Editing Morbihan

{{short description|Department of France}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Morbihan
| native_name             = {{native name|br|Mor-Bihan}}
| native_name_lang        = fr<!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
| type                    = [[Departments of France|Department]]
| image_skyline           = Vannes - préfecture (1).JPG
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]] building of the Morbihan department, in Vannes
| image_flag              = Banniel_departamant_ar_Mor-Bihan_2022.svg
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Blason département fr Morbihan.svg
| shield_alt              = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = Morbihan-Position.svg
| mapsize                 = 
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location of the Morbihan in France
| image_map1              = Morbihan.png
| mapsize1                = 
| map_alt1                = 
| map_caption1            = Map of the Morbihan
| pushpin_map             = 
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|47|50|N|02|50|W|region:FR-56_type:adm2nd_scale:2000000_source:frwiki|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = [[France]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[Regions of France|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]]
| established_title       = 
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| seat_type               = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]]
| seat                    = [[Vannes]]
| parts_type              = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefectures]]
| parts_style             = para
| p1                      = [[Lorient]]<br>[[Pontivy]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| leader_party            = 
| leader_title            = [[President of the Departmental Council]]
| leader_name             = David Lappartient<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/601ef073-d986-4582-8e1a-ed14dc857fba|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=4 May 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
| unit_pref               = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_magnitude          = 
| area_footnotes          = {{ref|area|1}}
| area_total_km2          = 6823
| area_note               = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 
| elevation_min_m         = 
| elevation_max_m         = 
| population_total        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
| population_as_of        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population_footnotes    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes2}}
| population_rank         = [[List of French departments by population|31st]]
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
| population_note         = 
| blank_name_sec1         = [[Departments of France|Department number]]
| blank_info_sec1         = 56
| blank_name_sec2         = [[Arrondissements of France|Arrondissements]]
| blank_info_sec2         = [[arrondissements of the Morbihan department|3]]
| blank1_name_sec2        = [[Cantons in France|Cantons]]
| blank1_info_sec2        = [[cantons of the Morbihan department|21]]
| blank2_name_sec2        = [[Communes in France|Communes]]
| blank2_info_sec2        = [[communes of the Morbihan department|249]]
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = 
| area_code_type          = 
| area_code               = 
| iso_code                = FR-56
| website                 = 
| footnotes               = {{note|area|1}} French Land Register data, which exclude [[estuary|estuaries]], and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km<sup>2</sup>
}}
The '''Morbihan''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɔːr|b|i|ə|n}} {{respell|MOR|bee|ən}},{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} {{IPA|fr|mɔʁbi(j)ɑ̃|lang}}; {{langx|br|Mor-Bihan}} {{IPA|br|moːrˈbiː(h)ãn|}}) is a [[departments of France|department]] in the administrative region of [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]], situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the [[Gulf of Morbihan|Morbihan]] (''small sea'' in [[Breton language|Breton]]), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline. It had a population of 759,684 in 2019.<ref name=pop2019>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep56.pdf Populations légales 2019: 56 Morbihan], INSEE</ref> It is noted for its [[Carnac stones]], which predate and are more extensive than the [[Stonehenge]] monument in [[Wiltshire]], England.

Three major military educational facilities are located in Guer, including [[École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr]], the national military academy for officers.

==History==

The Morbihan is one of the original 83 departments created on 4 March 1790 during the [[French Revolution]]. It was created from a part of the [[Duchy of Brittany]].

In 1945, cadets from [[École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr]], France's foremost military academy for officers, were relocated to [[Camp Coëtquidan]] (Camp de Coëtquidan) in Guer. This has been developed to include also  the [[École militaire interarmes]] (inter-services military school), for non-commissioned officers; and École Militaire du Corps Technique et Administratif (military school of the technical and administrative corps).

== Geography ==
The Morbihan, part of the [[regions of France|region]] of [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]], is surrounded by the departments of [[Finistère]], [[Côtes-d'Armor]], [[Ille-et-Vilaine]], and [[Loire-Atlantique]], and the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest.

The [[Gulf of Morbihan]] has many islands: 365 according to legend. There are actually between 30 and 40, depending on how they are counted. There are also many islets that are too small for any development. Of these islands, all but two are privately owned: l'[[Île-aux-Moines]] and l'[[Île-d'Arz]]. Owners of the others include movie stars, fashion designers, and other wealthy "glitterati".

In the department of the Morbihan, but outside the Gulf, there are four inhabited islands:
*[[Belle Île]]
*[[Groix]]
*[[Houat]]
*[[Hoëdic]]

Meaban, an island just outside the Port du Crouesty, is an ornithological reserve. Visitors are forbidden there.

===Principal towns===

The most populous commune is [[Lorient]]; the prefecture [[Vannes]] is the second-most populous. As of 2019, there are 6 communes with more than 15,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2019/>

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
| [[Lorient]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 57,246
|-
| [[Vannes]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 53,719
|-
| [[Lanester]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 23,124
|-
| [[Ploemeur]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 17,778
|-
| [[Hennebont]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 16,062
|-
| [[Pontivy]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 15,064
|}

==Demographics==
{{historical populations|cols=2|align=none|percentages=pagr|footnote=Sources:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://splaf.free.fr/56his.html|title=Historique du Morbihan|website=Le SPLAF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4176909?geo=DEP-56|title=Évolution et structure de la population en 2016|publisher=INSEE}}</ref>|graph-pos=bottom
|15=1801|16=401,215|17=1821|18=416,224|19=1831|20=433,522|21=1841|22=447,898|23=1851|24=478,172|25=1861|26=486,504|27=1876|28=506,573|29=1881|30=521,614|31=1891|32=544,470|33=1901|34=564,000|35=1921|36=556,047|37=1936|38=542,000|39=1946|40=506,884|41=1954|42=520,966|43=1962|44=530,833|45=1968|46=541,000|47=1975|48=563,588|49=1982|50=590,889|51=1990|52=619,723|53=1999|54=643,293|55=2006|56=693,498|57=2011|58=727,083|59=2016|60=747,548}}

== Art and culture == 
Many residents support maintenance and use of the [[Breton language]], and there are numerous  advocates of bilingual education.

The painter [[Raymond Wintz]] (1884–1956) depicted locations around the Gulf of Morbihan.

==Politics==
As of 2014, the [[prefect|préfet]] of the Morbihan is Jean-François Savy, previously head of the Prefectures of [[Ardennes (department)|Ardennes]] and of [[Hautes-Alpes]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Le préfet du Morbihan|url=http://www.morbihan.gouv.fr/Services-de-l-Etat/Prefecture-et-sous-prefectures/Les-curriculum-vitae-des-membres-du-corps-prefectoral/Le-prefet-du-Morbihan/(language)/fre-FR|publisher=Morbihan Prefecture website}}</ref> The president of the Departmental Council is David Lappartient, elected in July 2021.

===Current National Assembly Representatives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member<ref>{{cite web|author=Assemblée Nationale |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/ |title=Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français |publisher=Assemblee-nationale.fr |access-date=2019-09-04}}</ref>!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|En Marche!}}" |
| [[Morbihan's 1st constituency]]
| [[Hervé Pellois]]
| [[La République En Marche!]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Democratic Movement (France)}}" |
| [[Morbihan's 2nd constituency]]
| [[Jimmy Pahun]]
| [[Democratic Movement (France)|MoDem]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|En Marche!}}" |
| [[Morbihan's 3rd constituency]]
| [[Nicole Le Peih]]
| [[La République En Marche!]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|En Marche!}}" |
| [[Morbihan's 4th constituency]]
| [[Paul Molac]]
| [[La République En Marche!]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|En Marche!}}" |
| [[Morbihan's 5th constituency]]
| [[Gwendal Rouillard]]
| [[La République En Marche!]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|En Marche!}}" |
| [[Morbihan's 6th constituency]]
| [[Jean-Michel Jacques]]
| [[La République En Marche!]]
|}

==Tourism==
* The [[Carnac stones]], [[megalith]]ic alignments of [[Carnac]], are situated in the Morbihan.

<gallery>
File:Vieux-quartier-port-vannes.jpg|[[Vannes]]
File:Entre Golfe Morbihan.JPG|The [[Gulf of Morbihan]] is a popular [[Sailing (sport)|sailing]] destination.
File:Château de Rochefort-en-Terre (cour 1).jpg|[[Rochefort-en-Terre]]
File:Bagad.JPG|The [[bagad]] of Lann-Bihoué
File:Kerlescan.JPG|[[Carnac stones]]
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Cantons of the Morbihan department]]
*[[Communes of the Morbihan department]]
*[[Arrondissements of the Morbihan department]]
*[[La Baule - Guérande Peninsula]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Morbihan}}
{{Wikivoyage|Morbihan}}
* {{cite EB9 |wstitle = Morbihan |volume= XVI | pages=812-813 |short=1 }}
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.morbihan.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website]
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.morbihan.fr/ Departmental Council website]
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://patrimoine.region-bretagne.fr/main.xsp?execute=parsed_query&query=dpt:|56  Cultural Heritage]
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.morbihan.com/ Tourism website]
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.netrando.com/4dcgi/us/geoquery/273.htm Hiking in the Morbihan]

{{Departments of France}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Morbihan| ]]
[[Category:1790 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Departments of Brittany]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1790]]