or Mieidia-Pirenèus) is the largest region of Metropolitan France by area larger In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Haute-Garonne ( Occitan: Nauta Garona; English: Upper Garonne) is a department in the southwest of France named after the The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. The Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse ( French: Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Toulouse) also simply known as Grand Toulouse A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The Socialist Party ( Parti Socialiste, PS is the largest left-wing political party in France. 3 km²
Population² (Jan. As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. 2005 census)	435,000
- Ranking	4th in France
- Density	3,677/km² (2005)
Urban Spread
Urban Area	808 km² (1999)
- Population	880,000 estimate (2007)
Metro Area	4,015. This is a list of communes in France with a population over 20000 at the March 8 1999 census. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume In France an unité urbaine (literally "urban unit" is a statistical area defined by INSEE, the French national statistics office for the measurement of contiguously The aire urbaine is an INSEE (the national statistics office of France statistical region comprising a Couronne périurbaine commuter belt around a contiguous 2 km² (1999)
- Population	1,117, 000 (2007)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. C D E

Toulouse (pronounced [tuˈluz] (help·info) in standard French, and [tuˈluzə] (help·info) in the local accent) (Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced [tuˈluzɔ]) is a city in southwest France on the banks of the Garonne River, half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Garonne (Garonne in Occitan, Catalan and Spanish: Garona; Garumna is a River in southwest France and northern With 1,117,000 inhabitants in 2007, the Toulouse metropolitan area is the fifth-largest in France and the fastest growing in Europe.

Toulouse is one of the centres of the European aerospace industry, with the headquarters of Airbus, Galileo positioning system, the SPOT satellite system, and CNES's Toulouse Space Center (CST), the largest space center in Europe. This article is about the field of research and industry for the corporation see The Aerospace Corporation Aerospace comprises the Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing Galileo is a Global navigation satellite system currently being built by the European Union (EU and European Space Agency (ESA SPOT (Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre is a high-resolution optical imaging Earth observation satellite system operating from space The fr '''Centre National d'Études Spatiales''' ( CNES) is the French government Space agency (administratively a "public establishment of industrial and commercial ^[1] Thales Alenia Space, Europe's largest satellite manufacturer, and EADS Astrium Satellites, EADS's satellite system subsidiary, also have a significant presence in Toulouse. Thales Alenia Space is the company born after Thales had bought the participation of Alcatel in the two Joint-ventures between Alcatel and Finmeccanica This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite. EADS Astrium Satellites, one of the three business units of EADS Astrium, this company being a subsidiary of EADS, is a European space manufacturer involved in The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV ( EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation formed by the merger on July 10, Its world-known university is one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1229) and, with more than 120,000 students, is the third largest university campus of France after Paris and Lyon. The University of Toulouse ' is a consortium of universities and other institutions of higher education and research named after one of the earliest universities established This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The historic University of Paris (Université de Paris first appeared in the second half of the 13th century The University of Lyon ( Université de Lyon) located in Lyon, France, is a center for higher education and research comprising 16 institutions of higher

Toulouse was the capital of the former province of Languedoc (provinces were abolished during the French Revolution). The Kingdom of France was organised into Provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an It is now the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées region, the largest region in metropolitan France. Midi-Pyrénées ( Occitan: Miègjorn-Pirenèus or Mieidia-Pirenèus) is the largest region of Metropolitan France by area larger France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, It is also the capital of the Haute-Garonne department. Haute-Garonne ( Occitan: Nauta Garona; English: Upper Garonne) is a department in the southwest of France named after the In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division

Contents 1 History 2 Population 3 Government and politics 3.1 Community of the Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse 3.2 Local politics 4 Sights 4.1 Religious buildings 5 Economy 6 Colleges and universities 7 Transport 8 Communications 9 Culture 9.1 Sport 10 Notable births and deaths in Toulouse 11 See also 12 Notes 13 References 14 External links

History

Main article: History of Toulouse

See also: Counts of Toulouse

Born during the Roman Empire, Toulouse was once a major metropolis of western Europe, but it sank into a sleepy regional-level status in the 18th and 19th centuries, completely missing the Industrial Revolution. Before 118 BC pre-Roman times The history of Toulouse can be traced as far back as the 8th century BC according to the oldest archaeological evidence of human settlement The first comites ( counts) of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians No succession of such royal The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the In the 20th century, relocation of key military and aerospace industries in Toulouse by the French central government have awakened the city again. In an ironic twist of history, what was once a big liability for Toulouse has now become its best asset: no Industrial Revolution meant a falling economic status for the city, but it has spared Toulouse the environmental damages and painful socio-economic restructuring that are plaguing so many northern European industrial cities.

Benefiting from its status as Europe's capital of aerospace industry, as well as from the flow of population from the industrial belt to the sunbelt of Europe, Toulouse metropolitan area doubled its population between 1960 and 2000 (in the meantime the population of France increased only by 30%). With good prospects for aerospace and biotech industries, growth is likely to continue in the near future. This article is about the field of research and industry for the corporation see The Aerospace Corporation Aerospace comprises the Biotechnology is Technology based on Biology, especially when used in Agriculture, Food science, and Medicine. Toulouse is thus recovering step by step its former rank as a major European metropolis, but it faces increasing challenges: how to accommodate such a rapid growth, how to upgrade transport and develop housing and infrastructures, in short how to reinvent the city in the 21st century. Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids

Population

Historical Population
	Urban Area	Metropolitan Area
1695	43,000
1750	48,000
1790	52,863
1801	50,171
1831	59,630
1851	95,277
1872	126,936
1911	149,000
1936	213,220
1946	264,411
1954	268,865
1962	329,044
1968	439,764	474,000
1975	509,939	585,000
1982	541,271	645,000
1999	761,090	964,797
2007 (estimate)	880,000	1,117 000
Note: figures provided by French national statistics office INSEE figures up to and including 1954 can be compared with each other, as the limits of the urban area did not change until 1954, being only the city of Toulouse; after 1954 the urban area starts to include suburban communes, and the limits vary year after year INSEE started calculating metropolitan area data only in 1990, a metropolitan area being different from an urban area in that it also includes satellite towns and the agricultural land in between, thus better reflecting the modern-day phenomenon of commutes and hubs; metropolitan area data before 1990 are only estimates

The population of the city proper (French: commune) was 390,350 (as of the 1999 census), with 964,797 inhabitants in the metropolitan area (French: aire urbaine) (as of 1999 census). INSEE ( French: I nstitut N ational de la S tatistique et des É tudes É conomiques; inse (not) in French is the The aire urbaine is an INSEE (the national statistics office of France statistical region comprising a Couronne périurbaine commuter belt around a contiguous The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. The aire urbaine is an INSEE (the national statistics office of France statistical region comprising a Couronne périurbaine commuter belt around a contiguous As of the January 1, 2005 estimate, the population of the city proper reached 435,000 inhabitants, which means a record 1. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 9% population growth per year between 1999 and 2005 for the city proper.

Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France, after Paris, Marseille and Lyon. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. In 1999 Toulouse was the fifth largest metropolitan area in France, after Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Lille. Lille (lil Rijsel is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in the country

Fueled by booming aerospace and high-tech industries, population growth of 1. 5% a year in the metropolitan area in the 1990s (compared with a sluggish 0. 37% for metropolitan France), and a record 2. Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including 2% yearly growth in the 2000s (0. 58% for metropolitan France), means Toulouse metropolitan area hit the 1,000,000 inhabitants mark in 2002 or 2003. Boasting the highest population growth of any French metropolitan area larger than 500,000 inhabitants, Toulouse is well on its way to overtake Lille as the fourth largest metropolitan area and Lyon as the third largest city of France. With 2. 2% yearly population growth in the metropolitan area, Toulouse is also the fastest growing metropolitan area larger than one million inhabitants in Europe.

Government and politics

Community of the Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse

Main article: Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse

The Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse (Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Toulouse) was created in 2001 to better coordinate transport, infrastructure and economic policies between the city of Toulouse and its immediate independent suburbs. The Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse ( French: Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Toulouse) also simply known as Grand Toulouse It succeeds a previous district which had been created in 1992 with less powers than the current council. It combines the city of Toulouse and 24 independent communes, covering an area of 380 km² (147 sq. miles), totaling a population of 583,229 inhabitants (as of 1999 census), 67% of whom live in the city of Toulouse proper. As of February 2004 estimate, the total population of the Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse was 651,209 inhabitants, 65. 5% of whom live in the city of Toulouse. Due to local political feuds, the Community of Agglomeration only hosts 61% of the population of the metropolitan area, the other independent suburbs having refused to join in.

Local politics

One of the major political figure in Toulouse was Dominique Baudis, the mayor of Toulouse between 1983 and 2001, member of center-right UDF. The Union for French Democracy ( Union pour la Démocratie Française, UDF was a French centrist Political party. First known as a journalist famous for his coverage of the war in Lebanon, 36 year-old Dominique Baudis succeeded his father Pierre Baudis in 1983 as mayor of Toulouse. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية (Pierre Baudis was mayor from 1971 to 1983. ) The Baudis dynasty succeeded in turning Toulouse into a center-right stronghold, whereas historically the city had been left-leaning since the 19th century. Dominique Baudis is also known as a writer who wrote historical novels about the ancient counts of Toulouse, their crusade in the Middle East, and the Albigensian Crusade. The first comites ( counts) of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians No succession of such royal The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209&ndash1229 was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the Cathar

Wilson Square

Augustins cloister

The Capitol (Town hall) by night

During his time as mayor, Toulouse's economy and population boomed. Baudis' policies were deliberately moderate, and he always tried to accommodate (opponents would say anesthetize) the left. He tried to strengthen the international role of Toulouse (such as its Airbus operations), as well as revive the cultural heritage of the city. Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing The Occitan cross, flag of Languedoc and symbol of the counts of Toulouse, was chosen as the new flag of the city, instead of the traditional coat of arms of Toulouse (which included the fleurs-de-lis of the French monarchy). Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon The fleur-de-lys (or fleur-de-lis, plural fleurs-de-lis ˌfləː(rdəˈliː (ˌfləː(rdəˈlɪs in Quebec) translated from French as "lily Many cultural institutions were created, in order to attract foreign expatriates and emphasize the city's past. For example, monuments dating from the time of the counts of Toulouse were restored, the city's symphonic concert hall (Halle aux Grains) was refurbished, a city theater was built, a Museum of Modern Art was founded, the Bemberg Foundation (European paintings and bronzes from the Renaissance to the 20th century) was established, a huge pop music concert venue (Zénith, the largest in France outside Paris) was built, the space museum and educational park Cité de l'Espace was founded, etc. Before 118 BC pre-Roman times The history of Toulouse can be traced as far back as the 8th century BC according to the oldest archaeological evidence of human settlement Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal Sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze" The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure The Cité de l'espace (City of Space is a Theme park oriented towards space and the conquest of space

To deal with growth, major housing and transportation projects were launched. Perhaps the one for which Baudis is most famous is the Toulouse Metro: line A of the subway was opened in 1993, and Baudis succeeded in having work started on line B (which opened in 2007), despite strong local opposition to the anticipated costs. The Toulouse Metro (Métro de Toulouse serves the City of Toulouse, France. The creation of a system of underground car parking structures in downtown Toulouse was sharply criticized by the Green Party, although it certainly fulfilled the demands of downtown Toulouse store and shop owners, and makes life easier for people who cannot use public transportation to go downtown. Les Verts (or The Greens are an Ecologist Political party to the Centre-left of the Political spectrum in France.

Despite all these massive undertakings, the city's economy proved so strong that Dominique Baudis was able to announce, in 1999, that the city had finished repaying its debt, making it the only large city in France ever to achieve solvency. In Europe, typical per capita city debt for a city the size of Toulouse is around 1,200 euros. Achieving solvency was a long-standing goal for Baudis, who had said that he would extinguish city debt before leaving office. Local opposition, however, has criticized this achievement, saying that the task of governments is not to run zero-deficit, but to ensure the well-being of citizens, through social benefits, housing programs for poor people, etc.

In 2000, Dominique Baudis was at the zenith of his popularity, with approval rates of 85%. He announced that he would not run for a fourth (6-year) term in 2001. He explained that with 3 terms he was already the longest-serving mayor of Toulouse since the French Revolution; he felt that change would be good for the city, and that the number of terms should be limited. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an He endorsed Philippe Douste-Blazy, then UDF mayor of Lourdes as his successor. Philippe Douste-Blazy (born on 1 January, 1953) was the Foreign Minister of France in the cabinet of Dominique de Villepin The Union for French Democracy ( Union pour la Démocratie Française, UDF was a French centrist Political party. Lourdes ( Occitan: Lorda) is a town and commune situated in the southwest of the Hautes-Pyrénées department, lying in the first Pyrenean Baudis has since been appointed president of the CSA (Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel) in Paris, the French equivalent of the American FCC. The Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA is a French institution created in 1989 whose role is to regulate the various electronic media in France such as radio and television including Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Philippe Douste-Blazy narrowly won in the 2001 elections, which saw the left making its best showing in decades. Douste-Blazy had to deal with a reinvigorated political opposition, as well as with the dramatic explosion of the AZF plant in late 2001. AZF (French Initialism for AZote Fertilisant, ie nitrogen fertilizer was the name of a chemical factory near Toulouse, France, which exploded

In March 2004 he entered the national government, and left Toulouse in the hands of his second-in-command Jean-Luc Moudenc, elected mayor by the municipal council. Jean-Luc Moudenc (born July 19 1960) is a French politician and was the mayor of Toulouse from 2004 to 2008 In March 2008, Moudenc was defeated by the Socialist Party's candidate Pierre Cohen.

Sights

• Capitole de Toulouse, housing the Hôtel de Ville, the Théâtre du Capitole (opera house), and the Donjon du Capitole, located on the Place du Capitole
• Banks of the Garonne
• Bazacle
• Jardin des Plantes, Grand-Rond, Jardin Royal
• Pont Neuf
• Hôpital de la Grave, featuring a copper dome
• Château d'eau
• Canal du Midi
• Saint-Pierre bridge
• Wilson Square
• Matabiau train station
• Médiathèque José Cabanis
• Institut national des sciences appliquées
• Musée Georges Labit
• Musée des Augustins

The Saint-Sernin basilica, the largest romanesque church in Western Europe. The Capitole de Toulouse is the seat of the municipal administration of the French city of Toulouse. The Capitole de Toulouse is the seat of the municipal administration of the French city of Toulouse. The Garonne (Garonne in Occitan, Catalan and Spanish: Garona; Garumna is a River in southwest France and northern The Bazacle in the French city of Toulouse is nowadays a tourist site on the banks of the River Garonne. The Jardin des Plantes is a botanical garden in Toulouse, France. The Pont Neuf, French for "New Bridge" ( Aka Pont de Pierre and Grand Pont The Canal du Midi or Canal des Deux Mers ( Occitan: Canal de las Doas Mars / Canal del Miègjorn) is a 240 km long canal in the south of France Toulouse-Matabiau is the main railway station of the southern French city of Toulouse. The "Médiathèque José Cabanis" is the main building of the Public Libraries of Toulouse The Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA (National Institute of Applied Sciences is a Grande école - a French Engineering University MuséeGeorgesLabitEntréeJPG|thumb|Museum entrance]]The Georges Labit Museum (Musée Georges Labit (founded in 1893 located in Toulouse, France, is dedicated to The Musée des Augustins de Toulouse, sited in a Gothic convent in Toulouse, France, conserves a collection of sculpture and paintings from the Middle . .

. . . contains what is widely considered the most beautiful pipe organ in France. The pipe organ is a Musical instrument that produces sound when pressurized air (wind is driven through a series of pipes, controlled by a keyboard

Religious buildings

• Saint-Sernin Basilica (the largest romanesque church in Europe)
• Notre-Dame du Taur church
• Church of the Jacobins and its cloister (burial of Saint Thomas Aquinas)
• Saint-Étienne cathedral
• Daurade basilica
• Ursulines tower

Economy

Toulouse metroplitan area GDP is estimated to be around 35 billion euros in 2008. Saint-Sernin basilica located in Toulouse France was built during the Romanesque Period between AD 1080 and 1120 A cloister (from Latin claustrum) is a part of Cathedral, Monastic and Abbey architecture Toulouse Cathedral ( Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toulouse) is a Roman Catholic Cathedral, and a national monument of France, located in the

The main industries are aeronautics, space, electronics, information technology and biotechnology. Toulouse Blagnac International Airport or Aéroport de Toulouse - Blagnac is an airport located 6 Aeronautics (from Greek aero which means air or sky and nautis which means sailor i Biotechnology is Technology based on Biology, especially when used in Agriculture, Food science, and Medicine. Toulouse hosts the Airbus headquarters and assembly-lines of Airbus A300 A310 A320 A330 A340 and A380. Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The others (A318, A319, A321 and A380 interior furnishing) being in Hamburg, Germany. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Airbus intends to relocate Toulouse A320 final assembly activity to Hamburg, with A350 and A380 production going in the opposite direction as part of its Power8 organization plan begun under ex-CEO Christian Streiff. Christian Streiff (born September 21, 1954) was the CEO of the aircraft manufacturer Airbus S ^[2]

According to Newsweek Toulouse ranked as the third most dynamic city in the world in 2006. Newsweek is an American weekly Newsmagazine published in New York City.

Colleges and universities

Toulouse has the third-largest student population in France after Paris and Lyon.

The University of Toulouse (Université de Toulouse), established in 1229, is located here (now split into three separate universities). The University of Toulouse ' is a consortium of universities and other institutions of higher education and research named after one of the earliest universities established Like the universities in Oxford and Paris, the University of Toulouse was established at a time when Europeans were starting to translate the writings of Greek philosophers. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city These writings challenged European ideology - inspiring scientific discoveries and advances in the arts - as society began seeing itself in a new way. These colleges were supported by the Church in hopes to reconcile Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology. Today, Toulouse is the third largest university campus of France after Paris and Lyon, with more than 97,000 students attending its three universities (Université Toulouse I, Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail (Toulouse II), Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III)) and its engineering schools (ICAM Toulouse, INSA Toulouse, SUPAERO, ENSICA, ENAC, ENSEEIHT, ENSIACET, EPITECH, IPSA, INPT). Toulouse 1 University Social Sciences ( Université Toulouse 1 Sciences Sociales, also called UT1) is located in the heart of the city of Toulouse, in southwestern The Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse or INSA Toulouse is a Grande École d'Ingénieurs, a School of Engineering under the authority This article is about one of two French engineering schools called ENSAE The École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de constructions aéronautiques (ENSICA meaning National Higher School of Aeronautical Constructions, is a French engineering The École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile ( ENAC) is a French grande école and a national French civil Aeronautics academy The École Nationale Supérieure d'Électronique d'Électrotechnique d'Informatique d'Hydraulique et des Télécommunications ( ENSEEIHT, nicknamed N7 after the phonetically Funded in 1969 the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse (also called INP Toulouse or INPT is a French university system based in Toulouse, France.

Toulouse also hosts the Industrial Economics Institute (Institut D'Economie Industrielle, IDEI) that is become one of the best European research centres in economics as well as its associated graduate school (TSE - Toulouse School of Economics) that recruits the ablest students from all countries in the European Union and further afield, as well as the Toulouse Business School (ESCT), one of France's leading integrated management schools. The industrial economics institute' (French Institut D'Economie Industrielle) (IDEI is a research center in economics located in Toulouse (France within the Founded in 1903 by the Toulouse Chamber of Commerce and Industry the school's initial vocation was to respond to the needs of the local business community for able business administrators

The most well known high schools in Toulouse are Lycée Pierre de Fermat and Lycée Saint-Sernin.

Transport

In addition to an extensive bus system, the Toulouse Metro system is a VAL (Véhicule Automatique Léger) metro system made up of driverless (automatic) rubber-tired trains. The Toulouse Metro (Métro de Toulouse serves the City of Toulouse, France. VAL is a type of automatic rubber-tired People mover technology based on an invention by Professor Robert Gabillard ( Université Lille Nord de France A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway A rubber-tyred metro (or rubber-tired in non-British English is a form of Rapid transit system that uses a mix of road and rail technology Line A runs for 12. 5km from Balma-Gramont to Basso Cambo. Line B, which opened in June 2007, adds 20 stations and intersects line A at Jean Jaurès. Line E (tramway) is going to be finished in 2009, and will roll from Beauzelle to Toulouse passing through Blagnac. Line C has existed since line A was completed. It is not VAL but a classical railway line with SNCF trains; it connects to line A at Arènes. Another oft-used commuter train line (D) runs to the city of Muret.

Airports include:

• Toulouse Blagnac, the principal local airport
• Toulouse Lasbordes

Railway stations include:

• Toulouse-Matabiau

Communications

Toulouse is home to Bonhoure Radio Tower, a 61-metre high lattice tower used for FM and TV transmission. Toulouse Blagnac International Airport or Aéroport de Toulouse - Blagnac is an airport located 6 Toulouse - Lasbordes Airport (Aéroport de Toulouse - Lasbordes is a small non-commercial Airport in the commune of Balma, situated four Toulouse-Matabiau is the main railway station of the southern French city of Toulouse. ^[3]

Culture

Toulouse, known as the Ville Rose ("Pink City") for its distinctive brick architecture, is host to a rich and diverse culture. It has a thriving scene of unusually beautiful graffitis, with the painter Miss Van at its forefront. Graffiti (singular graffito; the plural is used as a Mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched scrawled painted or marked in any manner on property Miss Van, b 1973 Vanessa Alice Bensimon from Toulouse France, started wall painting in the streets of Toulouse at the age of 18

Toulouse was the home of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), most famous for his book Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). Antoine de Saint Exupéry (ɑ̃twan də sɛ̃tɛgzypeˈʀi ( June 29, 1900 — July 31, 1944) was a French Writer and The Little Prince ( Le Petit Prince) published in 1943 is French Aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry 's most famous Novella There is a permanent gallery with numerous photos, and some of his works, located in the Hotel du Grand Balcon - just off the Place du Capitole - where he stayed. (The Bohemian painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec lived in Paris and shared only his name with Toulouse). The term bohemian, of French origin was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished Artists Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (ɑ̃ʁi dø tuluz loˈtʁɛk (24 November 1864 &ndash 9 September 1901 was a French painter, printmaker, draftsman

It is the seat of the Académie des Jeux Floraux, the equivalent of the French Academy for the Occitan-speaking regions of southern France, making Toulouse the unofficial capital of Occitan culture. Académie des Jeux floraux ("Academy of the Floral Games" or Collège de la gaie science ("College of the Gay Science" is the most ancient literary institution L'Académie française, or the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. Occitania ( Occitan: Occitània) refers to the lands where Occitan is the traditional language in use though more recently viewed as a minority language The traditional Occitan cross was adopted as the symbol of both the City of Toulouse and the newly-founded Midi-Pyrénées région. The Occitan cross — also cross of Occitania, cross of Languedoc, cross of Forcalquier and Toulouse cross,— is the symbol of Occitania

The city's gastronomic specialties include Saucisses de Toulouse, a type of herb sausage, cassoulet Toulousain, a bean and pork stew, and garbure, a cabbage soup with poultry. A sausage is a prepared Food, usually made from Ground meat, animal fat salt and Spices (sometimes with other ingredients such as herbs typically packed Cassoulet (from Occitan caçolet) is a rich slow-cooked bean Stew or Casserole originating in the southwest of France, containing A stew is a combination of Solid Food Ingredients that have been Cooked in Water or other water-based liquid typically by Simmering Also, foie gras, the liver of an overfed duck or goose, is a delicacy mainly made in the Midi-Pyrénées.

Sport

In sports, it boasts a highly respected rugby union team, Stade Toulousain, which has been a four-time finalist, three-time winner in Europe's top club competition in the sport, the Heineken Cup and 16 times French champions. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French Rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading The Top 14 is a Rugby union club competition which is played in France. Toulouse is considered an epicentre for rugby union, and the city hosted games at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international Rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987. The city also has a football (soccer) team in Toulouse FC and a rugby league team, Toulouse Olympique, who has won the French championship on four occasions. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Toulouse Football Club is a French football team playing in the city of Toulouse, Haute-Garonne. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Toulouse Olympique are a French Rugby league team from Toulouse, in the southwest of France The French rugby league championship ( Le Championnat de France de Rugby à XIII) has been the major Rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional The city also hosted games during the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and the EuroBasket 1999. The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled The 1999 FIBA European Basketball Championship, commonly called EuroBasket 1999, was the 31th regional championship held by FIBA Europe

Notable births and deaths in Toulouse

• Gaël Clichy, footballer
• Pierre de Fermat, lawyer and mathematician
• Carlos Gardel, composer
• Philippe Mexès, footballer
• David Skrela, French rugby union player. Gaël Clichy (born July 26 1985 in Toulouse) is a French football player who currently plays for Arsenal of the Premier Pierre de Fermat pjɛːʁ dəfɛʁ'ma ( 17 August 1601 or 1607/8 &ndash 12 January 1665) was a French Lawyer at the Carlos Gardel ( 11 December 1887 /1890 1 - 24 June 1935 Medellín, Colombia) is Philippe Mexès (filip megˈzɛs (born March 30, 1982 in Toulouse, France) is a French professional Football (soccer David Skrela (born 2 March, 1979) is a French Rugby union footballer
• Fabien Pelous, rugby player
• Frédéric Michalak, rugby player
• Claude Nougaro, parolier, writer and singer, passionate of jazz and language. Fabien Pelous (born December 7, 1973) is a French Rugby union footballer Frédéric Michalak (born 16 October 1982 in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne) is a French Rugby union footballer who played Claude Nougaro ( September 9 1929 &ndash March 4 2004) was a French Songwriter and Singer.
• Solène Jambaqué, hemiplegic skier, multi-medal winner at the 2006 Winter Paralympic Games in Turin.
• Magyd Cherfi, singer of the band Zebda
• Pierre Seel, persecuted homosexual during the holocaust. Zebda is a French music group from Toulouse. The group consists of seven musicians who met for the first time in 1985. Pierre Seel ( August 16 1923 &ndash November 25 2005) is the only French person Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[4]

See also

• 138 Tolosa, an asteroid
• Institut d'études politiques de Toulouse
• Toulouse Geese
• List of bishops of Toulouse
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - famous artist born of nobility in Midi-Pyrénées région, but not born in the city of Toulouse

Notes

References

Le Stang, Anne (2006), Histoire de Toulouse illustrée, Le périgrinateur, ISBN 2-910352-44-7  (French)

External links

• a Virtual Tour in Toulouse with 360 °Fullscreen panoramas
• Official Website of the City Hall of Toulouse - In French
• Official Website of the Greater Toulouse Council - In French
• Toulouse Tourist Office - In English
• Website of the Bemberg Foundation - In English
• Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport - In English
• Toulouse travel guide from Wikitravel
• wikitoulouse.fr a comprehensive wiki devoted to Toulouse - In French

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