Cotentin Peninsula
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Native name: Cotentîn | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Adjacent to | English Channel |
Administration | |
France | |
Region | Normandy |
Department | Manche |
Demographics | |
Languages | Norman |
The Cotentin Peninsula (US: /ˌkoʊtɒ̃ˈtæ̃/,[1] French: [kɔtɑ̃tɛ̃]; Norman: Cotentîn [kotɑ̃ˈtẽ] ⓘ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gulf of Saint-Malo and the Channel Islands, and to the southwest lies the peninsula of Brittany.
The peninsula lies wholly within the department of Manche, in the region of Normandy.
Geography
The Cotentin peninsula is part of the
The largest town on the peninsula is Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, a major cross-channel port on the north coast, with a population of approximately 120,000. The population of the peninsula is about 250,000.
The western coast of the peninsula, known as the Côte des Îles ("Islands Coast"), faces the Channel Islands. Ferry links serve Carteret and the islands of
The oldest stone in France is found in outcroppings on the coast of Cap de la Hague, at the tip of the peninsula.[3]
Cotentin was almost an island at one time. Only a small strip of land in the heath of Lessay connected the peninsula with the mainland.[4] Thanks to the so-called portes à flot (fr), which close at flood and open at ebb[5] and which were built in the west coast and in the Baie des Veys, on the east coast, the Cotentin has become a peninsula.
The Côte des Havres lies between the Cape of Carteret and the Cape of Granville. To the northwest, there are two sand dune systems: one stretching between
History
Roman Armorica
The peninsula formed part of the Roman geographical area of
Medieval history
King Alan the Great of Brittany (d. 907) waged war successfully on the Norsemen. As a result of his conquests, the Cotentin Peninsula was included theoretically in the territory of the Kingdom of Brittany, after the Treaty of Compiègne (867) with the king of the Franks. The kings of Brittany suffered continuing Norse invasions and Norman raids, and Brittany lost the Cotentin Peninsula (and Avranchin nearby) after only 70 years of political domination.
Meanwhile,
In 1088 Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, enfeoffed the Cotentin to his brother Henry, who later became king of England. Henry, as count of the Cotentin, established his first power base there and in the adjoining Avranchin, which lay to the south, beyond the River Thar.[9]
During the
Modern history
The naval
The town of Valognes was, until the French Revolution, a provincial social resort for the aristocracy, nicknamed the Versailles of Normandy. The social scene was described in the novels of Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly (1808–1889) (himself from the Cotentin). Little now remains of the grand houses and châteaux; they were destroyed by combat there during the Battle of Normandy in World War II. The westernmost part of the D-Day landings was at Utah Beach, on the southeastern coast of the peninsula, and was followed by a campaign to occupy the peninsula and take Cherbourg.
The genetic history of the modern inhabitants of Cotentin Peninsula is being studied by the University of Leicester to determine the extent of Scandinavian ancestry in Normandy.[10]
Economy
The peninsula's main economic resource is agriculture. Dairy and vegetable farming are prominent activities, as well as aquaculture of oysters and mussels along the coast.[11] Cider and calvados are produced from locally grown apples and pears.
The region hosts two important nuclear power facilities. At Flamanville there is a
There are two major naval shipyards in Cherbourg. The state-owned shipyard Naval Group has built French nuclear submarines since the 1960s. Privately owned CMN builds frigates and patrol vessels for various states, mostly from the Middle East.
Tourism is also an important economic activity in this region. Many tourists visit the
Culture
After quitting political life, the political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859) retreated to the family estate of Tocqueville, where he wrote much of his work.
Due to its comparative isolation, the peninsula is one of the remaining strongholds of the Norman language, and the local dialect is known as Cotentinais. The Norman language poet Côtis-Capel (1915–1986) described the environment of the peninsula, while French language poet Jacques Prévert made his home at Omonville-la-Petite. The painter Jean-François Millet (1814–1875) was also born on the peninsula.
The Norman language writer Alfred Rossel , native of Cherbourg, composed many songs which form part of the heritage of the region. Rossel's song Sus la mé ("on the sea") is often sung as a regional patriotic song.
References
- ^ "Cotentin Peninsula". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- )
- ^ Bay of Écalgrain and Bay of Cul-Rond Archived 2014-08-19 at the Wayback Machine Website "Lithothèque de Normandie"
- ISBN 2-74-240573-9
- ^ hydraulic heritage : les portes à flot Archived 2014-03-29 at archive.today (französisch)
- countship.
- ISBN 9789251005132.
- ^ Twelve essential old Scandinavian words (old Norse) in placenames of Normandy (R. Lepelley. Caen University) Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hollister 2001: ff.
- ^ "The Historical Genetics of the Cotentin Peninsula". The Impact of Diasporas on the Making of Britain (University of Leicester). University of Leicester. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
- ^ Catherine Berra (29 May 2013). "Basse-Normandie : le développement de l'aquaculture à l'étude". France 3 Normandie. FranceInfo. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
Other sources
- Renaud, Jean: Les Vikings et la Normandie (Ouest-France. 2002) ISBN 2-7373-0258-7
- Renaud, Jean: Les dieux des Vikings (Ouest-France. 2002) ISBN 2-7373-1468-2