FINISTERE, or FINISTERRE

This article appears in Volume V10, Page 383 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: FAT-FLA

FINISTERE, or FINISTERRE , the most western department of France, formed from part of the old province of Brittany. Pop. (1906) 795,103. Area, 2713 sq. m. It is bounded W. and S. by the Atlantic Ocean, E. by the departments of

Cotes

COTES, ROGER (1682-1716)

-du-Nord and Morbihan, and N. by the English Channel. Two converging chains of hills run from the west towards the

east

EAST
EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

of the department and divide it into three zones conveying the waters in three different directions. North of the Arree, or more northern of the two chains, the waters of the Douron, Penze and Fleche flow northward to the sea. The Elorn, however, after a short northerly course, turns westward and empties into the Brest roads. South of the Montagnes Noires, the Odet, Aven, Isoleand EIie flow southward; while the waters of the Aulne, flowing through a region enclosed by the two chains with a westward declination, discharge into the Brest roads. The rivers are all small, and none of the hills attain a height of 1300 ft. The coast is generally steep and rocky and at some points dangerous, notably off Cape Raz and the tie de Sein; it is indented with numerous bays and inlets, the

chief

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

of whichthe roadstead of Brest and the Bays of Douarnenez and Audierneare on ,he west. The principal harbours are those of Brest, Concarneau, Morlaix, Landerneau, Quimper and Douarnenez. Off the coast lie a number of islands and rocks, the principal of which are Ushant (q.v.)N.W. of Cape St Mathieu, and Batz off Roscoff. The climate is temperate and equable, but humid; the prevailing winds are the W., S.W. and N.W. Though more than a third of the department is covered by heath, waste land and forest, it produces oats, wheat,

buckwheat

BUCKWHEAT

, rye and barley in quantities more than sufficient for its population. In the extreme north the neighbourhood of Roscoff, and farther south the borders of the Brest roadstead, are extremely fertile and yield large quantities of asparagus, artichokes and onions, besides melons and other fruits. The cider apple is abundant and furnishes the

chief

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

drink of the inhabitants. Hemp and flax are also grown. The farm and dairy produce is plentiful, and

great

GREAT

attention is paid to the breeding and feeding of cattle and horses. The production of honey and wax is considerable. The fisheries of the coast, particularly the pilchard fishery, employ a

great

GREAT

many hands and render this department an excellent nursery of

seamen

SEAMEN, LAWS RELATING TO

for the French navy. Coal, though found in Finistere, is not

mined

MINED

; there are quarries of granite, slate, potter's clay, &c. The lead mines of Poullaouen and Huelgoat, which for several centuries yielded a considerable quantity of silver, are no longer worked. The preparation of sardines is carried on on a large scale at several of the coast-towns. The manufactures include linens, woollens, sail-cloth, ropes, agricultural implements,

paper

PAPER
PAPER (Fr. papier, from Lat. papyrus)

, leather, earthenware, soda, soap, candles, and fertilizers and chemicals derived from seaweed. Brest has important foundries and engineering works; and shipbuilding is carried on there and at other seaports. Brest and Morlaix are the most important commercial ports. Trade is in fish, vegetables and fruit. Coal is the chief import. The department is served by the Orleans and Western railways. The canal from Nantes to Brest has 51 M. of its length in the department. The Aulne is navigable for 17 m., and many of the smaller rivers for short distances.
Finistere is divided into the arrondissements of Quimperle, Brest, Chateaulin, Morlaix and Quimper (43 cantons, 294 communes), the town of Quimper being the

capital

CAPITAL (i.e. capital stock or fund)
CAPITAL (Lat. caput, head)

of the department and the seat of a bishopric. The department belongs to the region of the XI. army corps and to the archiepiscopal province and academic (educational division) of Rennes, where its court of appeal is also situated.
The more important places are Quimper, Brest, Morlaix, Quimperle, St Poi-de-Leon, Douarnenez, Concarneau, Roscoff, Penmarc'h and Pont-l'Abbe. Finistere abounds in menhirs and other megalithic monuments, of which those of Penmarc'h, Plouarzal and Crozon are noted. The two religious structures characteristic of Brittanycalvaries and charnel-housesare frequently met with. The calvaries of Plougastel-Daoulas, Pleyben, St Thegonnec, Lampaul-Guimiliau, which date from the 17th century, and that of Guimiliau (16th century), and the charnel-houses of Sizun and St Thegonnec With century) and of Guimiliau (17th century) may be instanced as the most remarkable. Daoulas has the remains of a fine church and cloister in the Romanesque style. The chapel of St Herbot (16th century) near Loqueffret, the churches of St Jean-du-Doigt and Locronan, which belong to the 15th and 16th centuries, those of Ploare, Roscoff, Penmarc'h and Pleyben of the 16th century, that of Le Folgoet (14th and 16th centuries), and the huge chateau of Kerjean (r6th century) are of architectural

interest

INTEREST

. Religious festivals, and processions known as " pardons," are held in many places, notably at Locronan, St Jean-du-Doigt, St Herbot and Le Faou.
Io

End of Article: FINISTERE, or FINISTERRE

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/FAT_FLA/FINISTERE_or_FINISTERRE.html">
FINISTERE, or FINISTERRE
</a>

(Previous)
FINISHING

(Next)
FINLAND (Finnish, Suomi or Suomenmaa)

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email