Tarbes
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This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the French Wikipedia. (July 2009)
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Location within Midi-Pyrénées region
Tarbes
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Midi-Pyrénées |
| Department | Hautes-Pyrénées |
| Arrondissement | Tarbes |
| Canton | Chief town of 5 cantons |
| Intercommunality | Grand Tarbes |
| Mayor | Gérard Trémège (PR) (From 2001) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 284–326 m (932–1,070 ft) (avg. 304 m or 997 ft) |
| Land area1 | 15.33 km2 (5.92 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 48,166 (2011) |
| - Density | 3,142 /km2 (8,140 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 65440/ 65000 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Coordinates: 43°13′51″N 0°04′21″E / 43.230700°N 0.072600°E
Tarbes (French pronunciation: [taʁb]) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.
It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants.
It is the seat of the diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes. The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment and 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment are stationed in Tarbes.
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Geography[edit]
To the south of Tarbes is the pilgrimage town of Lourdes and the border with Spain. The Pyrenees mountains, lying along the border between France and Spain, can be seen from the town.
Climate[edit]
Tarbes features an oceanic climate (Cfb), with relatively hot summers, mild winters and abundant rainfall.
| Climate data for Tarbes, France (altitude 360m, 1981–2010) (Source: Météo-France, Infoclimat.fr) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 22.6 (72.7) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.9 (84) |
27.6 (81.7) |
31.8 (89.2) |
36.8 (98.2) |
38.2 (100.8) |
38.1 (100.6) |
35.8 (96.4) |
33.8 (92.8) |
27.6 (81.7) |
26.1 (79) |
38.2 (100.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 10.3 (50.5) |
11.3 (52.3) |
14.2 (57.6) |
15.8 (60.4) |
19.5 (67.1) |
22.8 (73) |
25.1 (77.2) |
25.2 (77.4) |
22.8 (73) |
19.0 (66.2) |
13.7 (56.7) |
11.0 (51.8) |
17.6 (63.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) |
1.5 (34.7) |
3.7 (38.7) |
5.6 (42.1) |
9.5 (49.1) |
12.8 (55) |
14.9 (58.8) |
14.9 (58.8) |
11.9 (53.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
4.3 (39.7) |
1.8 (35.2) |
7.6 (45.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −17.9 (−0.2) |
−14.4 (6.1) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
5.9 (42.6) |
5.3 (41.5) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−2.2 (28) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−17.9 (−0.2) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 95.0 (3.74) |
81.1 (3.193) |
87.0 (3.425) |
111.7 (4.398) |
111.6 (4.394) |
78.0 (3.071) |
56.0 (2.205) |
68.1 (2.681) |
71.6 (2.819) |
88.1 (3.469) |
102.5 (4.035) |
96.7 (3.807) |
1,047.4 (41.236) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 11 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 120 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 118 | 129 | 169 | 170 | 189 | 198 | 205 | 206 | 190 | 151 | 117 | 109 | 1,951 |
| Source #1: climat.meteofrance.com[1] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: infoclimat.fr[2] | |||||||||||||
Sports and recreation[edit]
- Tarbes Gespe Bigorre, the main sporting team of the town, is a female basketball team which participates in the French League (LFB) and European competitions (FIBA EuroLeague Women, Ronchetti Cup – won in 1996 – and FIBA EuroCup Women).
- The city also has a rugby union team – Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby.
- One of the stages of the 2006 Tour de France departed from Tarbes.
- The 2001 Tour de France included Tarbes as part of its route.
- The 2009 Tour de France included Tarbes as part of its route.
- Tarbes-based Petits As is a major international tennis competition for 12–14 year old juniors that has been won by future global stars including Rafael Nadal, Martina Hingis, and Kim Clijsters.
Transport[edit]
The Gare de Tarbes railway station offers direct connections with Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Bayonne and several regional destinations. The A64 motorway connects Tarbes with Bayonne and Toulouse. It is also served by the small Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport situated 10 kilometers away of the city centre.
People[edit]
Tarbes is the birthplace of:
- Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac (1755–1841), member of the French National Convention
- Théophile Gautier (1811–1872), writer
- Ferdinand Foch (1851–1929), the commander-in-chief of Allied forces in World War I
- Henri Génès (1919–2005), actor and singer
- Cécile Ousset (born 1936), pianist
- Bernard Lapasset (born 20 October 1947), International Rugby Board chairman
- Marianne Dissard (born 20 Mai 1969), singer, filmmaker
- Olivier Azam (born 21 October 1974), French rugby union player
- Nicolas Lopez (born 14 November 1980), French sabre fencer
- David Fray (born 24 May 1981), pianist
- Céline Dumerc (born 9 July 1982), professional European basketball player and captain of the French national women's 2012 Olympics team
- Adrien Théaux (born 18 September 1984), World Cup alpine ski racer
- Lionel Beauxis (born 24 October 1985), French rugby union player
International relations[edit]
Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in France
Tarbes is twinned with:
- Huesca, Spain
- Altenkirchen, Germany
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tarbes |
- Guide of Tarbes
- Tarbes town council website (in French)
- Tourism office website (in French)
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