Bretagne Region

Key sectors
Advantages and distinctive features
Key figures

The westernmost region of France, Brittany, is a peninsula of area 27,000 km2 with 3,500 km of indented coastline. Thus the region turns towards the sea – from which it draws much of its wealth and strong sense of history. Brittany benefits from an oceanic climate mild and damp.

The region can rely on its youthful population : more than 1 in 4 Bretons is under 20 years old ! In addition Brittany has the highest proportion in France of people aged 16-25 years in higher education.

With the TGV, 1,000 km of motorways, expanding airport facilities and the major maritime ports of Lorient, Saint-Malo and Brest, Brittany, which has for too long been the victim of its isolation, is today pursuing a policy of opening up to the outside world.

Key sectors

The dynamism of Breton farmers, places Brittany at the head of French regions. Concentrating on livestock and vegetables, Brittany achieves 12 % of national territory. Fishing and marine cultures also place the region at the top of the national league both in terms of the number of employees and production.

One economic activity, complementary to the agriculture and the fishing sectors, has undergone considerable expansion upstream and in particular, downstream – the very strong agro-food business employing 71,000 people. Moreover, recent industrial development has allowed modem production facilities. The electronics industry employs almost 15,000 people and is based on a dynamic research potential, mainly in the fields of information technology and telecommunications.

The car industry developed in Brittany thanks to the establishment of two Citroën plants and the many subcontractors who have located their businesses close to these plants. As in all advanced economies, more than 65 % of employment is in the tertiary sector.

Advantages and distinctive features

Brittany is marked out by its relatively balanced urban structure. The largest conurbations, Rennes, Brest and Lorient have 272,000, 210,000 and 116,000 inhabitants respectively. Several medium-sized towns of from 20,000 to 80,000 inhabitants well distributed throughout Brittany harmoniously complete the regional urban network.

With its 3,500 km of coastline, architectural heritage, the poetry of its heaths and increased liveliness of its coastal resorts, Brittany can pride itself on being one of the major French tourist regions with the benefits of an exceptional quality of life. This region saw the first and subsequent development of thalassotherapy.

A Breton setting and style which have been preserved and even enhanced by the economic dynamism of recent years – fully respecting the original cultural identity.