Finistère

[fin-uh-stair; Fr. fee-nee-ster]

Finistère [Lat. finis terrae=land's end], department (1990 pop. 839,800), NW France, in Brittany. Quimper is the capital.

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Finistère

Finistère (Penn-ar-Bed) is a département of France, located in Brittany (Breizh in Breton and Bretagne in French).

History

The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning end of the earth, as does the Breton name for the region, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel. It is not to be confused with Cape Finisterre in Spain.

Geography

Finistère is the most westerly part of metropolitan France.

The largest population center, and only city, in Finistère is Brest. Other large towns in the département include Quimper, Morlaix, Carhaix and Douarnenez. Finistère includes the island of Ushant (Ouessant in French).

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, extends from the north-western tip of Finistère. A few miles to the south is the slightly less westerly, but rugged, & isolated, headland of Pointe du Raz.

Economy

Agriculture, food processing and various related industries occupy an important place in Finistère's economy.

The military presence in Finistère (Île Longue nuclear submarine base; 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 département's population.

The port of Roscoff links Brittany by ferry with Ireland and Great Britain.

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 where major international stars attract tens of thousands of spectators.