The Côtes-d'Armor ( , ; ; , ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord until 1990 (, ), is a department in the north of

Brittany Brittany ( ) 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 in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.Populations légales 2019: 22 Côtes-d'Armor
INSEE

History

French Revolution

Côtes-du-Nord was one of the original 83 departments created on 4 March 1790 following the French Revolution. It was made up from the near entirety of the ancient Pays de Saint-Brieuc, most of historical Trégor, the eastern half of Cornouaille, and the north-western part of the former diocese of Saint-Malo. The area had been part of the Province of Brittany before 1790.

World War II

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Côtes-d'Armor was occupied by the Nazis and was the site of French Resistance operations, such as Operation Samwest, around the time of the Normandy landings.

Post-War

On 27 February 1990, the name was changed to Côtes-d'Armor; the French word ''côtes'' means "coasts" and ''ar mor'' is "the sea" in Breton. The name also recalls that of the

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

of Armorica ("the coastal region").

Geography

Côtes-d'Armor is part of the current administrative region of

and is bounded by the departments of Ille-et-Vilaine to the east, Morbihan to the south, and Finistère to the west, and by the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

to the north. The region is an undulating

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

including three well-marked ranges of hills in the south. A granitoid chain, the Monts du Méné, starting in the south-east of the department runs in a north-westerly direction, forming the watershed between the rivers running respectively to the

and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. Towards its western extremity this chain bifurcates to form the Montagnes Noires in the south-west and the Monts d'Arrée in the west of the department. Off the coast, which is steep, rocky and much indented, are the Jentilez, Bréhat and other small islands. The principal bays are those of Saint-Malo and

Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton language, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo language, Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. History ...

Principal towns

The most populous commune is

, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 6 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants:

Demographics

The inhabitants of the department are known in French as ''Costarmoricains''.

Politics

Côtes-d'Armor's long tradition of anti-clericalism, especially in the interior around Guingamp (a former Communist stronghold), has often led to the department's being seen as an area of left-wing exceptionalism in a region that historically was otherwise strongly Catholic and right-wing. The current president of the departmental council, Christian Coail, is a member of the Socialist Party.

Current National Assembly Representatives

Culture

The western part of the department is part of the traditionally Breton-speaking "Lower Brittany" (''Breizh-Izel'' in Breton). The boundary runs from Plouha to Mûr-de-Bretagne. The Breton language has become an intense issue in many parts of Brittany, and many Breton-speakers advocate for bilingual schools. Gallo is also spoken in the east and is offered as a language in the schools and on the baccalaureat exams.

Gallery

File:Paimpol Hafen 9305.jpg, Paimpol File:PSIMG 4112.JPG, Perros-Guirec File:200707 Fort La Latte 03.JPG, Fort-la-Latte File:CapFrehelLightHouse.jpg, Cap Fréhel File:Castel Meur.JPG, Castel Meur house in Plougrescant File:Du Guesclin Dinan.jpg, Statue of Bertrand du Guesclin in Dinan

Notable people

* Anne Beaumanoir (1923–2022), one of the Righteous Among the Nations, was born in Guildo. * Bernadette Cattanéo (1899–1963), trade unionist and militant communist *English-born poet Robert William Service (1874–1958), known as the "Bard of the Yukon", is buried in Lancieux.

References

External links

*
Prefecture website
*
Departmental Council website
*
Tourist board website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotes-D'armor 1790 establishments in France Departments of Brittany States and territories established in 1790