Toulon, << too LAWN >> (pop. 169,634; met. area pop. 626,504) is a seaport city on the southeast coast of France. Excellent docks along Toulon’s coast can accommodate large ships. Toulon is the site of France’s second largest naval base, after Brest. It is also the capital of the Var department (administrative district).
Toulon’s landmarks include Ste. Marie-Majeure, and other old churches; and the Poissonnerie (fish market), which dates from the 1500’s. Toulon’s main industries include shipbuilding, ship repair, and the production of chemicals and electric machinery.
Roman soldiers established a colony on the site of what is now Toulon in the 100’s B.C. In 1942, during World War II, the French Navy destroyed many of its own ships in the Toulon harbor in order to prevent the ships from being captured by the Germans.
