Brittany (English) Breizh (Breton) Bretagne (French)
Modern flag Traditional coat of arms
National motto	Kentoc'h mervel eget bezań saotret (Breton: Rather dead than soiled)
Languages	French, Breton
Capitals	Rennes and Nantes
Largest city	Nantes
Area	27 208 Km² km²
Population (2004)	4,198,500
Currency	Euro (€) (EUR)

Brittany

Brittany is famous for its megalithic monuments, which are scattered over the peninsula, the largest alignments are near Carnac. The purpose of these monuments is still unknown, and many local people are reluctant to entertain speculation on the subject. The words dolmen (from "daol" table and "maen" stone) and menhir (from "maen" stone and "hir" high) come from the Breton language, even though they are hardly used in Breton.

Brittany is also known for its calvaries, elaborately carved sculptures of crucifixion scenes, to be found in churchyards of villages and small towns, especially in Western Brittany.

The walled city of Saint-Malo (Sant-Maloł), a popular tourist attraction, is also an important port linking Brittany with the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands. It also was the birthplace of the acclaimed author Chateaubriand and explorer Jacques Cartier. The town of Roscoff (Rosko) is served by ferry links with the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The island of Ushant (French Ouessant, Breton Enez Eusa) is the north-westernmost point of France, and marks the entrance of the English Channel.

Since Brittany is on the west coast of France, it has a warm temperate climate. It does rain sometimes, which is one of the reasons its countryside is so green and wooded, but it is most likely that there will be more sun than cloud.

It can get pretty hot in the summer months, up to about 30°C, but unlike France south of the Loire, temperatures remain comfortable throughout the summer.

Original text and images from Wikipedia, the Free encyclopedia.