Midi-Pyrénées
It is one of the regions of France created in the late 20th century to serve as a hinterland and zone of influence for its capital, Toulouse, one of a handful of so-called "balancing metropolises" (métropoles d'équilibre).The Pyrenean provinces developed strong peculiarities over time, protected by their isolated valleys, and they looked quite distinct from the rest of Gascony.In the Middle Ages, most of what is now Midi-Pyrénées was ruled at some time or another by the Count of Toulouse (except for Hautes-Pyrénées and the west of Gers), either directly or through vassals (such as in the case of Foix).Nonetheless, until the French Revolution the Parlement (supreme court of justice) of Toulouse extended its jurisdiction over not just Languedoc, but also all the other territories that are now Midi-Pyrénées.Thus, towns like Tarbes (Bigorre), Auch (Gascony), or Rodez (Rouergue) were already under the jurisdiction of Toulouse before the Revolution, although only for judicial and legal matters.Gascon (in its several local variants: Bearnese, Aranese) was traditionally spoken in the west and southwest of the region: Gascony, Bigorre, Quatre Vallées, Nébouzan, Comminges, Couserans.While other variants of Occitan (but primarily Languedocian) was spoken in the east and northeast of the region: Languedoc, Rouergue, Quercy, and Comté de Foix.More distant and isolated regions resisted longer, and as late as in the 1970s it was still possible to hear Occitan in the farmer markets of Gascony or Rouergue.Nonetheless, even there, changes in the last 30 years of the 20th century were dramatic, despite regional efforts to revive the language by teaching it in schools (calandretas).Moreover, people in Midi-Pyrénées use some words and expressions of Occitan origin which differ from those of standard French; these may not be easily understood outside southwest France.There are images that come spontaneously to the mind of Midi-Pyrénées people when thinking about their region, such as the Airbus planes leaving their factories in Toulouse, the snowy peaks of the Pyrenees, or a game of rugby.As of 2005, there are seven motorways/freeways that radiate from Toulouse and link all the most distant corners of the region with its capital city (with two of these seven motorways/freeways only partly built and scheduled to be completed by 2010-2015).Here, Midi-Pyrénées stands clearly apart, with Toulouse being largely favored by young people over Paris, which is another proof of the strong identity that has developed around the regional capital.Several multinational companies are headquartered or have major offices in the region such as: Airbus, EADS, Alcatel, Siemens, Bosch and Pierre Fabre.However, there is a large restructuring plan ongoing and about 10,000 new jobs are expected to be lost outright and partners will be regrouped into larger entities.
Region of FrancePrefectureToulouseDepartmentsAriègeAveyronHaute-GaronneHautes-PyrénéesTarn-et-GaronnePresidentTime zoneISO 3166 codeOccitanSpanishadministrative regionOccitaniaregionMetropolitan FrancehinterlandRhône-AlpesFrench provincesGasconydepartmentCommingesPyreneanAquitaineLanguedocAlbigeoisLanguedoc-RoussillonRouergueQuercyCounty of FoixCouseransNébouzanQuatre-ValléesBigorreAgenaisArmagnacAstaracLauragaisLavedanRoman provinceNovempopulanaBasqueintendantFrench RevolutionEstates-General of 1789Occitan crosscoat of armscounty of ToulouseMiddle AgesCount of ToulouseParlementTarbesLanguedocianGasconBearneseAranesecalandretasLimousinJean-François GravierRugby unionFrenchBouches-du-RhôneMarseilleAirbusAlcatelSiemensPierre FabreOrangeCapGeminiLourdescommunesBordeauxMontpellierRoussillonCatalanOccitanieNational AssemblySenateBlagnacCahorsCastresColomiersMillauMontaubanTournefeuilleAdministrative regionsFranceAuvergne-Rhône-AlpesBourgogne-Franche-ComtéBrittanyCentre-Val de LoireCorsicaGrand EstHauts-de-FranceÎle-de-FranceNormandyNouvelle-AquitainePays de la LoireProvence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurAlsaceAuvergneBurgundyChampagne-ArdenneFranche-ComtéLorraineLower NormandyNord-Pas-de-CalaisPicardyPoitou-CharentesUpper NormandyOverseas regionsFrench GuianaGuadeloupeMartiniqueMayotteRéunionRanked by area/populationby GDPby HDIRegional councils