**Historical Timeline of Brittany**:
– Inhabited since Lower Palaeolithic
– Neanderthals replaced by Homo sapiens around 35,000 years ago
– Introduction of agriculture in 5th millennium BC
– Gallic tribes inhabited during protohistorical period
– Gallic Era with five Celtic tribes
– Gallo-Roman Era and Roman influence
– Immigration of the Britons
– Middle Ages, unification, and Viking attacks
– Union with the French Crown and modern period
– The French Revolution and division into five departments
– Modern developments, challenges, and World War II invasion
**Geography and Demographics of Brittany**:
– Located in northwestern France
– Bordered by various bodies of water
– Home to ancient standing architecture
– Split among five French departments
– Population estimated to be 4,475,295 in 2010
– Size, location, and coastal features
– Geographical features and elevation
– Soil types and landscape variations
**Cultural Identity and Language of Brittany**:
– Traditional homeland of Breton people
– One of the six Celtic nations
– Distinct cultural identity and nationalist movement
– Reunification movement
– Breton language and dialects
– Gallo language characteristics and writing systems
– Efforts to unify Breton dialects
– Coexistence of Gallic and Roman deities
**Political and Administrative Aspects of Brittany**:
– Historical political tendencies
– Left-wing stronghold and regional council dominance
– Influence of local parties
– Far-right party audience
– Capital cities and contenders
– Present subdivisions and administrative bodies
– Reunification challenges and proposals
– Public opinion on reunification
**Economic and Social Aspects of Brittany**:
– Economic history and golden age
– Centralisation problem and revolts
– Breton exodus during the American War of Independence
– Economic recession in the 19th century
– Decline of the Breton language
– Formation of the Region of Brittany in 1956
– Cultural revival in the 1960s and 1970s
– Competencies and wider regions formation
Brittany (/ˈbrɪtəni/, French: Bretagne, French: [bʁətaɲ] ⓘ; Breton: Breizh, Breton: [bʁɛjs], or Breton: [bʁɛx]; Gallo: Bertaèyn or Bertègn, locally [bəʁtaɛɲ]) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period of Roman occupation. It became an independent kingdom and then a duchy before being united with the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province governed as a separate nation under the crown.
Brittany
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 Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): | |
| Anthem: "Bro Gozh ma Zadoù" | |
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| Coordinates: 48°00′N 3°00′W / 48.000°N 3.000°W | |
| Country | France |
| Largest settlements | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 34,023 km2 (13,136 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 4,829,968 |
| Demonym | Bretons |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | FR-E |
.svg)
| Person | Breton (Breizhad) |
|---|---|
| People | Bretons (Breizhiz) |
| Language | Breton (Brezhoneg) |
| Country | Brittany (Breizh) |
Brittany has also been referred to as Little Britain (as opposed to Great Britain, with which it shares an etymology). It is bordered by the English Channel to the north, Normandy to the northeast, eastern Pays de la Loire to the southeast, the Bay of Biscay to the south, and the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its land area is 34,023 km2 (13,136 sq mi).
Brittany is the site of some of the world's oldest standing architecture, home to the Cairn of Barnenez, the Tumulus Saint-Michel and others, which date to the early 5th millennium BC. Today, the historical province of Brittany is split among five French departments: Finistère in the west, Côtes-d'Armor in the north, Ille-et-Vilaine in the northeast, Morbihan in the south and Loire-Atlantique in the southeast. Loire-Atlantique now belongs to the Pays de la Loire region while the other four departments make up the Brittany region.
At the 2010 census, the population of historic Brittany was estimated to be 4,475,295. In 2017, the largest metropolitan areas were Nantes (934,165 inhabitants), Rennes (733,320 inhabitants), and Brest (321,364 inhabitants). Brittany is the traditional homeland of the Breton people and is one of the six Celtic nations, retaining a distinct cultural identity that reflects its history. A nationalist movement seeks greater autonomy within the French Republic, or independence from it. The reunification of Brittany is supported by half of the inhabitants of Brittany and of Loire-Atlantique, and is considered a prerequisite to further autonomy.