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Brittany (administrative region)

Administrative region of France

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Bordered by the English Channel to the north, the Celtic Sea to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay) to the south, Brittany's neighbouring regions are Normandy to the northeast and Pays de la Loire to the southeast. It is one of two regions in Metropolitan France where all departments have direct access to the sea, the other being Corsica.

The region of Brittany is sometimes referred to as "administrative Brittany" in contrast to "historical Brittany" or "cultural Brittany", which also includes the Loire-Atlantique and whose potential reunification with the administrative region has been a subject of debate for decades.

History

Brittany, located in the west-northwest corner of France, is one of the historic provinces of France. The most Atlantic of France's regions, Brittany is noted for its Celtic heritage, which sets it apart from the rest of France. It enjoys a mild climate somewhat warmer though not necessarily drier than the climate of the Cornish peninsula in southwest Britain.

The name "Brittany" derives from the Britons, an Insular Celtic (Brythonic) people who inhabited most of Great Britain during the Roman and Sub-Roman periods. During the migration period of the Early Middle Ages the Britons were displaced from most of what is now England by the Anglo-Saxon invasions, leading many to settle in western Armorica, present-day Brittany. As a result the modern Bretons have strong historical, cultural and linguistic ties with those areas of Great Britain which remained Brythonic into the modern era: Wales and Cornwall.

Initially divided into several small petty kingdoms, Brittany as a united political entity emerged in the 9th century as the Kingdom of Brittany. In the early 10th century the kingdom was devastated by Norse raids and occupation and from the mid-10th century became a vassal state of France as the Duchy of Brittany. The level of control exerted by the French kings varied over time; at various points Brittany was either subject to, aligned with or heavily influenced by the English Kings; at others it was de facto independent.

Following the Breton defeat at the hands of the French army in 1488, the duchy was forced into a dynastic union with the French crown in 1491; in 1547 it was formally incorporated as a province of France.

Following the French Revolution the French provinces were dissolved and replaced with departments; what had been Brittany became the Côtes-du-Nord (22) (renamed Côtes-d'Armor in 1990) in the north, Finistère (29) in the far west, Morbihan (56) in the south, Ille-et-Vilaine (35) in the east and Loire-Inférieure (44) (renamed Loire-Atlantique in 1957) in the southeast.

When the modern regions were established, Loire-Inférieure (44), which includes the historic capital Nantes, became part of Pays de la Loire, while the other four departments became part of the Brittany region. The capital city of the modern Brittany region is Rennes, located in the central eastern part of the region; most of the major lines of communication between Brittany and Paris pass through Rennes, which is a large industrial and university city. Other important cities in the region are Brest, one of the two most important French naval ports, Saint-Malo, an imposing walled city on the north coast, and Vannes, the capital of the Morbihan, with an attractive old town centre. Quimper, the capital of the Finistère, and Saint-Brieuc, the capital of the Côtes-d'Armor, are less important. Lorient, in the Morbihan, was once a major shipping port trading with – as its name suggests – the Orient; but its shipping and shipbuilding industries have largely declined, and like other ports on the south coast of Brittany, is better known today for its yachting and yacht-building industry. It is also the venue for Brittany's annual Interceltiques music and culture festival.

Despite its limited size, Brittany is quite a diverse region; the north and west coasts, open to the force of the North Atlantic, are rugged and rocky, with sandy coves and beaches. The south coast, facing onto the Bay of Biscay, is flatter, much milder, and has a number of large sandy beaches. There are also many inlets on the south coast, such as La Trinité sur Mer, which in the past have been ports and commercial harbours, but today are more popular with yachtsmen and a dwindling fishing industry. The sea here is warmer in summer. The backbone of Brittany is a granite ridge stretching from east to west, peaking in the Monts d'Arrée. But most of inland Brittany is farming country, a region known for its milk and butter and its early crops.

As a holiday region, it is Brittany's coasts that attract the greatest number of visitors; the inland regions have attracted many second-home owners from other parts of France, and from Britain. In cultural terms, Brittany has its own language and Celtic cultural tradition that set it apart from the rest of France. The Breton language, though not much used in everyday life, and not understood by most of the modern population, has made a comeback in recent years, and is taught in many schools. Celtic traditions are reflected in Breton folk music, its Celtic festivals, and its prehistoric monuments.

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