Brittany (administrative region)
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Brittany
| |
---|---|
Anthem: Bro Gozh ma Zadoù | |
Country | France |
Prefecture | Rennes |
Departments | 4
|
Government | |
• NUTS Region | FR5 |
Website | bretagne.bzh |
Brittany (
Brittany is a peninsular region bordered by the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south, and its neighboring regions are Normandy to the northeast and Pays de la Loire to the southeast. "Bro Gozh ma Zadoù" is the anthem of Brittany. It is sung to the same tune as that of the national anthem of Wales, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", and has similar words. As a region of France, Brittany has a Regional Council, which was most recently elected in 2021. The capital of the administrative region is Rennes, although Nantes is considered the capital of historic Brittany and is located in Loire-Atlantique.
Territory
The region of Brittany was created in 1941 from four of the five
The capital of the administrative region is Rennes, although Nantes is considered the capital of historic Brittany and is located in Loire-Atlantique. The reunification of Brittany is supported by a majority of Loire-Atlantique and is considered a prerequisite to further autonomy of Brittany as a whole.[3][4]
Part of the reason Brittany was split between two present-day regions was to avoid the rivalry between Rennes and Nantes. Although Nantes was the principal capital of the Duchy of Brittany until the sixteenth century, Rennes had been the seat of the Duchy's supreme court of justice between 1560 and 1789. Rennes had also been the administrative capital of the
Although there were previous plans to create regions out of the departments, like the Clémentel plan (1919) or the Vichy regionalisation programme (1941), these plans had no effect or else were abolished in 1945. The current French regions date from 1956 and were created by gathering departments together.[5] In Brittany, this led to the creation of the new region of Brittany, which included only four out of the five historical Breton departments. The term région was officially created by the Law of Decentralisation (2 March 1982), which also gave regions their legal status. The first direct elections for regional representatives took place on 16 March 1986.[6]
History
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1801 | 1,833,410 | — |
1821 | 1,984,950 | +0.40% |
1831 | 2,103,842 | +0.58% |
1841 | 2,180,755 | +0.36% |
1851 | 2,303,113 | +0.55% |
1861 | 2,327,414 | +0.11% |
1876 | 2,406,348 | +0.22% |
1881 | 2,446,243 | +0.33% |
1891 | 2,517,009 | +0.29% |
1901 | 2,559,398 | +0.17% |
1921 | 2,424,959 | −0.27% |
1936 | 2,396,647 | −0.08% |
1946 | 2,336,820 | −0.25% |
1954 | 2,338,803 | +0.01% |
1962 | 2,396,582 | +0.31% |
1968 | 2,468,227 | +0.49% |
1975 | 2,595,431 | +0.72% |
1982 | 2,707,886 | +0.61% |
1990 | 2,794,317 | +0.39% |
1999 | 2,904,075 | +0.43% |
2006 | 3,080,990 | +0.85% |
2016 | 3,306,529 | +0.71% |
source:[7] |
Brittany, lying 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 southwest of England.
The name "Brittany" derives from the
Initially divided into several small
Following the Breton defeat at the hands of the French army in 1488, the duchy was forced into a
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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed] 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.
Language and culture
The name of Brittany derives from
The French administration now allows for some Breton or Gallo to be used by the region and its communes, in road signs and names of towns and cities, alongside the official French language version. The two regional languages are also taught in some schools, and many folklore associations and clubs are trying to revive them.
Brittany has historically been a stronghold of the
Politics
Year | National winner | Runner-up |
---|---|---|
2017 | 75.36% 1,301,226 | 24.64% 425,462 |
2012 | 56.35% 1,075,919 | 43.65% 833,346 |
2007 | 47.38% 921,256 | 52.62% 1,023,056 |
2002 | 88.56% 1,523,388 | 11.44% 196,712 |
1995 | 50.44% 858,100 | 49.56% 843,169 |
1988 | 55.10% 929,363 | 44.90% 757,417 |
1981 | 48.95% 796,769 | 51.05% 831,034 |
1974 | 56.54% 781,563 | 43.46% 600,678 |
1969 | 63.95% 692,280 | 36.05% 390,240 |
1965 | 63.15% 806,958 | 36.85% 470,839 |
The Region of Brittany is administered by the Regional Council of Brittany.
The region was a traditionally conservative and
The Socialist Part controls three general councils (Ille-et-Vilaine, Côtes-d'Armor, and Finistère), while the centrist MoDem controls that of Morbihan, in a coalition with the right.
Economy
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 99.5 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 4.2% of French economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 26,700 euros or 89% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 100% of the EU average.[8]
Transport
There are several
Geography
Departments
Brittany comprises four departments: Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, and Morbihan.
Major communities
The following table is the list of communes in Brittany with a population over 15,000 inhabitants. Rennes is situated in the east of Brittany, being the capital of the region, the capital of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, as well as the most populous metropolitan area in Brittany with 700,000 inhabitants (2013).
Commune | Breton name | Population (2017)[9] |
Department |
---|---|---|---|
Rennes | Roazhon | 216,815 | Ille-et-Vilaine |
Brest | Brest | 140,064 | Finistère |
Quimper |
Kemper | 62,985 | Finistère |
Lorient | An Oriant | 57,149 | Morbihan |
Vannes | Gwened | 53,352 | Morbihan |
Saint-Malo | Sant-Maloù | 46,097 | Ille-et-Vilaine |
Saint-Brieuc | Sant-Brieg | 44,372 | Côtes-d'Armor |
Lanester | Lannarstêr | 22,728 | Morbihan |
Fougères | Felger | 20,418 | Ille-et-Vilaine |
Lannion | Lannuon | 19,880 | Côtes-d'Armor |
Concarneau | Konk Kerne | 19,050 | Finistère |
Bruz | Bruz | 18,266 | Ille-et-Vilaine |
Vitré | Gwitreg | 18,037 | Ille-et-Vilaine |
Plœmeur | Plañvour | 17,853 | Morbihan |
Cesson-Sévigné | Saozon-Sevigneg | 17,526 | Ille-et-Vilaine |
Lamballe-Armor | Lambal-Arvor | 16,578 | Côtes-d'Armor |
Landerneau | Landerne | 15,781 | Finistère |
Hennebont | Henbont | 15,678 | Morbihan |
Climate
The Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel provide Brittany with an oceanic climate. Prevailing northwest winds reduce variations of temperature in the region. The climate is drier in southern sections.[10] The extreme northwest has up to 10 days with temperatures above 25 °C, while southeastern Brittany can have up to 50.[11]
Sport
Three Breton clubs play in
The
See also
- Brittany (cultural region)
- Politics of Brittany
- Breton people
- Breton language
References
- ^ "Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ "EU regions by GDP, Eurostat". Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "La moitié des habitants de la Bretagne à 5 favorables à un rattachement de la Loire-Atlantique". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Brittany lays claim to autonomy, in Corsica's footsteps". Le Monde.fr. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ Michèle Cointet, op. cit., pp. 183–216 (p. 216 pour la citation)
- ISBN 978-2-13-056665-6.
- ^ "Site sur la Population et les Limites Administratives de la France". Archived from the original on 25 October 2006. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
- ^ Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017 Archived 5 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine, INSEE
- ^ "Le climat en Bretagne | Régions". www.groupe-mercure.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ Environnement, GIP Bretagne. "Le climat en Bretagne. Une douceur océanique tout en nuance – Bibliographies – Documentation – Eau Bretagne – l'observatoire de l'eau en Bretagne". www.observatoire-eau-bretagne.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.