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Brittany
| Population | 2,900,000 (2003) |
| Area | 1,062 square miles |
| Agriculture and fishing | Dairy, pork, oysters, cod |
| Animals of the region | Birds, including gannets, guillemots and puffins, dairy cows, sheep |
| Culture | Brittany developed a unique culture due to its long isolation from the rest of France. Until the first part of the 19th century, the vast majority of its inhabitants spoke Breton and their everyday dress consisted of distinct local costumes. This Breton culture can be seen today during church festivals and other events when the old costumes with their “coiffes” (hats of lace) – a different hat in each area – can be seen. |
| Capital and major cities | Rennes, Brest, Pontivy, Quimper |
| Folklore, legends, crafts | Brittany is one of the Celtic regions with a direct connection to Camelot (Arthurian Week is held in Broceliande each July) |
| Foods and beverages | Crepes, oysters, pain mirau (a bread roll, featured annually at the Bread Festival at St. Brandan), cider, beer, mead |
| Industry and products, past and present | Quimperware, granite, light chemical and mechanical production |
| Inventions, discoveries, and notable people | Henriot Quimper, creator of Quimperware; Déodat de Dolomieu, geologist, discovered the chemical difference between normal limestone and dolomite. In his honor, the rock was called dolomite, and the part of the Alps where he discovered the difference, and which consist of dolomite, are today called Dolomites; author Theodore Botrel; the artist Gauguin lived in Pont-Aven; artists Mathurin Meheut; fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin. |
| Musical instruments | Biniou (bagpipe), accordions, violins, flutes, guitars, percussion, bombard (similar to an oboe) |
| Symbols of the region | The symbol of Brittany is the ermine. Flag: 5 black bands (representing the former bishoprics of Upper Brittany), 4 white bands (representing the former bishoprics of Lower Brittany), and a field of stylized ermines |
| Tourist sites | Numerous lighthouses and standing stones, the Interceltic Festival at Lorient, held annually in August. |
| Unique qualities | Brittany is distinct from other French regions because of its Celtic heritage. About one-quarter of its population are able to speak Breton, a Celtic language similar to Cornish and Welsh. |
| Website | www.francekeys.com/english/regions/bretagne.shtml www.discoverfrance.net/France/Provinces/Brittany.shtml |
Copyright 2012 NACHS
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information@nachs.info
PO Box 187, Flagstaff, AZ 86002 - (928) 556-3161
information@nachs.info