Finistère (, ; ) is a department of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in the extreme west 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 ...

. Its prefecture is

Quimper Quimper (, ; ; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the ...

and its largest city is Brest. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.Populations légales 2019: 29 Finistère
INSEE

History

The present department consists of the historical region of Léon and parts of Cornouaille and Trégor, both parts of pre-revolutionary

. The name ''Finistère'' derives from the Latin ''Finis Terræ'', meaning ''end of the earth.'' In England, a similar area is called

Land's End Land's End ( or ''Pedn an Wlas'') is a headland and tourist and holiday complex in western Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the Penwith peninsula about west-south-west of Penzance at the western end of the A30 road. To the east of it is ...

. The Breton name for Finistère, ''Penn ar Bed,'' translates as "Head/End of the World" and is similar to the Cornish name for Land's End, ''Pedn an Wlas'' (Head/End of the country), and also Penfro (English: Pembroke) in Wales (pen = end, bro = country). Finistère is not to be confused with Fisterra in Galicia,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, which shares the same etymology. The area of the department was part of the Province of Brittany before 1790.

Geography

The largest population centre in Finistère is Brest. Other large towns in the department include

(the capital),

Concarneau Concarneau (, meaning "Bay of Cornouaille") is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in Northwestern France. Concarneau is bordered to the west by the Baie ...

Morlaix Morlaix (; , ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. History The Battle of Morlaix, part of the Hundred Years' War, was fought near the town on 30 Septembe ...

, Carhaix,

Quimperlé Quimperlé (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department, region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Geography Quimperlé is in the southeast of Finistère, 20 km t ...

and

Douarnenez Douarnenez (, ; meaning ''douar'' (land) ''an enez'' (the island) or land of the island), is a commune in the French department of Finistère, region of Brittany, northwestern France. It is located at the mouth of the Pouldavid River, an estua ...

. Finistère includes the island of

Ushant Ushant (; , ; , ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and in medieval times, Léon. In lower tiers of government, it is a commune in t ...

(''Eusa'' in Breton, ''Ouessant'' in French). Finistère is the westernmost department of

Metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...

and can also claim to be the "most coastal" department in Metropolitan France. Of its 277 communes, 117 are located on the coast. Its total coastline of approximately accounts for almost a quarter of the entire Brittany coast-line. Carteroute29

The ''abers'', rugged fjord-like inlets on the north coast, are a notable feature of the landscape. The westernmost point of continental France, known as the

Pointe de Corsen The Pointe de Corsen () is the westernmost point of continental France, located west of Brest in the Plouarzel Commune, Finistère, Brittany. A CROSS sea monitoring site is located at the point. Pointe de Corsen is located at See also * ...

, extends from the northwestern tip of Finistère. About 40 kilometres to the south (as the crow flies) is the slightly less westerly, but rugged and isolated, headland of

Pointe du Raz The Pointe du Raz is a promontory that extends into the Atlantic from western Brittany, in France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territori ...

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Brest; the prefecture

is the second-most populous. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 15,000 inhabitants:

Demographics

Economy

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...

food processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing takes many forms, from grinding grain into raw flour, home cooking, and complex industrial methods used in the mak ...

and various related industries occupy an important place in Finistère's economy. The military presence in Finistère ( Île Longue

nuclear submarine A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion ...

base and the Naval Air base of Lanvéoc-Poulmic), as well as military-related industries, such as the Brest headquarters of DCNS, employ a significant number of the ''départements population. The

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

of Roscoff links Brittany by

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

with

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

Politics

Current National Assembly Representatives

Culture

Finistère is the area where Breton survives most strongly as a spoken language. Breton-speaking schools are called Diwan, Divyezh and Dihun. The Festival de Cornouaille, which takes place in Quimper, is a celebration of Breton music and traditions. One of the highlights of summer in Finistère is the " Festival des Vieilles Charrues" held in Carhaix-Plouguer. Major international stars attract tens of thousands of spectators."Vieilles Charrues Festival"
, official website The painter Raymond Wintz (1884–1956) featured many locations around Finistère. Roland Doré was a sculptor who executed many of the calvaries in Finistère.

Tourism

File:Quimper2011.png,

File:Ouessant DSC02641.jpg, Granite rocks in

Ouessant Ushant (; , ; , ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany (administrative region), Brittany and in medieval times, Viscounty of Léon, Léon ...

File:Phare de Pontusval 4490.jpg, Pontusval lighthouse near Brignogan-Plages File:ND de Tronoën Chapelle et calvaire 2.jpg,

Calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

in Saint-Jean-Trolimon File:29 - Locronan.jpg, Locronan File:Concarneau - la ville close à marée basse.jpg,

File:Finis Terrae Finistère.jpg, Pointe du Chateau, Plougrescant File:20110824 Pointe de Pen-Hir (10).jpg, Pointe de Pen-Hir

References

External links

*
Departmental Council website
*
Prefecture website
*
Finistère Tourisme, agence de développement touristique du Finistère
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finistere Departments of Brittany Brittany region articles needing translation from French Wikipedia