Brittany Facts for Kids

Historical region of Brittany

Where the region is in France.

Flag of Brittany (Gwenn ha du)

Coat of arms of Brittany

Brittany is a special region in Northwest France. In the Breton language, it's called Breizh. In French, it's known as Bretagne. When we talk about things from Brittany, we use the word Breton.

Brittany is located in the west of France. Its long coastline stretches out into the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream current, Brittany has a mild climate. This means it has warm summers and wet winters.

Today, the official region of Brittany has four main areas called departments:

Before 1941, a fifth department, Loire-Atlantique, was also part of Brittany. This included the city of Nantes. These five departments together make up what is known as "historical Brittany."

Three languages have been traditionally spoken in Brittany:

The Breton language is spoken in the western part. It's a Celtic language, similar to Cornish.
Gallo is spoken in the eastern part. This is a Romance language.
French is spoken everywhere in Brittany.

The capital city of Brittany is Rennes. It's a busy and exciting city located in the Ille-et-Vilaine department.

Exploring Brittany's Name and History
- How Brittany Got Its Name
- Brittany's Journey to Join France
Amazing Stone Structures
What Brittany is Known For
Images for kids
See Also

Exploring Brittany's Name and History

The name Brittany is connected to Great Britain. In French, Great Britain is called Grand Bretagne. Because of this, Brittany has sometimes been called Lesser Britain or Little Britain.

How Brittany Got Its Name

After the Anglo-Saxons started moving into Great Britain in the 400s AD, many Ancient Britons moved across the sea to this region. These tribes gave Brittany its name. They also brought the Breton language and many local place names. Their culture became a big part of Brittany's identity.

Brittany's Journey to Join France

Brittany was its own separate country starting in the 800s. It stayed independent until 1532. That's when it officially became part of France. For a long time, it was a province of France. Then, during the French Revolution, its land was divided into the departments we know today. Brittany got its own regional government back in the 1980s.

Amazing Stone Structures

Brittany is home to something truly amazing: the world's largest collection of standing stones in one place. These ancient stones are known as the Carnac stones. They are a mystery from the past!

What Brittany is Known For

Brittany's main industry is agriculture. This means farming. Farmers in Brittany are especially known for:

Raising pigs
Raising chickens
Growing maize (corn) to feed farm animals

Did you know that Brittany is also the name of a dog breed? These dogs are known for being friendly and good at hunting.

Images for kids

The Carnac stones
The temple of Mars in Corseul
The Brythonic community around the 6th century. The sea was a communication medium rather than a barrier.
A 1922 nationalist engraving of Nominoe, first king of Brittany
Battle of Ar Roc'h-Derrien during the War of the Breton Succession
Anne of Brittany is regarded in Brittany as a conscientious ruler who defended the duchy against France.
Province of Brittany (1789) - showing internal borders of five new departments: Côtes-du-Nord (now Côtes-d'Armor), Finistère, Ille-et-Villaine, Loire-Inférieure (now Loire-Atlantique) and Morbihan.
A Royal Air Force attack on Saint-Malo in 1942
The Amoco Cadiz oil spill in 1978 significantly affected the Breton coast
The Pink Granite Coast around Trégastel
A bog around the Monts d'Arrée
The Pointe du Raz, one of the westernmost extents of both Brittany and Metropolitan France
An ocean sunfish exhibiting its characteristic horizontal basking behaviour several miles off Penmarch
A Breton horse
A battalion of the Saint-Cyr-Coëtquidan military academy
RMS Queen Mary 2, once the world's largest passenger ship, was built in Saint-Nazaire.
A fishing trawler from Le Guilvinec
Rennes, the most populated city in Region Brittany and the second in historical Brittany, behind Nantes
Breton women wearing the Bigouden distinctive headdress, one of the symbols of Breton identity
Lower Brittany (in colours), where the Breton language is traditionally spoken and Upper Brittany (in shades of grey), where the Gallo language is traditionally spoken. The changing shades indicate the advance of Gallo and French, and retreat of Breton from 900 AD.
Bilingual road signs can be seen in traditional Breton-speaking areas.
Signs in Gallo are very rare and the writing systems they use are unknown by most of the speakers.
Sculpted "calvaries" can be found in many villages in Lower Brittany.
A chapel and a calvary in Locronan, Finistère
A sculpted Ankou in Ploudiry
Josselin Castle
A traditional house in Plougoumelen
An Art Deco villa in Bénodet
The Beautiful Angèle by Paul Gauguin
The Lann-Bihoué bagad
Nolwenn Leroy and Alan Stivell (2012)
The singer-songwriter Théodore Botrel dressed in traditional Breton costume
The Götheborg ship replica at the Brest tall ship meeting in 2012
Roazhon Park in Rennes
Galettes served with eggs and sausages
An old road sign on the Route Nationale 786 in Tréveneuc
The Morlaix railway viaduct is one of the highest in France.
The Brittany Ferries MS Bretagne off Saint-Malo
The modern flag of Brittany
Merlin's tomb in the Brocéliande forest, Paimpont
A dolmen in Plouharnel
The city wall of Guérande
Castle of Saint-Malo, Qui Qu'en Grogne Tower
Château de Suscinio
Île Vierge lighthouse
Parlement of Brittany in Rennes
Abbey and lighthouse of Saint-Mathieu
Ar Meilhoù Glaz, a Bagad from Quimper
Festival du chant de marin, sea songs festival in Paimpol
A Breton headdress from Batz-sur-Mer
Modern Brittany - Illustration from Legends & Romances of Brittany by Lewis Spence, illustrated by W. Otway Cannell.
Men Ruz lighthouse, Ploumanac'h

Brittany facts for kids

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