The Morbihan (/ˈmɔːrbiən/ MOR-bee-ən,[citation needed] French: [mɔʁbi(j)ɑ̃]; Breton: Mor-Bihan [moːrˈbiː(h)ãn]) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan (small sea in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline. It had a population of 759,684 in 2019.[3] It is noted for its Carnac stones, which predate and are more extensive than the Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England.
Morbihan
Mor-Bihan (Breton) | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Prefecture building of the Morbihan department, in Vannes | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of the Morbihan in France | |
 Map of the Morbihan | |
| Coordinates: 47°50′N 02°50′W / 47.833°N 2.833°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Brittany |
| Prefecture | Vannes |
| Subprefectures | Lorient Pontivy |
| Government | |
| • President of the Departmental Council | David Lappartient[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,823 km2 (2,634 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 768,687 |
| • Rank | 31st |
| • Density | 110/km2 (290/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | FR-56 |
| Department number | 56 |
| Arrondissements | 3 |
| Cantons | 21 |
| Communes | 249 |
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | |
Three major military educational facilities are located in Guer, including École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, the national military academy for officers.
History
editThe 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
editThe Morbihan, part of the region of 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:
Meaban, an island just outside the Port du Crouesty, is an ornithological reserve. Visitors are forbidden there.
Principal towns
editThe 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:[3]
| Commune | Population (2019) |
|---|---|
| Lorient | 57,246 |
| Vannes | 53,719 |
| Lanester | 23,124 |
| Ploemeur | 17,778 |
| Hennebont | 16,062 |
| Pontivy | 15,064 |
Demographics
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Art and culture
editMany 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
editAs of 2014, the préfet of the Morbihan is Jean-François Savy, previously head of the Prefectures of Ardennes and of Hautes-Alpes.[6] The president of the Departmental Council is David Lappartient, elected in July 2021.
Current National Assembly Representatives
editTourism
edit- The Carnac stones, megalithic alignments of Carnac, are situated in the Morbihan.
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The Gulf of Morbihan is a popular sailing destination. -
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The bagad of Lann-Bihoué -
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ a b Populations légales 2019: 56 Morbihan, INSEE
- ^ "Historique du Morbihan". Le SPLAF.
- ^ "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.
- ^ "Le préfet du Morbihan". Morbihan Prefecture website.
- ^ Assemblée Nationale. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français". Assemblee-nationale.fr. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
External links
edit
- . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. XVI (9th ed.). 1883. pp. 812–813.
- (in French) Prefecture website
- (in French) Departmental Council website
- (in French) Cultural Heritage
- (in French) Tourism website
- (in English) Hiking in the Morbihan