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Home > Travel France > France Destinations > Castres
Castres
France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and comprises various overseas islands and territories which are located in other regions. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. At 674,843 square kilometres, France is the world's 40th-largest country after Myanmar. France is a member of The European Union and Paris is the capital of this nation. The sole official language of France is French. Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, migrations, and invasions.
Castres is a town and commune of Languedoc in south-western France. It is the capital of an arrondissement in the department of Tarn, itself in the region of Midi-Pyrenees. With a population of 61,760 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 1999, Castres is the third-largest industrial centre of Midi-Pyrenees, and the largest industrial centre in the part of Languedoc between Toulouse and Montpellier. Castres is located at an altitude of 172 meters above sea level. Castres is best known as the home of famous socialist leader Jean Jaures, as well as for its major Goya Museum of Spanish paintings.
The population of the town in 1831 was 12,032 inhabitants, and Castres was the largest town of Tarn. As it was one of the few industrial towns in the region of Albigeois which is the old name of Tarn, it grew rapidly and population of the commune was 19,483 in 1901, and 34,126 in 1954. However, with the decline of its industries, population growth diminished. At the 1999 census, population in the commune was 43,496 inhabitants, whereas the population of the metropolitan area of Castres was 61,760. Castres became an important stop on the international pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain because its abbey-church, built in the 9th century, was keeping the relics of Saint Vincent, the renowned martyr of Spain.
Castres, due its various places of interest is one of the most visited places. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origins back to prehistoric times. Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and gain enthusiasm in its natural beauty and populace.
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