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Brittany (Bretagne)
Brittany is a French region. It is located in the far west of France.
Key points of the sheet
- Brittany is bordered by the English Channel (la Manche) and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a peninsula with a long coastline.
- Brittany has 4 départements: Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine and Morbihan.
- Its main cities are Rennes, Brest, Lorient, Quimper, Vannes and Saint-Malo. Rennes is the prefecture (préfecture).
- Brittany has about 3.5 million inhabitants. The population is growing, especially around Rennes and in the south of Morbihan.
- The food industry is a key sector: Brittany is the leading region of France in this sector. There are also digital technology, shipbuilding, marine energy, fishing, tourism and Breton culture.
- The unemployment rate is below the national average. The job market is dynamic in the big cities, notably in digital technology and services.
Words to know
- peninsula (péninsule)
- Brittany is a peninsula bordered by the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean.
- coastline (littoral)
- Brittany has a long coastline.
- prefecture (préfecture)
- Rennes is the prefecture of Brittany.
- food industry (Agroalimentaire)
- Brittany is the leading region of France in the food industry.
- digital technology (numérique)
- Digital technology is a key sector in Brittany, in Rennes and in Lannion.
- unemployment rate (taux de chômage)
- In Brittany, the unemployment rate is below the national average.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Where is Brittany located?
In French, the language of the exam: Où est située la Bretagne ?
The region of Brittany is located in the far west of France.
How many départements does Brittany have?
In French, the language of the exam: Combien de départements compte la Bretagne ?
Brittany has 4 départements: Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine and Morbihan.
In which sector is Brittany the leading region of France?
In French, the language of the exam: Dans quel secteur la Bretagne est-elle la première région de France ?
Brittany is the leading region of France in the food industry.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
More in this topic (The regions of France)
Source
Sheet “Bretagne” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.