Tarn-et-Garonne (,
Occitan:
Tarn e Garona) is a
department in the southwest of
France. It is traversed by the Rivers
Tarn and
Garonne, from which it takes its name. This area was originally part of the former provinces of
Quercy and
Languedoc. The department was created in 1808 by
Napoléon Bonaparte, with territory being taken from the departments of
Lot,
Haute-Garonne,
Lot-et-Garonne,
Gers and
Aveyron. The department is mostly rural with fertile agricultural land in the broad river valley, but there are hilly areas to the south, east and north. The departmental prefecture is
Montauban, and some of the other large communes include
Castelsarrasin,
Molières,
Caussade,
Valence-d'Agen and the medieval town of
Lauzerte.
