Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

MORBIHAN

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 820 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

MORBIHAN , a See also:

department of western See also:France on the See also:Atlantic seaboard, formed of See also:part of See also:Lower See also:Brittany, and bounded S.E. by the department of See also:Loire-Inferieure, E. by that of Ille-et-Vilaine, N. by See also:Cotes-du-See also:Nord, and W. by Firistere. See also:Area, 2738 sq. m. Pop. (1906), 573,152. From the Montagnes Noires on the See also:northern frontier the western portion of Morbihan slopes southward towards the Atlantic, being watered by the See also:Elie, the Blavet with its affluent the Scorff, and the See also:Auray; the eastern portion, on the other See also:hand, dips towards the See also:south-See also:east in the direction of the course of the Oust and its feeders, which fall into the Vilaine. Though the Montagnes Noires contain the highest point (974 ft.) in the department, the most striking orographic feature of Morbihan is the dreary, treeless, streamless See also:tract of moorland and See also:marsh known as the See also:Landes of Lanvaux, which extends (W.N.W. to E.S.E.) with a width of from 1 to 3 See also:miles for a distance of 31 miles between the valley of the Claie and that of the Arz (affluents of the Oust). A striking contrast to this See also:district is afforded by the various inlets of the See also:sea, whose shores are clothed with vegetation of exceptional richness, large fig-trees, See also:rose-laurels, and aloes growing as if in See also:Algeria. The See also:coast-See also:line is exceedingly irregular: the mouth of the Vilaine, the See also:peninsular of Ruis, the See also:great gulf of Morbihan (Inner Sea), from which the department takes its name, and the mouth of the Auray, the See also:long See also:Quiberon See also:peninsula attached to the mainland by the narrow See also:isthmus of Fort Penthievre, the deep-branching See also:estuary of Etel, the mouths of the Blavet and the Scorff uniting to See also:form the See also:port of See also:Lorient, and, finally, on the See also:borders of See also:Finistere the mouth of the Laita, follow each other in rapid See also:succession. Off the coast See also:lie the islands of Groix, Belle-Ile (q.v.), Houat and Hoedik. Vessels See also:drawing 13 ft. can ascend the Vilaine as far as See also:Redon; the Blavet is canalized throughout its course through the department; and the Oust, as part of the See also:canal from See also:Nantes to See also:Brest, forms a great waterway by Redon, Josselin, See also:Rohan and See also:Pontivy. The See also:climate of Morbihan is characterized by great moisture and mildness. Unproductive See also:heath occupies more than a See also:quarter of the department, about a third of which is arable See also:land.

See also:

Rye, See also:buckwheat and See also:wheat, potatoes and mangels are the See also:chief crops; See also:hemp and See also:flax are also grown. Horned See also:cattle are the chief livestock and See also:bee-keeping is extensively practised. The sea-See also:ware gathered along the coast See also:helps greatly to improve the See also:soil of the region bordering thereon. Outside of Lorient (q.v.), a centre for See also:naval construction, there is little See also:industrial activity in Morbihan. The catching and curing of sardines and the breeding of oysters (Auray, St Armel, &c.) form the business of many of the inhabitants of the coast, who also See also:fish for anchovies, lobsters, &c., for tinning. The forges of See also:Hennebont are of some importance for the See also:production of See also:sheet-See also:tin. The department is served by the See also:Orleans railway. It is divided into four arrondissements—See also:Vannes, Lorient, Ploermel and Pontivy—with 37 cantons and 256 communes. The See also:capital Vannes is the seat of a bishopric of the See also:province of See also:Rennes. The department belongs to the region of the XIth See also:army See also:corps and to the academie (educational See also:division) of Rennes, where also is its See also:court of See also:appeal. The See also:principal places are Vannes, Lorient, Ploermel, Pontivy, Au'See also:ray, Hennebont, See also:Carnac and See also:Locmariaquer, the last two famous for the megalithic monuments in their vicinity. Other places of See also:interest are Erdeven and Plouharnel, also well known for their megalithic remains; Elven, with two towers of the 15th See also:century, remains of an old stronghold; Josselin which has the See also:fine See also:chateau of the Rohan See also:family and a See also:church containing the See also:tomb (15th century) of See also:Olivier de See also:Clisson and his wife; Guern with a See also:chapel of the 15th and 16th centuries and le Faouet with a chapel of the 15th century; Quiberon, which is associated with the disaster of the See also:French emigres in 1745; Sarzeau, near which is the fortress of Sucinio (13th and 15th centuries); Ste Barbe with a chapel, dating from about the end of the 15th century, finely situated, overlooking the Elie; St See also:Gildas-de-Ruis, with a ruined Romanesque church and other remains of a See also:Benedictine See also:abbey of which See also:Abelard was for a See also:time See also:abbot.

The principal pardons (religious festivals) of the department are those of Ste See also:

Anne-d'Auray and St See also:Nicolas-See also:des-Eaux.

End of Article: MORBIHAN

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
MORBHANJ, or MAYURBHANJ 		[next]
MORCAR, EARL (fl. ro66)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries