Tarn

Tarn, a dept. in the south of France, bounded on the N. by the depts. of Aveyron and Tarn-et-Garonne, receives its name from the river Tarn, an affluent of the Garonne. Area, 2217 sq. m.; pop. (1881) 359,223; (1891) 346,739. The surface is in general elevated, and in the south and south-east are the Montagne Noire and the Lacaune branches of the Cévennes. Wooded mountains, vine-clad hills, beautiful valleys, and fertile or grass-producing tracts are the principal features of the landscape. A considerable part of the surface is covered with forests, chiefly of oak and beech. The dept. is for the most part agricultural, grain, wine, fruit, potatoes, chestnuts, and cattle being amongst the chief produce. Coal is mined; and wool-spinning, silk-spinning, dyeing, the making of steel goods, glass, and pottery are local industries. Tarn is divided into four arrondissements—Albi, Castres, Gaillac, and Lavaur; Albi is the capital. See the work on the dept. by Bastié (1876-77).