Editing Brittany (administrative region) (section)

== History ==
{{historical populations|15=1801|16=1,833,410|17=1821|18=1,984,950|19=1831|20=2,103,842|21=1841|22=2,180,755|23=1851|24=2,303,113|25=1861|26=2,327,414|27=1876|28=2,406,348|29=1881|30=2,446,243|31=1891|32=2,517,009|33=1901|34=2,559,398|35=1921|36=2,424,959|37=1936|38=2,396,647|39=1946|40=2,336,820|41=1954|42=2,338,803|43=1962|44=2,396,582|45=1968|46=2,468,227|47=1975|48=2,595,431|49=1982|50=2,707,886|51=1990|52=2,794,317|53=1999|54=2,904,075|55=2006|56=3,080,990|57=2016|58=3,306,529|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://splaf.free.fr/ |title=Site sur la Population et les Limites Administratives de la France |access-date=3 August 2019 |archive-date=25 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025095056/http://splaf.free.fr/algerie.html |url-status=live}}</ref>}}
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2020}}
{{main|History of Brittany}}
Brittany, located in the west-north-west 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 south-west Britain.

The name "Brittany" derives from the [[Celtic Britons|Britons]], an [[Insular Celtic]] (Brythonic) people who inhabited most of [[Great Britain]] during the [[Roman Britain|Roman]] and [[Sub-Roman Britain|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 occupation of Britain|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 kingdom]]s, 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 [[Viking Brittany|Norse raids and occupation]] and from the mid-10th century became a [[vassal state]] of [[France in the Middle Ages|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 [[Kingdom of England|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 [[Union of Brittany and France|formally incorporated]] as a [[Provinces of France|province of France]].

Following the [[French Revolution]] the French provinces were dissolved and replaced with [[Departments of France|department]]s; 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, France|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|date=April 2019}} [[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 [[Festival Interceltique de Lorient|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|date=April 2019}} 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|date=April 2019}}

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|date=April 2019}}
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.