^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2
Haute-Garonne (French pronunciation:[otɡaʁɔn];Occitan:Nauta Garona,pronounced[ˈnawtoɡaˈɾuno];Upper Garonne) is adepartment in the southwestern Frenchregion ofOccitanie. Named after the riverGaronne, which flows through the department. Itsprefecture and main city isToulouse, the country's fourth-largest. In 2019, it had a population of 1,400,039.[3]
Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during theFrench Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former provinces ofLanguedoc andGuyenne/Gascony.
The department was originally larger. The reduction in its area resulted from animperial decree dated 21 November 1808 and which established the neighbouring department ofTarn-et-Garonne, to the north. The new department took territory from five surrounding departments including Haute-Garonne. The districts lost to Tarn-et-Garonne in 1808 were those ofMontech andCastelsarrasin.
The department is crossed by the upper course of theGaronne river (hence the name) for nearly 200 kilometers (120 mi). The borders of the department follow the river. The Garonne enters France from Spain at the town of Fos, and goes through Toulouse and leaves the department. The extreme south of the department lies in thePyrenees mountain range and is very mountainous. The highest elevation is the Peak of Perdiguère, at 3,222 meters (10,571 feet) above sea level.
The inhabitants of the department are calledHaut-Garonnais. The greatest population concentration is around Toulouse, in the north, while the southern area of the department is sparsely populated. Overall the department had a population of 1.4 million as of the 2019 census, with 55% of the population under the age of 40, and 16% between the ages of 20 and 29, and only 45% of the population is over the age 40. This youthful demographic is due in part to Toulouse being a major university town. The department has also seen significant migration from other parts of the country.
The Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne comprises 54 seats. In the2015 departmental elections, theSocialist Party (PS) won 48 seats.The Republicans secured the remaining 6 seats. The President of the Departmental Council has been Georges Méric (PS) since 2015.
Haute-Garonne is served byToulouse–Blagnac Airport. As of March 2024, the airport featured flights to 84 destinations, mostly in Europe and Northern Africa with a few additional seasonal long-haul connections.[7] The airport served 7.8 million passengers in 2024.[7]
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