Brittany

I

Introduction

Brittany (French, Bretagne), administrative region and historic province of France, formerly a duchy, commensurate with the departments of Finistère, Côtes-d’Armor, Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, and Loire-Atlantique. Brittany is a peninsula extending for about 240 km (150 mi) into the Atlantic Ocean between the English Channel on the north and the Bay of Biscay on the south. It covers 27,209 sq km (10,505 sq mi), and is bordered on the north-east by the Lower Normandy region and on the east and south-east by the Pays de la Loire region.

II

Physical Geography

With many rias, beaches, cliffs, and islands, Brittany has a varied coastline of more than 1,100 km (685 mi), affording important potential for fishing and tourism. Numerous islands lie off Brittany’s coast, particularly in the Bay of Biscay, where the largest island is Belle-Île (83 sq km/32 sq mi). The Pointe du Raz, a long rocky outcrop of outstanding natural beauty, is the westernmost point of mainland France and lies between the bays of Douarnenez and Audierne. The ports and farmland near the coast (known as Armor, land of the sea) contrast with harsher soil and climatic conditions in the interior of the peninsula (Argoat, land of the woods).

In the Middle Ages much of the region was covered by a dense oak, beech, hornbeam, and chestnut forest, known as Brocéliande. Today only two areas of the ancient woodland remain. Paimpont Forest, to the south-west of Rennes, extends over an area of around 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres). The second area of primeval forest is part of the Armorique Regional Natural Park, created in 1969, which covers an area of 172,000 hectares (425,000 acres) in the north-west of the region.

The region’s most important rivers and waterways include the Vilaine, Ille, and the Rance. The Rance River empties into the English Channel at St-Malo and close to the town of Dinard the estuary is dammed to harness its hydroelectric power with a tidal generating station. The Nantes-Brest Canal is a network of navigable waterways reputedly built by Napoleon in the 19th century that connect the western coast of Brittany with the city of Nantes, on the River Loire.

III

Population

Brittany has a population of 3,103,000 (2007 estimate), with a very low average population density of 111 people per sq km (287 per sq mi). The region’s capital, Rennes (population, 2005 estimate, 209,900), is a major administrative and commercial centre for eastern Brittany. Brest (2005 estimate, 145,200) is the service centre for the western part of the peninsula. Other important cities and towns include Quimper (2005 estimate, 64,900); Vannes (2005 estimate, 54,000); Lorient (2005 estimate, 58,300); St-Malo (2005 estimate, 50,000); Saint-Brieuc (2005 estimate, 47,100); Lanester (1999, 21,897); and Fougères (1999,21,779).

While French is the official language of Brittany, around 500,000 people in the region speak Breton, a Celtic language related to Cornish (now extinct) and Welsh. Speakers are calling for the language to be officially recognized and in the 20th century an intellectual movement to promote and preserve Breton literature and language flourished. There has also been a revival of interest in the Breton culture—the region’s music and dance is also notable. Unique instruments include various forms of bagpipe, and a distinctive feature is the unaccompanied singing of ballads.

Higher education institutions in the region include the University of Western Brittany, at Brest; the universities of Rennes I and II (1735, reorganized 1970), in Rennes; and the University of Southern Brittany (founded 1995), which has campuses at Lorient, Vannes, and Pontivy.

IV

Economy

The present-day region of Brittany has experienced important agricultural modernization, industrial innovation, development of tourism, and major road and rail improvements in recent years. Local politicians made great efforts to promote economic development during the 1950s and 1960s. Now the region produces 50 per cent of the pigs, 33 per cent of the poultry and eggs, and 20 per cent of all the milk produced in France. Vegetables, especially artichokes and cauliflower, are specialities grown in some coastal areas. Farms have been enlarged and many agricultural cooperatives established. About 40 per cent of the fish landed in France are handled by Breton ports, especially Lorient and St-Malo.

Food processing is an important element in the manufacturing structure, together with new industries introduced since 1950. These include car manufacture (Rennes), car components and tyres (Vannes), and electronics (Lannion, Brest, and Rennes). With varied and attractive coasts, picturesque countryside, historic towns, and the legacy of Celtic culture, tourism is an important element in the regional economy.