TARN

dpartement, Midi-Pyrnes rgion, southern France. It is separated from the Mediterranean Sea to the east by the dpartement of Hrault. Created from a southwestern portion of the historic province of Languedoc, it has an area of 2,223 square miles (5,758 square km) and extends from the borders of the Massif Central to the Bassin d'Aquitaine in the centre and west. The Tarn River, passing through Albi (q.v.), the capital of the dpartement, and Gaillac, is joined on the western border by the Agout, which crosses the southern half of the dpartement through Castres, flowing northwest. The Aveyron and its tributary, the Viaur, flow along the northern border. The east and southeast sections include the high Sidobre Plateau; the Lacaune heights, rising at Montgrand to 4,157 feet (1,267 m); and the forested Montagne Noire, reaching 3,970 feet (1,210 m), just south of the border. The wooded plateau and heights in the centre rise to a little more than 1,000 feet (300 m). The terrain slopes westward toward the fertile plains of the Tarn-et-Garonne dpartement. The climate is harsh in the mountainous east, and there are sudden changes of temperature in the west. Winters are short and summers very warm. The high plateaus are used for pasture. The plains and valleys are cultivated for cereals and fruit, and cattle are also raised. The Gaillac region is noted for its sparkling wine. There are coal mines in the Albi-Carmaux area, which supply the needs of local industry (engineering, synthetic fibres, metal, paper, food processing). Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the 19th-century painter, was born at Albi, which has a fine gallery of his works. At Castres the Muse Goya has a collection of Spanish art. The dpartement has two arrondissements: Albi and Castres. It is in the educational division of Toulouse. Pop. (1990) 342,723.